The Warriors are Cal Pac Champions

by BRANDON PETERSEN

We are the champions.

Saturday morning at the Elite Athlete Training Center in Chula Vista, the Westcliff women's beach volleyball team became the first program in school history to win a California Pacific Conference championship.

The Warriors knocked off Corban University of Salem, OR., 3-2.

Technically, when the Warriors took down Saint Katherine for the fourth time this season on Friday, Westcliff officially became conference champions.

But with league outsiders Bushnell and Corban taking part in the Cal Pac tournament, the title didn't feel complete without going all the way and finishing atop the final bracket.

"I can't really describe it, but it feels really good," Westcliff head coach Kenny Ma said. "This has been our goal since Chris (Vu) and I took over the program three years ago. This is the first time we were actually able to finish a season, so technically, this is our first season, and we were able to win a Cal Pac conference championship.

"First one for our program, and first one for the school. Definitely proud of our team."

Corban came to play Saturday and the championship came down to the third and final set of the last match of the day -- No. 3 Megan Yoon and Elena Eckhardt versus Kianna and Cameron Keeling.

The Keeling sisters battled back after going down 6-1 early in the first set to claim a 21-19 victory, but Yoon and Eckhardt, Westcliff's lone remaining unbeaten tandem, simply wouldn't let their teammates down.

With all other matches completed and the score knotted a two apiece, the entire beach congregated around the lone remaining court and watched the championship unfold.

Down a set and with an entire season's worth of pressure mounted squarely on their shoulders, Yoon and Eckhardt didn't blink. They absolutely dominated the second set (21-13) and set up a title-deciding third before taking control early and putting it away at 15-11.

The Warriors stormed the court, and the victory party was on.

"We wouldn't want any other pair represent us in the most important match of the season," Ma said of Yoon and Eckhardt. "They are 18-0 right now, and that speaks volumes.

"They took care of business. With the whole team supporting them, they just took over the match. We are very proud of them."

Also coming up huge in a must-win situation was No. 5 Elise Brown and Kenidi MacDonald, who picked up a tight two-set victory over Jolinn Daviscourt and Megan Dennis, 21-17, 21-19.

That victory became a must-win when the Warriors' No. 1 squad took a rare upset loss. Corban's Avari Ridgway and Makenna Campbell outlasted Sierra Lim and Gianna Guinasso 26-24 in the opening set before putting it away with a 21-17 win.

"That's definitely the story of our season," Ma said. "Our team is full of so many talented players and pairs, even if one pair who normally doesn't lose finally loses a match, it's so nice to see the other pairs rising to the occasion."

No. 4 Madison Shepston and Ava Wright were outlasted in three sets by Briana Ayala and Jessica McMillan, 21-15, 22-24, 11-15, but No. 2 Kylie Cordero and Brooke Scheidle were their usual unflappable selves and took care of business early, knocking off Nicole Bantilan and Maya Blake, 21-11, 21-19.  

With the Cal Pac championship wrapped up, the Warriors will now set their eyes on an even bigger prize: the NAIA national championship.

Westcliff earned an automatic bid Saturday and will face off against five other teams from across the country in Florida later this month.

To contact Brandon Petersen, e-mail brandonpetersen@westcliff.edu.