by Timothy Weisberg | Oct 22, 2009 | Student Voice published stories-Fall 2009
Photo by Tony Sintic
Published on October 20, 2009
After a sluggish start Tuesday night, the Ventura College Pirates’ volleyball team had a storybook ending, sweeping the Allan Hancock Bulldogs in three sets (25-20, 25-19, 25-18).
Freshman middle blocker Kayla Phipps, who had eight kills and three blocks, believed that the Pirates needed to step up their game in order to make up for their lackluster start.
“We had to pick up our game a lot,” she said. “Make sure we did what we needed to do [as a team].”
Sophomore setter Justine O’Connor led the Pirates with 22 assists, 12 kills, and 15 digs, while middle blocker Anne Westbrook added three crucial aces in the victory.
The Pirates (7-7, 2-1 WSC) struggled early, trailing the Bulldogs (4-7, 1-2 WSC) 3-0 in the first set. After Shelby Younce tipped a ball over the Bulldogs’ defense, the Pirates were able to get back into the set.
In a set that featured eight lead changes and eight ties, it looked like neither team would be able to pull away and take the set. However, a Westbrook kill gave the Pirates a 21-20 lead, and they pulled off four straight points to take the first set 25-20.
The second set was similar to the first, with both teams swinging the lead back and forth like a pendulum. The Pirates were once again able to seal the set on a Sandra Alvarez kill, which gave them their biggest lead of the set 22-16. They eventually won the set 25-19.
The Bulldogs appeared distraught after dropping the first two sets, and looked like they wanted to pack their bags early and head back to Santa Maria. After taking the first point on a Pirate service fault, the Bulldogs gave up seven straight points to the Pirates and trailed by as many as 11.
The Pirates appeared to be on their way to an easy sweep before the Bulldogs fought back, going on a 10-3 run to cut the lead to 4 points.The run proved to be too little too late for the Bulldogs, however, and Phipps guaranteed the sweep on a tip that went over the net and fell aimlessly to the ground in front of Bulldog defenders, giving the Pirates a 20-15 lead.
Westbrook served an ace on the match point to turn the final pages on the Pirates’ storybook ending.
Head coach Mandy Arnold-Rodriguez believed that her team was able to take the match in three sets because the Pirates were able to slowly get better and better as the match progressed.
“I think the girls did a good job improving as the game went on,” she said. “That’s why they were able to finish in three [sets].”
by Timothy Weisberg | Oct 17, 2009 | Student Voice published stories-Fall 2009
Published on October 14, 2009
The Ventura College women’s water polo team put on a stellar offensive performance Wednesday night, proving to be too much for Cuesta College, as the Pirates cruised to a 16-7 victory.
Playing away from the recently closed VC Aquatics Center has not seemed to affect the Pirates’ play this year. Because of structural damage to the aquatic center, all of their home games this season have been played at Buena High School or at the Ventura Community Park three miles down the road.
Sophomore leader Carly Clark put on quite a show, scoring seven goals, including four in the first quarter.
Pirate head coach Mary Giles had nothing but praise towards her Agoura High School product.
“Carla brings great experience, great game, and great attitude,” Giles said.
According to Giles, this effort is exactly what makes this team dangerous.
“We are very deep,” Giles added. “You can’t leave any of our girls open.”
The Pirates’ deep roster proved costly for Cuesta (8-14), who gave up their first goal 47 seconds into the game. After the Pirates’ goal, Clark showed off her game and her arm, scoring three straight goals in less than two minutes to give the Pirates (10-4) a 4-0 lead with 5:30 remaining in the first quarter.
Great stops by goalies Marissa Herold and Marina Petty kept the game out of reach. Cuesta could not seem to find the net in the first half, and the Pirates lead 10-3.
In the second half, Emily Allen got a goal after a great feed on a breakaway from Olivia
Hernandez, pushing the game to 11-3, and ultimately out of reach, The Pirates proved they were a deep team when Clark injured her arm late in the third quarter and was taken out.
The lead was 12-4 when Cuesta sophomore Morgan Thompson threw a Hail Mary, scoring from 20 meters away. The Pirates were not phased after the long shot on goal, and Mary Dugan decided to challenge Thompson with a 20-meter heave of her own as time expired to take a 13-5 lead after three quarters.
It seemed as if anything Cuesta could do, the Pirates could do better. Clark seemed to know how she scored seven goals.
“My teammates,” she said. “It kind of clicks this season.”
Clark later added that the team’s ability to communicate had lasting effect on the outcome of the game.
“We just seemed to be able to talk with each other,” said Clark.
From their offensive firepower to tenacious defense on the front line, Giles believes that it is necessary to have a good defense and offense.
“I’m a firm believer that good defense leads to good offense,” she said.
by Timothy Weisberg | Oct 12, 2009 | Student Voice published stories-Fall 2009
Photo by Tony Sintic
Published on October 9, 2009
They say when it rains it pours, and the Moorpark College women’s volleyball team created a torrential downpour, sweeping the Citrus College Owls in three sets (25-9, 25-12, 25-17) Friday night.
Raider head coach Steve Burkhart believed the team’s hard work at practice contributed to the team’s success against the Owls.
“I really think a good part of it was how we practiced this week,” he said. “We are really trying to get focused now.”
And were the Raiders ever focused.
The Raiders (10-1) scored seven straight points in the first set against the Owls (3-6), who did not get their first point until a Raider service fault.
The Raiders continued to pour on the offense, and started to pull away from the Owls when freshman Libero Erika Smith added two straight aces, giving the Raiders a 13-1 lead.
Smith added insult to injury when her third ace ended the set, which the Raiders won 25-9.
The Raiders stayed focused and continued to completely dominate an overmatched Owls team, jumping to a 4-0 lead in the second set. The Raiders never trailed the entire set, and extended their lead to 13-5.
A kill by middle blocker Kaki Bage proved to be the deciding factor in the set, extending the Raiders lead to 14-6. The Raiders eventually won the set 25-12.
The Owls took their only lead of the entire match in the third set, when they took the first point of the set and quickly took a 4-2 lead.
The Raiders proved to just be toying with them, however, when they went on a 5-0 run to take a 7-5 lead. Sophomore middle blocker Rachel Olinyk let the set slip out of the Owls’ hands with a powerful ace that gave the Raiders a 10-5 lead.
Although the Raiders dominated every aspect of the match, Burkhart believed that they needed to focus on their next match against Western State Conference rival, Ventura College. He stated that he hopes to beat Ventura, even though the teams should be pretty evenly matched.
“It’s just one of those matches where anybody can win that match,” he said. “I’m very hopeful that we’re going to work hard and beat Ventura.”
by Timothy Weisberg | Sep 29, 2009 | Student Voice published stories-Fall 2009
Published September 12, 2009
The Oxnard College men’s soccer team absolutely obliterated a helpless Pasadena City College team, with stellar defense and offensive firepower, to down the Lancers 6-0 at Oxnard Friday afternoon.
The Lancers did not even get a shot on goal until the 21st minute, as the Condors were able to control the ball the majority of the game. Constantly putting the Lancers on the defensive, the Condors offense eventually overpowered the Lancers on a goal by forward Emigdio Ramirez in the 40th minute.
Two minutes later, midfielder Max Madrigal followed his header off the post, and nailed a strike into the net, giving the Condors a 2-0 lead. The Condors continued to dominate, shutting down the Lancer offense with solid defense and great ball movement. Five minutes into the second half, sophomore leader Nathan Lytle scored a goal on a great feed from defender Ernesto Ayala.
Leading 3-0, the Condors continued to pour on the goals, scoring three more in the half, including two in the final five minutes. Madrigal led the team with two goals and an assist, playing exceptionally well off the bench.
In a game that featured goals from five different Condor players, head coach Russ Greaney was pleased to see so much balance in his team’s offense.
“We have a very diverse, talented team,” he said. “It’s a positive sign so many guys can score goals.”
After allowing 14 goals in its first three games, the Condors shut out the Lancers, showing a vast improvement from previous games.
Midfielder Johnny Martinez noticed their improvement on the defensive end, stating that the defense had been their number one concern coming into today’s game.
“[Our] first priority was to not give up any goals,” he said. “We’re taking steps forward.”
At 1-2-1, Greaney emphasized the importance of the team’s improvement on the defensive end.
“We were definitely able to set the tempo [for the game],” he said. “We were a lot more secure defensively.”
The Condors hope to put on another defensive show when they travel to Chaffey College Tuesday, Sept. 15. The game is set to start at 4 p.m.
by Timothy Weisberg | Sep 29, 2009 | Student Voice published stories-Fall 2009
Published on September 12, 2009
The Oxnard College women’s soccer team continually finds itself in an offensive funk, having only scored one goal the past two games and falling to Pasadena 2-1 at Oxnard Friday afternoon.
Although the Condors (0-4-1) have struggled offensively, they were to the first to score when midfielder Mary Cruz Magana hit a shot to the back of the net on a great outlet pass in the 27th minute.
The Condors defense looked solid, and there was some spark to their offense, but they could not capitalize in critical situations. The Lancers tied the game at one on a goal by sophomore utility player Molly Pink.
The Condors had an opportunity to break the 1-1 tie in the 52nd minute, when forward Nataly Marquez missed a shot after receiving a great outlet pass from forward Gabriela Ambriz.
This missed opportunity proved to be costly, as Pasadena broke the tie on a goal from Lancer forward Melissa Fudge. Fudge had taken two shots on goal, before getting the ball back a third time and hitting a shot to the left-hand corner of the net.
Despite the disappointing loss, Condor assistant coach Bill Propster stated he had a new team, and that there was only more room for improvement.
“For now, we are a new team,” Propster said. “There are a lot of players trying to find what is best fit for everybody.”
Propster also pointed out two key injuries to two starting midfielders as a reason the team is struggling.
“Two of our starting midfielders were not here,” he said. “We are not real deep.”
A new team, two injuries and an inexperienced squad results in a team that is simply trying to get used to playing with one another. While it remains uncertain when there two key midfielders will be able to play next, the Condors continue to believe they are gradually getting better.
The Condors hope to get better on the offensive end, when they host Antelope Valley next Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 3 p.m.
by Timothy Weisberg | Sep 29, 2009 | Student Voice published stories-Fall 2009
Published on September 11, 2009
The Cerritos College Falcons put on the “Cerritos offensive,” taking a staggering 24 shots on goal in a 6-0 blowout at Oxnard College on Thursday afternoon.
The Falcons have won back-to-back state championships and won the national championship in 2008. The number-one ranked team in the nation held Oxnard College to only four shots on goal the entire game and played like state champions, overpowering the unorganized Condors.
The Condors were outplayed from the beginning, giving up their first shot on goal two minutes into the game, before giving up their first goal in the 18th minute on a corner kick by forward Nancy Gandarilla that was headed into the net. Less than a minute later, Gandarilla’s outlet pass to midfielder Victoria Florez made it 2-0 in favor of the Falcons.
The Falcons scored their first four goals in nine minutes on great passing, always remaining on the offensive against an under-manned Condors team that did not seem to be able to keep up with the Falcons’ quickness and athleticism.
Condors’ goalie Antonia Barrios was pulled from the goal in the 23rd minute after misplaying a ball that resulted in a goal for the Falcons. Crystal Cortez replaced her, giving up two goals in a game where nothing seemed to be going right. On top of this, the Condors lost key defender Natalie Magana in the 2nd half to a hamstring injury.
Magana believed that the sluggish play was a result of not being accustomed to playing with one another.
“We’re not used to playing with each other yet,” Magana said. “All we need is a little practice to get to know each other a little better.”
First-year head coach Dario Pot has his work cut out for him, as the Condors continue to struggle to find a potent offense.
Magana suggested ways her team could improve their inconsistent play on the field.
“We need to mark up on our players and play tight,” she said.
The Falcons improved to 4-0-0 on the year, and have continually shown why they have won back-to-back championships.
Gandarilla had one goal and two assists, while Florez added one goal and an assist.
The Condors host Pasadena College on Friday, Sept. 11 at 4:00 p.m., where they hope they can become more accustomed to playing with one another.
