VC Volleyball Falls in SoCal Semifinals

The Ventura College volleyball team had its 2025 season come to an end Tuesday with a 3-1 playoff loss at Mt. San Antonio College. Freshman Madison Mierau led the No. 10-seeded Pirates with 11 kills while sophomore Daphne Raymond recorded eight winners at the net with five blocks. Josephine Rausch closed out her stellar VC career with seven kills, 17 digs and a pair of aces against the No. 7-seeded Mounties in the regional semifinal.

Both teams had not played in 11 days after earning a first round bye. It was the PIrates who had more trouble shaking off the rust as Mt. SAC came out swinging to take the opening set 25-10. 

Ventura then dropped the first four points of the second set before Rausch got VC untracked with a pair of winners. The Pirates scored six of the next eight serves to even the score at 6-6. The set was knotted again at 10, 11, 14, and 15 with Mt. SAC retaking the edge each time. Ventura trailed 20-16 when Mierau scored at the net followed by an ace from Shai Daniels. After a point by the Mounties, Raymond had a kill to bring VC back to within 21-20, and Mierau's kill finally gave the Pirates the lead, 22-21. Addison Olson had a kill to put Ventura at set point, 24-21 before the hosts were able to come back and tie the set, again, at 24. Mierau and Rausch finished the job on the next two serves and VC evened the match at one set each. 

Raymond had a kill to put Ventura ahead 3-2 in the third set, and Monaye Ramessar's ace tied the score at 9-9, but a 6-1 run by Mt. SAC put the Pirated down 15-10. Callie Cahill had three kills in a five point stretch as Ventura outscored the Mounties 5-1 to tie the set at 17, but Mt. SAC answered by winning the next four points. Mierau had a winner and Daniels hit another ace to pull VC to within 21-19, and Olson's kill maintained the deficit at 22-20, but Mt. SAC won three of the final four serves to take the set 25-21.

Mt. San Antonio won the first two points of the fourth set and Ventura was never able to recover. The Pirates did keep up the fight however, as Mierau had a pair of kills and Rausch had a big swing to keep the deficit at 10-8. Mierau had another winner to pull VC to within 15-12, but they would get no closer down the stretch falling in the clincher, 25-18.

Ramessar and Valeria Ibarra handed out 17 and 12 assists, respectively, and Daniels had 16 digs defensively. Olson ended the match with five blocks.

Ventura ends the season with 16 wins and 10 losses against one of the toughest schedules in Southern California.