Santa Barbara Falls Short Against Mira Costa in Close Match

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – In a closely contested matchup, Santa Barbara City College fell 3-2 to Mira Costa College on Friday at East Beach.

Several matches went down to the wire, including the pairings of Kaylin Cooney and Sage Thorne-Thomesen and Naveah Tillett and Lina Husek, both of which extended to three sets. Despite their efforts, Mira Costa secured the wins in those battles.

The Vaqueros earned their first point thanks to Charlotte Wilson and Madison Genasci, who dominated their match with convincing 21-11, 21-9 victories.

Down 3-1, the fifth pairing of Carly Hanna and Brielle Smith fought hard to secure a 21-15 third-set win, capping off the day with a strong finish.

"Today didn't go our way, but I'm proud of the fight we showed in three of our matches. We came up just short at the No. 2 pair, but overall, the effort was there," said head coach Ariana Garner. "We just needed to stay aggressive until the very end."

The Vaqueros (6-3) now have a break before returning to action on March 14.

"Looking ahead, we're excited to have a few Fridays off to refine our skills, strengthen our partnerships, and continue improving both physically and mentally as we prepare for conference play," Garner added.