Beach Volleyball Sends One Pair to WSC Elite Eight

The Pirates' beach volleyball team had one of its five entrants advance to the Elite Eight of the Western State Conference Pairs Tournament played Wednesday at the Harbor Cove Courts at the Ventura Marina. In an unfortunate quirk of the brackets, Taylor Benitez-Fanslow and Shea Mckeown defeated teammates Janessa Simental and Braxton Jessie in the round of 16 to advance to Friday's final rounds of the draw in Bakersfield.

No. 8-seeded Armonee Hunter and Kasie Spencer defeated an opponent from Moorpark 21-17, 17-21, 15-7 to move into the round of 16 before falling to a pair from Bakersfield. Meanwhile, Vc's duos of Sofia Gomez and Jordan Neria, as well as Danielle Garcia and Carina Cates both were upended in their first round match-ups.

No. 4-seed Simental and Jessie defeated an opponent from Santa Monica 21-10, 21-7 in their first round contest while No. 13 Benitez-Fanslow and Mckeown got past  their foes from Bakersfield in the round of 32, setting up the Pirate vs. Pirate match-up in the second round. Benitez-Fanslow and Mckeown prevailed in the battle of teammates 21-4, 14-21, 15-13 in a tight contest.

The final three rounds of the WSC Beach Volleyball Pairs Tournament will be held on Friday April 27 at Cal State Bakersfield with the quarterfinals beginning at 10:00 am.

2018 Western State Conference Beach Volleyball Pairs Tournament, Ventura College Results

Round of 32
No. 4 Simental/Jessie (VC) def. No. 29 Roble/Aina-Beltran (SMC), 21-10, 21-7
No. 8 Hunter/Spencer (VC) def. No. 25 Osland/Grogg (MC), 21-17, 17-21, 15-7
No. 13 Benitez-Fanslow/Mckeown def. No. 20 Hoover/Foreman (BC), 21-11, 21-8
No. 22 Gomez/Neria (VC) lost to No. 11 Green/Bradford (AVC), 22-20, 17-21, 15-13
No. 26 Garcia/Cates (VC) lost to No. 10 Burks/Nadzakovo (SMC), 21-11, 21-16

Round of 16
No. 8 Hunter/Spencer (VC) lost to No. 9 Paris/Armendariz (BC), 21-15, 21-15
No. 13 Benitez-Fanslow/Mckeown (VC) def. No. 4 Simental/Jessie (VC), 21-4, 14-21, 15-13