SBCC Claims Key Victory over Moorpark

By AJ Nagbe, Sports Information

GOLETA, Calif. — No. 6 Santa Barbara City College defeated No. 13 Moorpark College, 3–1, (25–17, 25–27, 25–22, 25–14) Friday night at Robertson Gymnasium, improving the Vaqueros' record to 13–1 and 3-0 against conference opponents. 

The Vaqueros charged out to an early lead in the first set, building a double-digit gap thanks to the attacking efforts of Kaylin Cooney and Sarah Guzman. 

Moorpark, the only other team undefeated in WSC play, rallied to claim the tightly contested second set, 27-25.

The Vaqs held on to claim the third set, 25-22, before an early, momentum-turning block from Irving helped lead the Vaqueros to a dominant 25–14 fourth-set win.

Irving finished with eight kills, two block assists and one solo block while Guzman finished with nine kills at a .357 clip. Stephanie Groswirt put up 37 assists, 20 digs, and 11 kills for a triple-double. Isabella Lopez-Gonzalez recorded 12 digs and a pair of crucial aces in the fourth set.

Head coach Kat Niksto praised the team's resilience. "I'm really proud of how my players responded. We've been through a lot, and I'm always hard on them. They bounced back, and they learned from tonight," said Niksto. She noted the challenge of facing Moorpark's Genessa Johnson, calling her "phenomenal." She confirmed that Cooney, who briefly left with an ankle injury in the second set, "is going to be fine."

The Vaqueros remain a top contender in the Western State Conference and 3C2A as they travel to No. 22 Ventura College on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at 6 p.m.