Williams/Shimamoto claim Western State Conference champions, beach volleyball team advances four pairs to state

By Phil Sidavong • April 30, 2016

Michelle Shimamoto and Nickeisha Williams, sophomores, make up the No. 2 pair from El Camino’s beach volleyball team. Today they were crowned the Western State Conference individual champions after overcoming teammates Brooke Russell and Taylor Brydon in the final match. Photo credit: Phil Sidavong

One ball hitting the sand after an attack changed so much. It was tied at 11-11, it was El Camino vs. El Camino in the finals, but only one team could be crowned the champion.

An error for the No. 13 seeded Brooke Russell and Taylor Brydon followed a No. 7 Nickeisha Williams and Michelle Shimamoto kill, and things were looking bright for the seventh seed.

After a service error for the higher seed, Russell and Brydon were just about to get back into it trailing 12-13, until a good set from Shimamoto allowed Williams to send a deep ball to the back line.

Williams and Shimamoto would close out the third set and be crowned the Western State Conference Individual playoff champions after a 21-19, 17-21 and 15-13 three-set win over teammates Russell and Brydon.

“I think we did really well,” Williams said. “We had to play back-to-back (games), and we were fatigued, but that’s no excuse.”

Williams and Russell made it to the semifinals at state last year and duked it out in the conference championship match.

“It was really fun,” she said. “To play against Brooke, I did not want to lose to her at all.”

While Shimamoto was a reserve on last year’s team, she is now part of the individual conference championship pair.

“It just shows how much we work hard,” she said. “We always have to push each other, we have no one to rely on.”

Brydon was a little frustrated and expressed her dissatisfaction with losing to her teammates, but knows there are still things to look ahead to like the team regionals and the individual state tournament.

“I think we played pretty well overall, from going thirteenth ranked to (No. 2),” she said. “I hate losing.”

Four of the five stating pairs are all in the state championship individual tournament starting on Saturday, May 7 at Grossmont College in El Cajon, California; seedings and brackets have yet to be determined.

Here is the finished bracket containing the match scores, and seeds from the Western State Conference individual tournament.