Looking for a chance to end their four-match losing skid, the Cerritos College volleyball team posted a three-set sweep over visiting El Camino College on Wednesday night. With the 25-11, 25-20, 26-24 win over the Warriors (3-16, 3-9), the Falcons are now 10-7 overall and 5-7 in South Coast Conference play. They will travel to Los Angeles Harbor College for a 6:00 p.m. conference match next Wednesday.

Cerritos came out strong against El Camino and broke open an 8-7 set with 13 of the next 15 points to take a 21-9 lead. Sophomore Jayda Harris-Amete (La Mirada HS) led the team with five kills during that stretch, with sophomore Kaydence Portillo (Bell Gardens HS) and Jasmine Soto (Schurr HS) each accounting for two kills each. Soto recorded kills for two of the final three points in the set, with a service ace from Harris-Amete sandwiched between.

The second set went back and fourth from the outset, with the scored tied five times from 12-12 through 16-16, with the Falcons taking a 19-16 lead after three consecutive Warrior attack errors. The score closed to 20-19 before Cerritos received three kills from Harris-Amete and another from sophomore Erykah Scott (Bellflower HS). Harris-Amete capped off the set with one of her signature powerful kills.

El Camino took their largest lead of the night in the third set when they went up, 15-12. Looking to avoid playing another set, Cerritos responded with three straight points coming out of a timeout, with Harris-Amete producing two of them, along with one from freshman setter Leeya Rubio (Schurr HS). The Warriors got consecutive kills from Ryan D'Angelo to take a 23-22 lead and then served for set point at 24-23. Freshman Brisa Cortez (Schurr HS) staved off El Camino with a kill to tie the set, which was followed by a pair of attack errors from the Warriors, which ended the match.

Harris finished the night hitting a phenomenal .571, as she led all players with 18 kills, and only two attack errors to go along with a team-high 15 digs. Soto finished with 11 kills and nine digs, with Cortez and Portillo combining for 12 kills and 13 digs in the win. Rubio recorded 42 assists and also had three kills.

Photos by Daryl Peterson