Marion Kimble
After winning their seventh Western State Conference title and first-round match in this year’s regionals tournament, the Pierce College women’s volleyball team members’ season is came to an end after losing to Fullerton College over the weekend, 3-1.
Many team members admit to not playing what Pierce team captain Ashley Lugo-Brown referred to as “Brahma Ball” against Fullerton.
“It was an off night for everybody,” said Brittany Sousa, defensive specialist and one of the seven team members who will return next season.
“Everyone is pretty bummed,” said Sousa. “It hit us hard.”
The Lady Brahmas of volleyball began their regionals matches Nov. 20 and continued Saturday night while most of the campus was recovering from Thanksgiving feasts.
The Nov. 20 game catered to a packed house of nearly 250 fans from both Mt. San Antonio College and Pierce.
In an intense game, the Mt. Sac Mounties gave Pierce a run for its money, but the match ended 3-0 in the Brahmas’ favor despite losing Janet Alvarado to an ankle sprain near the end of the second game.
“The girls played their best,” said Maria Dennis, head coach for Mt. Sac, said of her team.
“They had fewer mistakes than in the past. The ref wasn’t fair,” said Dennis. “I hoped the girls could play and not be affected by the bad calls.”
According to Joe Kairouz, a referee who viewed the violations, Mt. Sac tried to delay the game.
“They called time, but one of the girls waited till the end of their time-out to tie her shoes,” said Kairouz. “You can’t do that.”
After sweeping the first round, many thought Pierce would make it to the Elite Eight tournament as it has for four years.
Jackson Metichecchia of the men’s volleyball team even insisted that “the girls always sweep” and that the men expected “nothing less than state champs.”
But even adoring crowds and the team’s signature feisty attitude was no match for Fullerton on its home court.
According to Nabil Mardini, the team’s head coach, the Brahmas could have done better.
“We just didn’t play well,” said Mardini. “Fullerton did a good job against us. They played better, so they deserved to win.”
The unexpected end to their up-and-down season has left a few team members feeling distraught.
Emily Aceves, defensive specialist for Pierce, refused to comment on the game. “When you set a goal and fall short, you get this feeling of underachieving,” said Mardini.
“We didn’t play as a team,” said Alvarado, outside hitter and another player planning to return to Pierce’s team next year. “A lot of us were nervous. When you don’t want anything to go wrong is usually when things go wrong.”
Though the Lady Brahmas’ season is done, Mardini believes the team has nothing to regret. “Twenty-six (wins) and four (losses) is not too shabby,” he said. “We have nothing to be ashamed of. We have won the conference for seven years. That counts for something.”
The win came as no surprise to Fullerton head coach Eddie Rapp, who said his team was confident about the game.
“Pierce was very athletic,” said Rapp, “but we played well, with good focus. It was a great match on our end.”