In their first tournament of the young season, the Cerritos College volleyball team reached the semifinals. The Falcons, who were hosting the tournament, won their first four matches, including a five-set thriller against Yuba College, before getting swept by Cypress College in the semifinals. Cerritos (5-1) will now have a little time off before they travel to Riverside for a 5:00 p.m. non-conference match on September 23.

Cerritos vs. Yuba: The Falcons won the first two sets against the 49ers, 25-21, 25-19, but dropped the next two, 18-25, 17-25, which forced a fifth set. Cerritos, led by 11 kills from freshman Brenda Monzon (Bell Gardens HS) and 10 kills by sophomore Nicole Spigner (La Mirada HS), posted a 15-12 win. Spigner was also second on the team with 25 digs, with sophomore libero Jasmine Peralta (Lakewood HS) recording 29 digs and five kills. Freshman middle blocker Jasmine McNeal (Long Beach Poly HS) finished with six blocks and four kills, with sophomore Valerie Montoya (La Mirada HS) contributing eight kills and 18 digs in the win.

Cerritos vs. Cypress: Facing the Chargers, the Falcons seemed to run out of gas, as they were swept, 18-25, 20-25, 18-25 for their first loss of the season. Montoya had eight kills, with Spigner finishing with seven kills in the match. Sophomore setter Natalie Caravantes (Baldwin Park HS) led the offense with 32 assists, while freshman Kayley Stephens (Cypress HS) pitched in with four kills. Freshman Monica Vega (South Gate HS) combined for 10 kills on the day.

For her efforts over the weekend, Peralta was named to the All-Tournament team.

Photos by Daryl Peterson