Moorpark Raiders dominate against Warriors Women’s Volleyball in Home Opener

By Ethan Cohen|September 1, 2022

The Moorpark College Raiders jump up in celebration of another point won against the El Camino College Warriors on Wednesday, Aug. 31 at the ECC Gym Complex. The Raiders dominated in three of the four sets played against the Warriors taking the match win. (Ethan Cohen | The Union)

A late match rally is what gave the Warriors Women’s Volleyball team slight hope to pull out success in the Wednesday, Aug. 31 Home Opener against the Moorpark College Raiders at the El Camino College Gym Complex.

Though the hustle was there in the third set of play, the Warriors ultimately fell short 3-1 (25-17, 25-11, 23-25, 25-14) ceding the non-conference match to the Raiders in its second loss of the season.

Warriors middle blocker Alex Perryman (7) jumps up to block a spike from Raiders middle blocker Valentina Garza (5) on Wednesday, Aug. 31 at the ECC Gym Complex. The Raiders would ultimately pull out the win against the Warriors in four sets of play. (Ethan Cohen | The Union).

Warriors player Leafa Juarez led the team as the only attacker with double-digit kills at 12 compared to Raiders’ attacker Cashe Olswang who led the match with 17 kills. Warriors libero Crystal Salgado put up 10 digs as the team’s defensive specialist while Raiders libero Larissa Dakoske nearly doubled in her defensive start.

Warriors setter, Jayden Zabala (9), sets up the ball for an attack by middle blocker Alex Perryman (7) on Wednesday, Aug. 31 at the ECC Gym Complex. Zabala had 26 assists in the match against the Raiders. (Ethan Cohen | The Union)

The Warriors team, which came into the match struggling to find its rhythm, highlights what libero Crystal Salgado explains as a lack of communication and cooperation amongst teammates.

“All of us are good individually, but I feel like we’re all on our own island out there right now,” Salgado said.

Warriors libero, Crystal Salgado (3), jumps for a dig from a Raiders attack on Wednesday, Aug. 31 at the ECC Gym Complex. Salgado would lead the team with 10 digs during the match. (Ethan Cohen | The Union)

Salgado, who hopes to take on the role of one of the team’s leaders, describes the night’s loss as something the team will be “just brushing off.”

“We have no time to cry or be sad about today because we’ve got to get back up and play two games on Friday,” Salgado said.

Warriors libero Crystal Salgado (3) and hitter Leafa Juarez (32) celebrate after scoring a point against the Moorpark Raiders on Wednesday, Aug. 31 at the ECC Gym Complex. Salgado would lead the team with 10 digs and Juarez with a total of 12 kills. (Ethan Cohen | The Union).

The Warriors Women’s Volleyball team (0-2) will host its next slew of matches at the El Camino College Gym Complex on Friday, Sept. 2 at 11 a.m. against College of the Canyons (1-1) and Grossmont College (0-1) at 4 p.m.

Editor’s Note: Updated feature photo placement 1 Sept. 2022 at 12:15 p.m.