Taft Midway Driller
by Dennis McCall
Fall sports teams at Taft College had a pretty good week.
The men's soccer team improved to 5-1 with two wins, and the volleyball team swept its first two Central Valley Conference matches. The only low note was the women's soccer team losing 2-0 to southern California powerhouse, Long Beach City College.
This weeks schedule:
Tuesday - men's soccer at Cerritos College
Wednesday - Volleyball vs Shasta and City College of San Francisco in a non conference round robin at CCSF
Friday - men and women's soccer play at home. Women play Antelope Valley at 1 pm; men play Oxnard at 4 pm. Volleyball is at Fresno City College, the No. 1 team in northern California and No. 3 in the state.
VOLLEYBALL
The Cougars got off to a good start in conference play, sweeping Merced on the road and Columbia at home.
"We played very well at Merced," said head coach Kanoe Bandy . "It was the first time this season that we played a complete game."
Sophomore outside hitter Virgie Salanoa-Sagapolu led the offense with 15 kills and contributed 10 defensive digs. Jasmina Clayton had four kills, Luse Lumas three, Payton Spragling and Courtnie Perry two.
Freshman Karlie Richardson sparked the defense with 19 digs, Janell Molina had 11, Lumas 10 and Sagapolu and Spragling seven each. Setter Spragling recorded 25 assists.
The scores were 25-18, 25-17, 25-20.
Bandy didn't think her team was as sharp against Columbia, a match the Cougars swept 25-16, 25-13, 25-13.
"We weren't real sharp," she said, "but it was nice to pull out a win when we weren't playing well. I was happy we could pull it off.
Sagapolu again paced the offense with 12 kills. Perry contributed nine and Molina, Clayton, Lumas and Makanalani Cardus-Kane all had two kills.
Molina had another solid effort on defense, leading the team with 20 digs.
"Janell is passing the ball very well," said assistant coach Lisa Borrecco, "and her consistency is improving."
Richardson had eight digs, Spragling seven, Lumas five and Christina Warner four. Clayton and Sagapolu each chipped in three.
Borrecco said Spragling, who had 20 assists, "is settling in and running our offense very well."
SOCCER
The men recorded two shutouts, beating Long Beach City College 1-0 on Tuesday and finishing off the week with a 3-0 win over Moorpark.
The lone goal against LBCC (0-5-2) was scored in the 20th minute when Jesus Vidal found the back of the net after taking a pass from Gonzalo Rolon.
TC scored three first half goals and the defenders took it from there in the shut out over Moorpark (1-4-1).
Isaac Campos, Miguel Cortez and Bryan Henriquez each scored a goal. Jovany Cachola, Fabian Roman and Marcos Moreno chalked up a save.
The Cougar women were done in by free kicks against Long Beach.
Katin Trowbridge got the first one in the 10th minute - a deep one that sailed into the net with surprising ease. Ten minutes later Julianna Carrillo poked one through to finish the scoring.