The Mariners played a pair of grueling matches on Wednesday at West Valley College. They defeated the College of San Mateo 4-1 to grab the first win in Beach Volleyball history. Their second match against West Valley College saw the Mariners fall 4-1, but for the day it was a massive success for the Marin Sandiners.
The Mariners opened the day with a match against the College of San Mateo Bulldogs. The ones pairing of Emma Harris and Salomi Galodamu had a touch match against the top team of San Mateo. They won the first set 21-15 and the second went down the wire where they fell 18-21. The decisive set went to San Mateo 15-10, but it was the first set win of the season for the Harris/Galodamu pairing.
The two's of Alejandra Leon and Diana Patrick made quick work of their opponents in the first set, dispatching San Mateo 21-5. The second set was more competitive but the Leon and Patrick battled for a 21-18 set win and victory in their matchup.
Hellen Signaran and Sarah Harris battled in the number three slot and were victorious in straight sets 21-15 and 21-17. San Mateo was unable to field a fourth and fifth pair and Marin was awarded the win in the match against the Bulldogs 4-1.
The second match saw the Mariners face off against the West Valley Vikings. The home team proved to be a very formidable opponent as the Mariners fell in four of their five matches.
Harris and Galodamu performed admirably but could not overcome the top team from West Valley 21-12 and 21-7. Leon and Patrick fell behind in their match as they lost the first set 21-15. They bounced back to take the second 21-15 and were the victors in the third and final set 15-12.
The rest of the team did their best but could not overcome the experience of West Valley. Harris and Signaran fell 21-6 and 21-11. Changthongthip and Elde dropped their match 21-8 and 21-11 while the final pairing of Marin and Valadez were defeated 21-8 and 21-8.
The victory over the College of San Mateo was clearly the highlight of the afternoon. Head Coach Lisa Gera was thrilled with her team's performance. "We are thrilled to bring home our first match win in program history. The girls are really coming into their own on the beach and we are proud of their growth this season. We are so grateful for this opportunity to represent College of Marin and our community."
The Mariners are in the midst of a busy week with two matches at San Joaquin Delta College ahead on Friday, March 23rd.