Rustlers Sweep Citrus; Advances to Second Round of SoCal Regionals

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — The 13th-seeded Golden West College Rustlers opened the 2025 3C2A SoCal Regional Playoffs in dominant fashion on Saturday night, sweeping the 20th-seeded Citrus College Owls 25-19, 25-8, 25-20. With the victory, Golden West improves to 18-4 and advances to the Second Round, where they will travel to face #4 seed Santa Barbara City College on Tuesday, November 25 at 6 p.m.

Golden West showcased the efficiency, depth, and balanced attack that earned them home-court advantage. The Rustlers hit .245 as a team and recorded 37 kills, while holding Citrus to just 16 kills and a .081 hitting percentage.

The Rustlers set the tone in the opening frame behind a steady offensive rhythm and strong serving, pulling away late for a 25-19 win. Golden West then delivered one of its most dominant sets of the season in the second, overwhelming Citrus 25-8 behind five aces and a .320 hitting percentage. The Owls attempted to push back in the third, but the Rustlers closed out the sweep with a composed 25-20 victory.

A pair of Rustler standouts powered the attack:

• Jenna Zaffino was unstoppable on the outside, posting 13 kills on .393 hitting to lead all attackers.

• Jalissa Costa added another strong postseason performance with 12 kills, four aces, and a team-high 16.5 points.

In the middle, Sorelle Buley chipped in 5 kills (.300) while Lizbeth Espinoza added two more and solid net presence.

Setter Meghan Freck contributed one of her best all-around performances of the season, recording 5 kills, 11 assists, one ace, and 6.5 total points.

Golden West's aggressive serving created constant pressure, finishing with 14 aces, including:

• Cassandra Zoellers — 5 aces

• Costa — 4 aces

• Fabiana Padilla — 4 aces

Zoellers also anchored the offense with 22 assists, helping the Rustlers maintain consistency and control throughout the evening.

Libero Elyse Varipapa led the back row with 9 digs, while Zaffino (7 digs), Padilla (3 digs), and Costa (5 digs) kept Citrus out of system and limited their scoring opportunities.

At the net, Golden West recorded 6 total blocks, highlighted by strong contributions from Espinoza, Miller, and Buley.

The Rustlers will travel to face #4 seed Santa Barbara City College on Tuesday, November 25 at 6 p.m.