Taking on one of the most improved teams in the state on Wednesday night, the Cerritos College volleyball team suffered a 13-25, 20-25, 20-25 non-conference loss. The Falcons (0-5) will look for their first win on Friday at 5:00 p.m. when they travel to Golden West College.

"This is the best Santa Ana team since their state championship team in 1977," said head coach Kari Hemmerling. "They were unbelievable. They are the best team in the South, in my opinion and in the top 3-5 in the state in my dad's opinion," said Hemmerling of her dad, Tom Pestolesi, the longtime head coach at Irvine Valley College.

In spite of the sweep, Cerritos did play well and extended many points with long rallies. But the experience and size advantage allowed the Dons (5-0) to come out on top of the majority of the rallies.

The tandem of sophomore Abby Gutierrez (Downey HS) and Kaydence Portillo (Bell Gardens HS) combined for 12 kills, while freshman Kira Magdaleno (Artesia HS) contributed four kills and a team-high 10 digs. Sophomore setter Carissa Mendibles (Downey HS) distributed the ball for 16 assists and added a pair of kills on the night.

"We were really scrappy and hung in and dug some hard hits," added Hemmerling. "We actually played pretty well. Carissa was a little off with location but Santa Ana served really well and they were way more physical than us."