The Moorpark College volleyball team ended their regular season strong, sweeping away the Santa Monica City College Corsairs in three sets (30-24, 30-23, 30-27) Wednesday night in the final regular season home game at Raider Pavilion.
The Raiders (12-4, 8-2 Western State Conference) have won four straight, including three sweeps as they prepare for the playoffs.
The Raiders, along with the Corsairs (6-10, 4-6), had already locked California Community College Athletic Association playoff spots entering Wednesday night’s match.
According to Raiders head coach Steve Burkhart, his team is eagerly looking forward to the playoffs.
“These kids really want to get to the state tournament,” Burkhart said. “That’s been their goal all year.”
The Raiders have relied on their sophomore leaders all year, and Burkhart believes that they have been a key component to their success as a result.
“Those eight sophomores are critical for us as far as our leadership,” he said. “Having been down this road now I would hope their leadership guides this team.”
The Raiders went down this very same path last season, only to stumble in the first round at home to a pesky Orange Coast College team. The Raiders narrowly lost to the Pirates in five sets on Feb. 19, but the Pirates are not the same team they were last year; a team that came into Raider Pavilion as the lower seed and came out victorious.
This season, the Raiders will host Palomar College in the first round, hoping to avoid an early exit that would be very reminiscent to last season.
According to Raiders sophomore setter Adam Quinn, the team is in a similar situation, which will ultimately help them rather than be an Achilles Heel in the playoffs.
“We were there last year and we lost so we know what it’s like to be in the same spot,” Quinn said.
The Raiders played strong against the Corsairs, sealing the first set when a double block by Quinn and middle blocker Kyle Auge gave the Raiders a 26-20 lead and eventually the win 30-24.
After a see-saw battle, the Raiders used a 4-0 run to take a six point lead, before Auge’s kill gave the Raiders the important second set 30-23.
The Raiders took the third set 30-27 for the sweep, and ended the regular season on a high note.
The Raiders will host Palomar College Tuesday, April 20 at 6 p.m. in the first round of the playoffs.
According to Quinn, the team needs to diligently prepare and be ready to play come Tuesday night.
“We need to play with confidence,” he said. “We need to work really hard in practice every day.”
