COD (0-2) opened up their first full season of competition by playing hard fought matches in gusty winds, falling to the Riverside City Tigers, 4-1 and the Orange Coast Pirates, 5-0.

COD traveled to the Pirates Quad Tournament at the Newland Volleyball Courts in Huntington Beach, taking on Riverside City (1-1) at 11 a.m. and Orange Coast (2-0) at 1 p.m.

The Roadrunners opened up against the Tigers and considering the very windy conditions, were competitive in most matches, the team of sophomore Marisol Ruiz (Thermal Desert Mirage) and sophomore Alysha Garcia (Thermal Desert Mirage) grabbed the first win of 2018 when they won their match 21-17, 14-21 and 17-15. The team of freshman Naomi Garcia-Marquez (Rancho Mirage H.S.) and freshman Emily Sundback (Rancho Mirage H.S.) lost in a three set thriller, winning the first set, 21-19, then falling in the second set 21-11, and then forcing extras in the third set, falling 17-15. The team of sophomore Ashley Schwartz (Yucca Valley H.S.) and sophomore Aaliyah Charley (Thermal Coachella Valley) were put into a near mirror image of the Garcia-Marquez and Sundback match, winning the first set 21-18, falling in a hard fought second set, 21-19, and then falling in the third set 15-12. The team of freshman Ashtyn Lyneis (Palm Springs H.S.) and freshman Nicole Svoboda (La Quinta H.S.) fell in straight sets and the team of freshman Baylie Dashner (La Quinta H.S.) and freshman Brooke Topliff (Rancho Mirage H.S.) also fell in straight sets.

Against the Pirates, Desert fell in straight sets in all five of their matches with the team of Garcia-Marquez and Sundback falling closely, 21-18 and 21-19 and the team of Dashner and Topliff almost grabbing a set win in set one, falling 22-20, then falling in set two 21-13.

The next match for College of the Desert Beach Volleyball will be on March 2nd, where they will participate in the Irvine Valley Quad taking on the Saddleback Gauchos of Mission Viejo and the Santa Ana Dons. Hope to see you there.

Photo by Detlev Rothe (COD Beach Volleyball Co-Head Coach)
Information, Photos & Story provided by COD Sports Information.