Rustlers Cruise Past Hawks in Sweep

Huntington Beach, Calif. - The #3 ranked Golden West College Rustlers cruised to a dominant 3-0 sweep (25-12, 25-16, 25-12) over winless Santiago Canyon College on Monday afternoon at the GWC Gym, improving to 19-2 overall and 11-2 in conference play.

From the opening whistle, the Rustlers were in complete control, displaying ruthless efficiency on offense and stifling defense. Golden West hit a scorching .447 as a team, including a near-flawless .520 in the third set, while holding the Hawks to just a .044 hitting percentage across the match.

Aidan Dubno paced the Rustlers with 10 kills on a blazing .474 hitting, adding three service aces and a block assist to finish with a match-high 13.5 points. The balanced Rustler attack featured contributions from all corners, as Kai Rodriguez added 8 kills and an ace, and Aaron Greene continued his efficient play with 6 kills on a .600 clip, along with three block assists.

Setter John Braunstein dished out 28 assists and led a well-oiled offense that committed just five hitting errors across three sets. The Rustlers also brought the pressure from the service line, collecting 8 aces as a team — two each from Brandon Ison and Aidan Powell.

Santiago Canyon (0-21, 0-13) was led by CJ Hustedt with 9 kills on .500 hitting, but the Hawks struggled to gain momentum as Golden West controlled every facet of the match.