Shimamoto and Hammond Take Second at CCCAA State Championships

2017 CCCAA Beach Volleyball Individual State Championships Bracket (PDF)

SARATOGA, Calif. – Michelle Shimamoto and Micah Hammond entered the 2017 California Community College Beach Volleyball State Championships as the No. 27 seeded team in the 32-team field. They finished the tournament one victory away from being called state champions.

Shimamoto and Hammond took home second place at the CCCAA State Championships after making it all the way to the finals on Sunday afternoon, eventually falling in the final match to No. 4 seed Sarah Miller and Paige Panter from Long Beach City.

The Warriors duo began Sunday with a sweep over No. 19 seeded Robyn Arthur and Maddie Schaeffer from Grossmont, 21-18 and 21-16, to advance to the final four.

Waiting for them in the semifinals were the duo of Flavia Virgili and Kat Wright, the No. 18 seed out of San Diego Mesa.

Shimamoto and Hammond fell behind in the match, dropping the opening set by a wide margin, 21-10. But the Warriors fought back, edging the Olympians' duo 21-19 in the second set to force a third and final set, where they pulled off the comeback with a 15-12 result in the set to advance to the championship match.

In the finals, the Warriors faced off with a familiar foe in Miller/Panter. The teams tangled twice during the regular season with the Long Beach combo pulling out wins by sweep on both occasions. Unfortunately for the Warriors, history repeated itself as Shimamoto and Hammond could not complete their magical run, falling 21-18, 21-18 in the final to finish in second place overall.

2017 CCCAA Beach Volleyball Individual State Championships Results

ROUND OF 32

No. 10 Brooklyn Rubio/Taylor Brydon (ECC) lost to No. 23 Sariah Flores/Armonee Hunter (VEN); 16-21, 21-10, 8-15

No. 27 Shimamoto/Hammond (ECC) def. No. 6 Mikayla Spears/Brianna Finch (VEN); 21-16, 21-15

ROUND OF 16

No. 27 Shimamoto/Hammond (ECC) def. No. 22 Cyan Blackdeer/Percious Helekahi (FRC); 21-11, 21-13

QUARTERFINALS (Jen Kessey Bracket Final)

No. 27 Shimamoto/Hammond (ECC) def. No. 19 Arthur/Schaeffer (GROS); 21-18, 21-16

SEMIFINALS

No. 27 Shimamoto/Hammond (ECC) def. No. 18 Virgili/Wright (SDM); 10-21, 21-19, 15-12

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

No. 27 Shimamoto/Hammond (ECC) lost to No. 4 Panter/Miller (LBCC); 18-21, 18-21