Coast sweeps Coastal Christian in volleyball

On Thursday, Sept. 29, the Coast Union volleyball team played its third match against a Coast Valley League team, and defeated the Coastal Christian Conquerors, 25-6, 25-20, 25-7.

Then, on Tuesday night, Oct. 4, the Lady Broncos entertained Valley Christian Academy and won, 3-0, led by 13 kills and 14 aces from Gigi Stoothoff. The final 17 of Coast Union’s points were served by Stoothoff.

The scores for the Lady Broncos were 25-13, 25-19, 25-6. Ailyn Casas added six kills and Ahtziri Mora had seven aces for Coast Union, which has a 4-0 record in the Coast Valley League.

Tennis

The Coast Union tennis team lost a match 12-6 at Templeton on Wednesday, Sept. 28, but the doubles team of Jasmine Kelleher and Lindy Ortiz did well (6-3, 5-7, 6-1); and doubles partners Olivia Hargear and Nirvana Tesfayohannes won their first set of the season (2-6, 6-4, 3-6). Annika Marthaler won two sets (7-5, 3-6, 6-2) and top seed Michelle Campos won a set (0-6, 5-7, 6-0).

On Monday, Oct. 3, the Lady Broncos traveled to Nipomo and lost 12-6, but the doubles team of Kelleher and Ortiz swept their match (6-4, 7-6, 7-5), and the team of Ani Corbet and Alyssa Drew won a set (4-6, 1-6, 6-2). Coach Tom Coxwell said that although they lost, Zoe Markham and Savanah Lyon “were in all their games and fighting hard.”

He added, when you play bigger schools like Templeton and Nipomo — with singles players in the top 50 in California who have only lost two sets all year — “we are learning by playing some of the best in high school tennis.”

Cross country

The Coast Union cross country team participated in the annual BRUG Invitational 5K at Santa Margarita Lake on Saturday, Oct. 1, and coach Ayen Johnson said, “The entire group excelled. They continue to improve and work hard.”

On the girls side, sophomore Vanessa Ramirez was the top Bronco finisher, coming in 26th at 25 minutes, 4.64 seconds in a field of 44 girls from seven high schools. Senior Fabby Gonzalez finished 35th at 26:02.30; junior Karina Mendoza was 36th at 27:07.67; freshman Sujey Gutierrez was 41st at 28:32.61; junior Maria Ramirez was 43rd at 29:21.36; and freshman Maria Castillo placed 44th in 30:31.14.

For the boys, Coast’s top runner, junior Paul Butterfield, placed sixth in a field of 51 boys. Butterfield ran the 5,000-meter race in 17:56.81. Sophomore Cesar Hernandez finished 42nd (21:50.05); sophomore Colby Ratzat was 43rd (22:27.71); junior Alam Romo, 44th (23:34.34); sophomore Ethan Walters, 45th (23:36.27); junior David Nolan, 46th (24:27.74); and sophomore David May, 51st (27:01.62).

Johnson said the Bronco boys — as a group — finished sixth out of eight teams. He added that Cesar Hernandez “continues to improve” and Fabby Gonzalez improved her time from previous 5K challenges.

This story was originally published October 5, 2016 at 8:10 AM with the headline "Coast sweeps Coastal Christian in volleyball."