Rustlers Round up the Griffins in Sweep

Huntington Beach, Calif. - The #3-ranked Golden West College Rustlers continued their stellar season with a commanding 3-0 sweep over Grossmont College on Friday afternoon. The Rustlers (15-1, 7-1) overwhelmed the Griffins (2-14, 1-7) with a strong offensive attack and relentless defensive pressure, winning in straight sets: 25-14, 25-21, 25-14.

The Rustlers came out firing in the opening set, hitting an impressive .480 while limiting Grossmont to a negative hitting percentage (-.129). Aidan Dubno led the charge for Golden West with 10 kills on an efficient .529 hitting percentage, while Aidan Powell contributed eight kills and three blocks.

Golden West's consistency carried over into the second and third sets, with the team hitting .226 and .375, respectively. Kai Rodriguez chipped in with seven kills and seven digs, and Owen Banner added seven kills with a .353 hitting percentage.

The Rustlers defense stifled Grossmont's offense, holding the Griffins to a .022 hitting percentage overall. The Rustlers tallied 18 block assists as a team, with Aaron Greene leading the way with seven. Setter John Braunstein directed the offense with 21 assists while adding four digs.

Despite a competitive second set, where Grossmont put up a fight to keep it within four points late, Golden West's serving and blocking proved too much. The Rustlers forced Grossmont into 28 attack errors while racking up 36 team digs, limiting the Griffins' ability to generate any consistent offense.

The Rustlers are on the road in their next match traveling to Palomar on Wednesday March 26 with a 6pm start.