The number one seed Vaqueros won their first playoff game against 16 seeded Mt. San Antonio 3-2 to advance them to the next round Tuesday night at the Santa Barbara Sports Pavilion.
City College won the match with set scores of 23-25, 23-25, 25-21, 26-24, and 15-6.
Last year City College faced off against Mt. San Antonio and lost at home.
“Last year was last year and this year is this year,” said head coach Ed Gover before the game. “I’m looking forward to a good game.”
This was the first playoff game for the team and the energy was high. Players from both teams were warming up intensely as the stands filled up.
Mt. San Antonio had an early lead in the first set leading 19-14. City College came back to tie it at 21-21 but Mt. San Antonio went on to win the set.
The momentum carried to the next set for Mt. San Antonio.
Within the first few minutes Mt. San Antonio led r 9-2. City College managed to catch up later to put the score 21-21. The score went back and forth and Mt. San Antonio eventually took the lead to win the set.
Down by two games, City College was fired up; they were determined not to lose again.
“After the first two sets it was intense,” said outside hitter Katelynn Womack. “But we knew that they were beatable.”
The third set was even throughout, with both teams scoring back and forth. Ultimately, however, City College took the lead and won the set 25-21.
Going into the fourth set, City College was once again in a must win situation.
Head coach Ed Gover talks to the lady Vaqueros during a time-out in the fourth set of a playoff match against Mt. San Antonio College, Tuesday night, Nov. 24, in the Santa Barbara Sports Pavilion. The Vaqueros beat the Mounties, 3-2.
The competitive landscape of the fourth set was similar to the previous set played, but City College kept the lead at all times. When the score hit 23-18, however, the tempo changed. With the score 24-20, Mt. San Antonio was not going away. They caught up with four consecutive points to put the score at 24-24. But City College managed to take the lead again and win the set 26-24.
The final set is only to 15 points rather than the usual 25, so tensions rose even higher as both teams prepared for this final showdown.
City College took an early 5-1 lead. Soon the score was 10-5. Then came a long rally.
With the ball going over the net a total of 12 times and three dives from libero Tristen Thompson, it ended with the Vaqueros scoring the point and the crowd erupting with cheers.
City College went on to win the set 15-6, to end the match 3-2. As the final point was scored over a dozen fans walked onto the court to congratulate, hug and scream in joy with the players.
“It’s the playoffs,” said Gover. “So you have to prepare for every team to be good.
City College plays its next game 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 28, in the Santa Barbara Sports Pavilion.
“It’s good to play at home. Since we are seeded at number one all of our playoff games will be at home.”
