ANTELOPE VALLEY COLLEGE: MARAUDERS' VOLLEYBALL TEAM TAKES BIG STEP SQUAD GROWS DESPITE LOSS.

Byline: GIDEON RUBIN Staff Writer

LANCASTER -- In an Oct. 4 match against perennial Foothill Conference power San Bernardino Valley College that Antelope Valley College women's volleyball coach Jane Cwayna acknowledged was a measuring stick, the Marauders rose to the occasion.

And although their effort didn't produce the desired results, Cwayna said there were plenty of positives her team could take from a match SBVC won 32-34, 30-21, 31-29, 30-25.

Cwayna said the fact that two of the four games were extended beyond 30 points showed that AVC is capable of competing with the conference's best teams, an assertion validated the next day when Chaffey of Rancho Cucamonga -- a team AVC defeated in an early season scrimmage tournament -- upset SBVC.

On Friday, AVC had a much easier time defeating winless Rio Hondo of Whittier in three games.

``We were in every game, we just made too many mistakes,'' Cwayna said of the SBVC match.

Cwayna said the match showed that AVC still has some things to work on, especially blocking better against a team that hits as well as SBVC.

``We just couldn't quite get over the hump,'' Cwayna said. ``That day, they were the better team.''

AVC sophomore setter/outside hitter Kristy Nua (Palmdale High) had 14 kills in both matches.

The Marauders improved to 2-1 in conference (6-5 overall) after the Rio Hondo match.

``Everyone had a chance to play and we played really well,'' Cwayna said.

Deadlock:

A day that began in gridlock ended with a deadlock for the women's soccer team.

AVC got stuck in traffic on the way to Friday's game against Mt. San Jacinto, and was allowed minimal time to warm up after arriving less than a half-hour before the start of the match.

All things considered, the results could have been worse for AVC (3-8-4, 0-1-2), which settled for a 1-1 tie.

AVC trailed 1-0 early in the second half when Megan Couch (Desert Christian) scored on an assist from Angela Shoemaker (Desert Christian).

AVC coach Lemuel Galvao said his team seized the match's momentum for most of the second half and had several other scoring chances.

``They bunkered in and we just couldn't get through,'' Galvao said. ``I guess we ought to be glad we got a tie on the road.''

Losing streak:

The football team's 34-0 loss to Victor Valley College on Saturday extended its losing streak to 22 games, the nation's second-longest current losing streak.

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