After a slow start in each of the three sets, the Cerritos College volleyball team came back and recorded a three-game sweep over Santa Ana College on Friday in their season-opener. The Falcons (1-0) defeated the visiting Dons (0-2), 25-21, 25-18, 25-16 and will now host  Fullerton College at 6:00 p.m. next Tuesday.

After Santa Ana opened the match by scoring the first six points, Cerritos settled down and eventually took an 11-10 lead. The Dons did lead 21-19, but the Falcons scored the final six points to win the first set, as freshman Nicole Spigner (La Mirada HS) recorded a pair of service aces during the final rally that won the game.

The second set was tied six times until 11-11, but then Santa Ana struggled and gave the Falcons their next eight points on errors. Freshman Jasmynne Roberts (Long Beach Poly HS) contributed a pair of kills before freshman Valerie Montoya (La Mirada HS) capped off the game with a kill.

Cerritos trailed 5-1 in the third game, but this time they relied on their hitting to get back in the game and pulled away. Montoya and freshman Brianna Gutierrez (St. Matthias HS) each recorded kills, with sophomore Ashley Castro (Santa Fe HS) recording a pair of service aces for a 9-6 Falcon lead. The team never trailed the rest of the game and received a balanced attack.

On the day, Roberts led the team with nine kills and seven digs, while freshman Amanda Payne (Orange Lutheran HS) contributed six kills and nine digs. Setter Michelle Barba (Downey HS) finished with 17 assists, with freshman Sara Hickman (La Mirada HS) adding five kills and five digs in the win.

Photos by Daryl Peterson