Rustlers Take Care of Lasers in Four Sets
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
20 | 23 | 25 | 17 | 1 |
|
|
25 | 25 | 18 | 25 | 3 |
Team Stats
Irvine Valley
| Game Statistics | Irvine Valley | Golden West |
|---|---|---|
| Hitting % | .218 | .217 |
| Blocks | 7.5 | 14.0 |
| Digs | 30 | 39 |
| Aces | 3 | 8 |
Huntington Beach, Calif. - In a highly anticipated clash between top-ranked squads, the #3 Golden West College Rustlers defended their home court with a gritty 3-1 win over the #6 Irvine Valley College Lasers (25-20, 25-23, 18-25, 25-17) Friday night. The win improves Golden West to 18-2 overall and 10-2 in conference play, while Irvine Valley falls to 14-6 (8-4).
The Rustlers came out swinging on their home court, using a balanced attack and tough serving to take the first two sets. Sophomore standout Aidan Powell led the way with 16 kills on .406 hitting and added two service aces and six block assists, finishing with a match-high 21.0 points.
Golden West set the tone early, hitting .250 in the opening set and following it up with clutch plays down the stretch in set two to squeak out a 25-23 win. The Lasers responded with their best frame in set three, hitting an impressive .419 behind Travis Kaufman's 11 kills and Lucas Vo's clean 8-for-11 performance, taking the set 25-18 to stay alive.
But the Rustlers regrouped quickly. Led by Powell, Aaron Greene (7 kills, 9 block assists), and Aidan Dubno (10 kills), Golden West surged ahead in the fourth with a .321 team hitting percentage and suffocating net defense. Greene's dominance at the net helped shut down IVC's attack, contributing to 26 total team block assists for the Rustlers.
Golden West out-blocked Irvine Valley 27-10 and tallied 8 service aces, including four from Owen Banner, who also chipped in 4 kills.
NEXT: Golden West will host Santiago Canyon College at home in scheduling change on Monday, April 7, 2025 at 2pm.
