Shannon Friend recorded 21 kills and a .487 hitting percentage on Friday night as No. 2 SBCC overcame a slow start to defeat Moorpark 3-1 in a WSC women’s volleyball match at the Sports Pavilion. The scores were 25-18, 13-25, 25-21, 25-16.
Friend, a 6-foot freshman from Sonora, Calif., got the 25th point in each of the three wins. The Vaqueros built leads of 10-6, 17-12 and 22-15 in the fourth set and Friend got kills on three of the last four points.
“The last game we started keeping track of our errors and that put it in perspective that we need to stop (the errors) and put the ball in play,” said Friend. “We want to win the league, go to playoffs and make the Final Four. I really think we could win State.”
The Vaqueros are 21-3 and 9-1 in the WSC North, tied for first with No. 1 L.A. Pierce with two matches left. Moorpark fell to 7-12 and 3-6.
The 21 wins matched the highest total in Coach Ed Gover’s 25 seasons. SBCC is seeking its fourth straight conference title and sixth in the last seven years.
Katelynn Womack added 14 kills and 17 digs. Raleigh McKinney was the dig leader with 18 and the Vaqueros had four others with 13 or more – Womack (17), Tristen Thompson (16), Hillary Bean (15) and setter Shiloe Parsons (13). Parsons dished out 40 assists.
The Vaqueros went on a 9-0 run to take an 18-10 lead in the first set. Moorpark jumped in front 17-9 in the second set on the way to its only win. The Vaqueros enjoyed leads of 12-7 and 19-12 in the third set on the way to a 25-21 victory.
“We had a bit of a slow start but then we straightened things out in the third and fourth sets,” said Gover. “Our passing improved and that opened up the middle. You’re not going to play great every night but we played well enough to win.”
Leading 16-12 in the fourth set, the Vaqueros got a boost from middle blocker Isabella Thompson, who put away three kills to extend the margin to 19-13.
The Vaqueros travel to Ventura on Friday, Nov. 13 for a 7 p.m. match, then finish up the regular season with a home date vs. L.A. Mission on Wednesday, Nov. 18.
