IRVINE, Calif. – Vanguard University capped off its inaugural season with the final day of competition at the Spring Break Tournament hosted by Concordia university – Irvine. The Lions split their matches on the day, defeating Santa Barbara City College in the opener before falling to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the nightcap. The Blue and Gold finish off year one with a 5-11 record.
"Going into this week, our goal as a team was to stay in sync with one another, be sharper in our skills, redemption, and not holding anything back," team co-captain Ayana Chambers (SR/Bellflower, CA) proudly said. "Through the week, I never seen our team so driven and determine to be better than our best."
Vanguard 15, Santa Barbara City 11
This match had a little something extra behind it, as the last meeting of these two squads ended in a 10-9 victory for SBCC. The Lions opened up the first quarter of play, taking a 2-0 lead after routines one and two, a margin they would never give back. It wasn't until the third routine when SBCC reached the scoreboard. After the first period of play, Vanguard held a 3-1 edge. The opening of the second frame was tight as both teams were awarded points, allowing the Pride to take a slim 6-3 margin into the break. Exiting halftime, the Vaqueros went neck and neck with VU and won the third quarter narrowly. The 8-6 score, favoring the Blue and Gold, was put on display as the Lions were awarded all three points in the opening frame. Despite being bested in the second routine of the fourth quarter, the Pride held a 12-9 difference heading into the decisive segment. Vanguard preserved the victory with a flawless final performance to take home a four point win.
Cal Poly 19, Vanguard 12
Riding high on a three-game win streak, the longest in program history, the Lions met the Mustangs for the second time this season. Vanguard trailed 3-2 after the first quarter, and they were within striking difference. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo had a perfect second quarter to build a 7-4 lead prior to the halftime intermission. In the third period, the Mustangs built onto their advantage, ended the frame with a 10-6 edge. During the final quarter of the season for the Lions, they posted six points across the three routines will Cal Poly earned all nine points available.
Chambers went on to say, "Coach Allen was hard on us as well but it paid off in the long run. Each quarter after, we came out stronger and ready to fight."
-GOLD PRIDE-
