Cuesta Beach Volleyball hosted Santa Monica and Glendale for a triple-header at Cal Poly's Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex. The Cougars opened against Glendale and swept two matches and took a forfeit in the final spot to secure the win, but the Vaqueros battled also pushed two matches to a third set. Cuesta won both of those tiebreakers and completed the sweep, 5-0. The Cougars #1 pair of Amelie Lo Jocano and Brynn Bennett won 21-15 and 21-16 to set the pace against the Vaqueros, while at the 4th spot on the ladder Madelyn Freeman and Nikki Gill also avoided a third set with a dominant sweep, 21-12 and 21-5. In the nightcap, the Cougars pushed powerhouse Santa Monica to the edge, but were still swept, 5-0. Lo Jocano and Bennett lost their first set, 21-11, but bounced back to take the second set, 21-18. However, the Corsairs claimed the tiebreaker, 15-9, and took the set. The same scenario played out at #2, with Bailey Woodside (pict) and Cayley Brown taking the first set, 24-22, only to go back into overtime and lose the second set by the same score, 24-22. In the finale, it was touch and go all down the line. The Corsairs reached game point, just one step ahead of Woodside and Brown, 14-13, and took the set and the match on the next serve, 15-13. The Cougars are now 5-11 overall and 1-5 in Western State Conference play.
Cuesta Beach Volleyball has avoided a "sophomore slump" and has now officially posted the most wins in program history. The Cougars, with six regular season matches remaining on the docket, went 4-12 during their inaugural season in 2024. Cuesta, currently 5-11, has four players back from 2024, including returning all-Western State Conference selections Bailey Woodside and Madelyn Freeman, and has built a top to bottom competitive roster. The "Sand Spikers" shall return to action next Friday in Bakersfield, when they take on Ventura (11:30) and the host Renegades (1 PM). They will be back in SLO on April 11, to host Moorpark (10 AM) and earn a re-match against Santa Monica (1 PM) in Pismo Beach.
