Rustlers Advance to Semifinals with Victory over Raiders

Huntington Beach, Calif. - Golden West men's volleyball (16-4, 5-3 OEC) defeated the Moorpark Raiders (12-8, 8-4 OEC) in the quarter-finals, 3-1 (25-20, 25-23, 19-25, 29-27). 

In Head Coach Nick Amado's second year at the helm, he took his team into the playoffs as the No. 2 seed. Golden West welcomed Moorpark in a rematch of the first game of the season. Back in January, the Raiders hosted the season opener where the Rustlers won their first game in five sets, 3-2. Now in the playoffs, No. 2 Golden West welcomed the No. 6 Raiders for the 3C2A Quarter-finals. The Rustlers welcomed their opponent with a dominant first set. The home team kept a healthy and consistent edge to win the first set by five, 25-20. 

Golden West played from behind in the second set but earned the momentum and took a three-point advantage late, 23-20. The Raiders crept back in with three unanswered points but the Rustlers held strong for the second set win, 25-23. Down by five midway through the third set, Moorpark took control, 12-17. The Raiders continued their five point advantage deep into the third set as they led 15-21. Though Golden West made a small comeback, it was not enough as they dropped the third set, 19-25. 

Moorpark came out strong to start the fourth set with two unanswered points, 0-2. Halfway through the set, the Rustlers made a huge comeback and electrified the crowd, 8-12. Though, the Raiders did not surrender and kept their lead. The court and bleachers were loud as the home team came within two, 12-14. Golden West was one point away from tying as Reggie Ah-hong finished a rally with a strong kill, 17-18. On a deflection out of bounds, the Rustlers tied it at 19 apiece. Curtis Harper exploded the arena with an enormous spike kill to tie the matchup again, 23-23. It was a back and forth intense finish for both sides. Each team was down to their last point as Moorpark faced elimination. Driven into extra play, the Rustlers persevered and finished off the exciting night with a playoff win, 29-27. 

NEXT UP: Golden West will now advance to the semifinal round of the 3C2A postseason bracket. Details on opponent, time and location will be announced at a later date.