Cerritos with a 8-2 record against non-league conference opponents. Look to make their four game winning streak to five against El Camino, but what is most impressive is Cerritos has won 12 straight sets.
El Camino has been struggling of late with a 3-8 record to start the year. Before the match was about to start, it was announced that Cerritos setter Sydney May will not play today due to undisclosed injury.
Cerritos started with Setter Leeya Rubio, Middle Blocker Brisa Cortez, Outside Hitter Monserrat Rodriguez, Middle Blocker Jaqueline Torres, Outside Hitter Jasmine Soto-Castro, Opposite Lillianna Peterson, and Priscilla Castillo as Libero.
With the opening serve, Cerritos dominated from the start with middle blocker Torres getting kills early in the first set. Setter Rubio assisting in kills to Soto-Castro, and Cortez and Monserrat Rodriguez getting the final kill to win the first set 25-14.
In the second set, El Camino came out flying and giving it Cerritos make it 10-7 in the set, Cerritos battled back to make 19-19. Peterson ,Brisa Cortez and Rubio dominated the second and led the comeback as Soto-Castro got the final kill to win the second set 25-19.
Rubio said, “I was just telling them, let’s just keep it together. Let’s do our job. Let’s not try to do anything too difficult. Let’s keep it simple. Let’s do what we do best and let’s just play as a team. That’s all. That’s all you can really do in that situation.”
In the third set Cerritos look to finish off El Camino Soto-Castro and Peterson taking control of the game. Juliette Casillas making her presence known in the game and Castillo diving for the ball to keep it in play as Cortez getting the final kill to win the third and final set 25-15 and the game with 3-0.
Peterson got a remarkable 16 kills, Rodriguez had 12 and Rubio with an amazing 33 assists and 15 digs in the game. Cerritos has now won five games in a row and 15 straight sets.
Coach Kari Hemmerling said, “You know, you don’t want the teams to have any kind of hope and so if you can just get in and get out, told them it’s a business trip, anytime you have a way to, it’s a business trip and we just got to take care of business.”
Cerritos is away and will face conference opponent Compton on Oct. 11 at 12 p.m.
