Johnston and Matthews Go 3–0 to Win Pool Play

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Golden West College's top beach volleyball pair, Hayden Johnston and Maren Matthews, delivered a flawless performance on day one of the 2025 3C2A Beach Volleyball Pairs State Championships, sweeping all three of their pool play matches to finish first in Pool 6 and advance to Saturday's championship round of 16.

The Rustler duo, seeded sixth from the South, showed their poise and grit against a competitive field at Long Beach City College. They opened the day with a strong 21-16, 21-17 victory over Thompsen/Papia of Santa Barbara City College, setting the tone for what would be a dominant afternoon.

Their toughest test came in the second match, where they faced Cuttone/Nicolet of Fresno City College, a pair that had earlier knocked off Sierra College in straight sets. Johnston and Matthews dropped the first set but battled back in impressive fashion, winning the final two sets 22-20 and 15-10 to secure their second win of the day.

In the pool finale, Johnston and Matthews once again found themselves tested by Deter/Platt of Sierra College, dropping the first set before storming back for a 12-21, 15-10 win to complete their 3–0 sweep of the group.

With the pool title secured, Johnston and Matthews advance to the round of 16 on Saturday, May 10, where they will face another top pair from across the state in the single-elimination championship bracket.

The Rustlers will look to carry their momentum into Saturday as they continue their pursuit of a 3C2A state title.