Powered by a solid trio of hitters, the Cerritos College volleyball team recorded their third consecutive sweep, as they defeated East Los Angeles College, 25-22, 25-19, 25-21 on Wednesday. The South Coast Conference win improved the Falcons record to 4-12 overall and 2-5 in conference play. The team will host their fourth consecutive match when they welcome conference-leading Mt. San Antonio College at 6:00 p.m. on Friday.
Against the Huskies (8-7, 2-5), Cerritos opened the first set quickly with a pair of kills from sophomore Sonye Garcia (Paramount HS) and a service ace from sophomore Breanna Lizarraga (Paramount HS). The Falcons led the entire set, but had to hold off East LA numerous times. A kill by Garcia put the team up, 20-16, but after a pair of East LA points, freshman Kaydence Portillo (Bell Gardens HS) slammed home two kills to draw the team closer to winning the first set. Sophomore Aiyana Sierra (La Mirada HS) provided the final two points of the set with a pair of kills.
The second set was tied six times by the time the score was knotted at 15-15. But that's where the Falcons turned up the heat and scored the next seven points to take a commanding 22-15 lead. Four Huskies attack errors were joined by a pair of service aces from freshman Kira Magdaleno (Artesia HS) to put the team out front. Sierra and Portillo recorded kills, while the ninth attack error by East Los Angeles provided the final point for Cerritos and a 2-0 lead in sets.
Four straight points turned an 11-11 match into a 15-11 lead in the third set for the Falcons, with Portillo and Garcia posting back-to-back kills. With the Huskies looking to extend the match, as they closed to within 22-20, once again it was Sierra and Portillo that got the team closer to victory. A Huskies attack error clinched the match for Cerritos, as they recorded the sweep.
Sierra and Portillo combined for 21 kills with just four combined attack errors, while Garcia finished with nine kills in a winning cause. Sophomore setter Carissa Mendibles (Downey HS) directed the offense with 33 assists and had seven digs, with Lizarraga leading the back row with 27 digs.
Photos by Daryl Peterson
