Huntington Beach, Calif. - The Golden West College Rustlers wasted no time showing why they're the top seed in the 3C2A State Playoffs, dispatching #8 seed Santa Monica College in straight sets (25-22, 25-13, 25-18) at home to punch their ticket to the Final Four.
Golden West (21-2) picked up right where they left off after their conference title win, using a balanced offensive attack, tough serving, and suffocating defense to overwhelm a scrappy Santa Monica squad (13-10). With the victory, the Rustlers now advance to face #5 seed Santa Barbara City College in the state semifinals.
Once again, it was Aidan Powell leading the way. The sophomore outside hitter fired home 12 kills on .360 hitting, added 8 digs, and chipped in an ace for a match-high 14 points. Powell was backed by Owen Banner, who turned in another strong performance with 10 kills (.389) and 5 block assists for 13.5 points.
Golden West came out hot in the opening set, hitting .382 while absorbing Santa Monica's best punch. The Corsairs had their best offensive stretch early, hitting .314 in the first set, but quickly cooled off as the Rustlers ratcheted up the pressure. SMC hit just -.333 in Set 2 and .026 in Set 3, finishing with a team hitting percentage of just .053.
John Braunstein (22 assists) and Jay Pearson (7 assists) orchestrated the offense to perfection, finding Powell, Banner, and Aidan Dubno (5 kills, .364) in rhythm. The Rustlers also tallied 15 block assists, with Banner, Aaron Greene, and AJ Kuebrich leading the charge at the net.
Libero Joseph Nunez anchored the defense with a team-high 12 digs, while also adding an ace. Golden West served up 6 aces in total and stayed aggressive from the line, forcing Santa Monica out of system repeatedly.
Despite a strong effort from Santa Monica's Alen Petraev (11 kills, .222), the Corsairs couldn't keep pace with the depth and execution of the Rustlers, who are now two wins away from a state title.
Up Next: Golden West will take on #5 seeded Santa Barbara City College in the 3C2A Final Four hosted at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa on Thursday April 24, 2025 at 5pm.
