Ventura BVB Headed Back to State Tournament

The VC beach volleyball team is headed back to the state tournament. The 2023 state runners up posted a pair of victories Tuesday in the 3C2A Southern California Regionals to qualify for the final day of the team season next week. The No. 2-seeded Pirates beat No. 10 Rio Hondo 4-1 before winning the first three matches in a 3-2 defeat of No. 7 San Diego Miramar. VC's 5's, Skylar Rutherford and Liz Schalde, their 4's, Gracie Piro and Gabby Raines, and the 1's, Autumn Rojelio and Bryce Swain, all won a pair of matches on the day.

The Pirates fell behind early, dropping the first sets in the Nos. 2, 3 and 4 courts.  Rojelio and Swain go things rolling for VC, however, as they recorded the first point of the day with a 21-8, 21-6 runaway on Court 1 while Piro and Raines won their second set to force a winner-take-all third. Schalde and Rutherford put the Pirates ahead 2-0 with a 21-18, 21-13 win in the no. 5 match before the Roadrunners got on the board, defeating Alba Romanos Gracia and Kylie Ibbotson in a close decision, 21-18, 21-18 at No. 2. Makena Schaumloeffel and Lily Hazzard forced a third set on Court 3 before Piro and Swain completed their comeback to seal the Ventura win, 19-21, 21-10, 15-4 at No. 4. Schaumloeffel and Hazzard made it 4-1 with their 14-21, 23-21, 15-12 triumph at No. 3.

BVB��: Piro and Raines clinch the match for @VCVolleyball with a 3-set win on 4. Hazzard & Schaumloeffel force a 3rd set on 3 vs. @RHCathletics. pic.twitter.com/mfrmR3tSvY

— VCPirateAthletics (@VCAthletics) April 30, 2024

In the middle match of the day, Miramar defeated Rio Hondo 3-2 to set up the finale between the Pirates and the Jets with a berth to the state tournament on the line.

In the afternoon match, Ventura took the early edge by capturing the first sets on Courts 5, 1 and 4. Schalde and Rutherford made quick work of their opponents at No. 5, sweeping the Jets 21-12, 21-8 to give Ventura a 1-0 advantage. Then, in quick succession, Rojelio and Swain posted a 21-13, 21-10 sweep on Court 1 before Piro and Raines provided the clincher with a 21-14, 21-18 victory on Court 3. Ventura came up short on Courts 2 and 3, but it was all academic as Ventura earned a return trip to the state tournament.

Ventura's top two duos of Rojelio and Swain, and Romanos Gracia and Ibbotson will compete in the Southern California Pairs Tournament on Friday and Saturday May 3 and 4 in Torrance at El Camino College. The Pirate team will play in the 3C2A State Tournament on Thursday May 9 at West Valley in Saratoga. The State Pairs Championships will follow on Friday and Saturday May 10 and 11, also at West Valley. 

Ventura 2, Rio Hondo 3

1. Autumn Rojelio/Bryce Swain (VC) def. Jaida Zuniga/Jade Fuentes (RHC), 21-8, 21-6
2. Alba Romanos Gracia/Kylie Ibbotson (VC) lost to Maleia Petterez/Maria Bejines (RHC), 21-18, 21-18
3. Makena Schaumloeffel/Lily Hazzard (VC) def. Josie Navarro/Herlinda Casanova (RHC), 14-21, 23-21, 15-12
4. Gracie Piro/Gabby Raines (VC) def. Loren Forster/Carly Kejmar (RHC), 19-21, 21-10, 15-4
5. Skylar Rutherford/Liz Schalde (VC) lost to Isabel Villavicencio/Jennifer Reynoso (RHC), 21-18, 21-13

Order of Finish: 1, 5, 2, 4, 3

Ventura 3, San Diego Miramar 2

1. Autumn Rojelio/Bryce Swain (VC) def. Jaalyn Sotoa-Stuebing/Natalie Repetti (Mir), 21-13, 21-10
2. Alba Romanos Gracia/Kylie Ibbotson (VC) lost to Mia Fox/Zaria Henderson (Mir), 21-13, 21-15
3. Makena Schaumloeffel/Lily Hazzard (VC) lost to Samdrea Hsu/Julia Kallen (Mir), 21-14, 21-18
4. Gracie Piro/Gabby Raines (VC) def. Elif Solmaz/Makana Kowalski (Mir), 24-22, 21-18
5. Skylar Rutherford/Liz Schalde(VC) def. Roxy Ford/Sally Taylor (Mir), 21-12, 21-8

Order of Finish: 5, 1, 4, 2, 3