Ventura women’s volleyball has picked up right where they left off after a stellar 2004 season. Starting the season off with a 3-1 record the Western State Conference powerhouse is well on their way to bettering their 15-5 record from the year before.

The Pirates faced a tough challenge on Friday when College of the Canyons arrived on their home court. It was only a year ago when the Cougars ended Ventura’s season abruptly and knocked them out of the playoffs.

Looking to avenge their loss from last season Ventura came out of the gates strong playing an aggressive style of volleyball relying heavily on the great play of their outside hitters. Ventura quickly jumped out to a 1-0 lead by winning the first match of a best of 5 series.

The second and third game was not much different with Ventura dominating the Cougars and eventually winning the match 3-0. This was a very important win for the Pirates. Knocking off the team that ended their season last year will be a great confidence builder for them.

Their early success can be attributed to their good teamwork, defense, and great individual performances. ” Our keys to success in our victory were good communication, strong passing, and tough defense,” said Ventura coach Mandy Rodriguez.

Ventura will try to continue their success when they compete against Western State Conference rivals Santa Monica City College and LA Pierce College this week.