In its first two matches of the season, Warriors beach volleyball took to the sand at the El Camino Sand Courts on Friday, Jan. 27, to a new slate of duos.

Taking home a pair of (5-0) wins against Riverside City College and Mt. San Jacinto College, the Warriors swept past both Tigers and Eagles duos as players new and old get a feeling for what’s to come ahead.

“Pretty much all the way down the line we have some new people,” coach LeValley Pattison said after the match. “Our returners are much more experienced and [with] the addition of a couple of transfers… we have some big shoes to fill.”

The match began with a strong showing from the Warriors, who quickly took the lead with their cohesive playstyle as calls were ringing throughout the courts. The Riverside Tigers, however, were not to be underestimated as the court three duos forced the match into a third set that was ultimately won by the Warriors.

Going into the first match Ginia Goods, 21, had her foot on the break, playing at a conservative pace which was the cause of the ceded second set to the Tigers.

“[Court three] is definitely the court where there is not too much pressure but just enough,” Goods said.

A veteran of El Camino’s beach volleyball program, Goods explained this was her first match playing with a new partner, Bridget Dorr, who “works really well” at communicating and going for the ball.

“You have to build a connection and I feel like Bridget and I already have that going in so early [in the season],” Goods said.

Coach Liz Hazell told The Union after the wins that the season opener was a “really good showing” for the beach volleyball program but there still may be room for some tweaks as the start of the season progresses.

“It’s not always just about the volleyball, it’s about the chemistry too when there’s only two of you out there,” Hazell said. “If someone’s struggling they’ve got to be able to work through it.”

Last year, the Warriors had a near-perfect season posting a 22-win streak that was broken at the cusp of the state championship title at Irvine Valley College. Hazell hopes to bring back that same level of play throughout the season.

“We have a good mixture of returning people and new people,” Hazell said. “[The team has] good energy and have been practicing hard, so hopefully, good things to come.”

Despite the changes in the roster, court one duo Emily Uhrinak and Diana Enriquez are shaping up to become a lethal force on the sand sweeping both Riverside City College (21-8, 21-12) and Mt. San Jacinto College (21-12, 21-12) with ease.

“We’ve been training really hard over the summer and fall to get to that level to be able to compete,” Uhrinak said. “We just want to play our best game and stay focused.”

Going forward Uhrinak hopes to “give every game [her] all” and further build chemistry with Enriquez on the court.

“Diana and I are best friends,” Uhrinak said.

The Warriors return to the El Camino College Sand Courts on Friday, Feb. 3, as they host Santa Monica College and Moorpark College with the first matchup beginning at 10 a.m.