Volleyball: Career day by Lilli Peterson leads Falcons to win

File Photo: Lilli Peterson slammed home a career-high 16 kills in a sweep over El Camino
File Photo: Lilli Peterson slammed home a career-high 16 kills in a sweep over El Camino

Opening their South Coast Conference season at El Camino College on Friday, the Cerritos College volleyball team recorded a three-set sweep, 25-14, 25-19, 25-15. The Falcons (9-2, 1-0) will travel to Compton College next Friday for a rare noon start at Compton College.

Leading the team in their win was sophomore Lillianna Peterson (California HS), who slammed home a career-high 16 kills with just two attack errors. She was able to see extended playing time due to the lack of kills leader Sydney May (Los Alamitos HS/UC Santa Cruz), who missed the match. Peterson stepped up and allowed the Falcons to record points in bunches, especially in the second set when they fell behind.

Trailing 10-6 in the second set, a pair of kills from sophomore Monserrat Rodriguez (Gahr HS/Long Beach City College), as well as two more from Peterson, helped Cerritos pull even at 16-16. The teams traded points through 19-19 until the Falcons scored the final six points to win the set. Peterson supplied four of those kills, while sophomore Brisa Cortez (Schurr HS) capped off the set with a kill.

Roding that momentum, Cerritos led from start to finish in the third set to close out the victory.

Rodriguez also furnished 12 kills against one error, along with 12 digs in the win, while sophomore Jasmine Soto-Castro (Schurr HS) posted six kills. Sophomore setter Leeya Rubio (Schurr HS) had a solid night with 33 assists and also added four kills and a team-high 15 digs.