Volleyball Upset of Cuesta Earns Respect for Pierce

The balance of power in Western State Conference women’s volleyball this year is, well, balanced.

Last season Cuesta College dominated the conference and twice defeated second-place Pierce. But Wednesday, Pierce went knee pad to knee pad with visiting Cuesta and won, 15-8, 15-17, 15-5, 2-15, 15-8.

“It kind of puts us on the map as far as California junior college volleyball,” Pierce Coach Steve Gazzaniga said. Cuesta is ranked ninth in the state and fifth in Southern California.

“If we were going to do it,” added outside hitter Andi Banducci, “this would be the season.”

Unranked Pierce, a mighty mite last season but significantly taller this fall, had nine stuff blocks and that made a difference.

“In a similar match last year, we might have had two or three blocks in the whole match,” Gazzaniga said. “It was a key in some places, but in some places they were still hitting the ball around our block.”

The win puts Pierce (9-0, 8-0 in conference play) in the inside lane approaching the final lap of the 18-match double round-robin conference schedule. But Pierce still has to travel to Cuesta (8-3, 7-1).

Outside hitter Stephanie Burns led Pierce with 22 kills, Carina Sailer had 15 and Banducci had 10.

Banducci took command in the latter stages of the final game, powering down a kill to put Pierce ahead, 10-8. Cuesta never scored again.

Banducci, moved from her customary middle-blocker position to outside hitter for the match, scored the final two points of the match, drilling a spike and then pushing a feathery shot that skidded off the back line.

“The strong point was our defense and our service defense,” Banducci said.