Waters and Leilua Finish Fifth at CCCAA Pairs State Championships
Aiko Waters and Phina Leilua made some noise on Saturday but came up just short at the California Community College Beach Volleyball Pairs State Championships at West Valley College in Saratoga, Calif.
The El Camino College duo entered the CCCAA State Championships ranked No. 25 overall out of 32 teams that made the trip this weekend but finished fifth overall after advancing to the Elite Eight on Saturday.
@ECC_BeachVB congratulations to @japanesemami_ and @j_leiluaa. Out of 34 schools with 170 pairs they walk away with 5th Place in the CCCAA BeachVB State. Awesome accomplishment @ECCWarriors ! @breezepreps #gowarriors pic.twitter.com/8ip4dMh1oQ
— Warrior Volleyball (@eccvolleyball) May 12, 2018
The Warriors won their first match of the day, beating Emma Blockhus and Mapuhola Sekona from West Valley College. Blockhus and Sekona had not lost a set after going undefeated in Pool 6 on Friday but Waters and Leilua put an end to that, sweeping the match 23-21, 21-16.
In the Elite Eight, the Warriors faced a familiar foe as the team of Sierra Davis and Josannah Vasquez of Long Beach City were waiting for the ECC tandem after the Vikings scored a sweep in their first match of Saturday.
The Warriors put up a good fight but eventually fell in three sets, dropping the final set by just three points. Vasquez and Davis would advance to the CCCAA State Championship match, where they fell to 2018 CCCAA State Champions Megan Ramseyer and Taira Ka'awaloa of Irvine Valley in straight sets.
2018 CCCAA Beach Volleyball Pairs State Championships – May 12, 2018
Sweet Sixteen
- Aiko Waters/Phina Leilua (ECC) def. Emma Blockhus/Mapuhola Sekona (West Valley) 23-21, 21-16
Elite Eight
- Sierra Davis/Josannah Vasquez (Long Beach City) def. Aiko Waters/Phina Leilua (ECC) 21-16, 18-21, 15-12