Looking to break out of a recent slump, the Cerritos College volleyball team held off an upset-minded Los Angeles Harbor College in a 25-21, 21-25, 25-23, 25-21 South Coast Conference win on Friday. The Falcons (9-5, 5-3), who won just once over a recent four-game road trip, responded with a win over the Seahawks (5-10, 2-6), thanks to a trio of players that posted double-digit numbers in kills. The team heads back on the road for three consecutive matches, with the first being at 6:00 p.m. next Wednesday at Rio Hondo College.

The teams split the first two sets, with the all-important third set serving as the key to winning the match. Cerritos led midway through the third set until LA Harbor pulled even at 12-12 and even held a 19-15 advantage at one point. A pair of kills from freshman Jayda Harris-Amete (La Mirada HS), along with another kill from freshman Maleah Gonzales (Schurr HS) helped the Falcons draw even at 19-19. The teams traded points until LA Harbor took a 23-22 lead on a kill from Gabiela Lara.

Harris-Amete knotted the game at 23-23 before a pair of attack errors from LA Harbor gave the Falcons a 25-23 win and 2-1 lead in sets.

Hoping to avoid a fifth set, Cerritos found themselves behind 12-4 after four attack errors and four Seahawk service aces. The Falcons slowly started getting back into the set and ran off five straight points to turn a 15-8 match into a manageable 15-13 deficit. Down 18-15, a pair of attack errors, a kill from freshman Aiyana Sierra (La Mirada HS) and a service ace by freshman Carissa Mendibles (Downey HS), gave Cerritos their first lead of the set at 19-18.

Trading points for a 21-21 score, the Falcons closed out the match on a pair of Marissa Mendibles (Downey HS) kills, an attack error and a match clinching service ace from freshman Breanna Lizarraga (Paramount HS).

Harris-Amete led all players with 16 kills and added nine digs, with Gonzales and Sierra combining for 23 kills. Setter Carissa Mendibles dished out four assists and had three service aces, with Lizarraga producing a team-high 15 digs, five service aces and four assists. Harris-Amete was also effective on defense with nine digs, with Carissa Mendibles also adding nine digs and four block assists, while Sierra led the team with six block assists.

Photos by Daryl Peterson