No. 7 SBCC Sweeps No. 17 Ventura for 8th Straight Win

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The No. 7 SBCC women's volleyball team won its eighth straight match on Wednesday night, downing Western State Conference foe No. 17 Ventura in three sets 26-24, 25-21, 25-21 at the Sports Pavilion.

The Vaqueros have yet to drop a set to start conference play, improving to 13-2 overall and 2-0 in the WSC. The Pirates, who were also shooting for their eighth straight win, are now 10-3 overall and 2-1 in conference.

"I'm extremely proud of how we played against a solid Ventura team that is ranked 17th in the state," head coach Kat Niksto said. "Our middles Paige Rudi and Karoline Ruiz were once again dominant, each with a pair of blocks and eight and 10 kills, respectively."

The opening 26-24 win required SBCC to need extra points for just the fourth time this season. The Vaqueros are now 3-1 in extended sets.

"Our goal was to win with a sweep, and even though we played from down most of the first set, at the end of the game when it mattered most we pulled through and made the big plays," Niksto said. "Lauren came in towards the end of that first set to serve and play defense and made a huge impact, helping lead us to that first set victory, which gave the team the confidence to finish out the match."

Freshman outside hitter Bella Johnson led all players with 11 kills. Lily Krongold and Caroline McCarty chipped in offensively as well with five and four kills, respectively.

Libero Jacelin Mckie went for over 20 digs for the fourth time this year, posting a match-high of 23. She now has 225 for the year, good for third-most in the WSC.

Setter Emma Crabbe recorded her team-leading seventh double-double of the season with 38 assists and 15 digs.

Santa Barbara is enjoying its longest win streak since winning 13 straight in the 2017 season. The Vaqueros will look to make it nine straight at Rio Hondo this Friday, Oct. 8 at 6:00 p.m.