Pierce College’s women’s volleyball team picked up their 52nd straight win Friday night, defeating Santa Monica College during the annual “Spike Pink” game in South Gym.
The Brahmas donned pink jerseys for the game in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and dominated in straight sets (25-13, 25-12, 25-15).
Sakurako Fujii, a sophomore outside hitter, led the Brahmas with 11 kills. Freshman Ashlea Smith had 10 kills, the second highest number of kills of the game, and sophomore Janelle Futch had 32 assists.
Fujii explained after the game that it doesn’t matter to her which team they are playing against.
“I just care about our side, Pierce’s side,” Fujii said.
Even with such an exceptional record, the Brahmas have kept their humility. Head coach Nabil Mardini tries to keep the team focused on playing well, not just winning.
“A win is a win,” Mardini said. “We start every match and I always tell the girls ‘we’re 0-0, don’t look at the streak. It’s not important.’ What’s important is us focusing on every match and moving forward.”
Focus is exactly what the Brahmas determinedly showed during the game as Santa Monica kept them on their toes in the first set.
“I thought they were playing scrappy; they were playing hard,” Mardini said. “They made a good run; they were digging a lot of balls. They made some good plays.”
Still, the Brahmas took home the win in just over an hour.
After the game, the Brahmas were greeted by Magnolia Science Academy’s girls’ volleyball team. The school is located in Reseda, Calif.
Their coach, Brian McConnell, brought the excited team to witness what a more professional team of volleyball looks like, he said.
“They’re just starting out, and I wanted to give [my team] an idea of what they could possibly face in the upcoming weeks,” McConnell said. “They definitely want to work harder now, and train, and be more dedicated because they now know what they can be up against.”
Sophomore outside hitter, Danetta Boykin was caught completely by surprise by the miniature fans.
“They were so cute. They made my day; they made my night,” Boykin said. “I felt so honored.”
The Brahmas will face West LA College on the road in their next match on Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m.
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