By John Culbertson (@johnculb3) – Reporter
San Jose State beach volleyball finished its season strong this weekend on a road trip to Sacramento.
The Spartans won both their duals against Boise State and the host Sacramento State to finish their season 12-12, the third time in program history finishing with a .500 or better record.
Boise was the first to enter the battlefield with SJSU, and a war they surely had. The Broncos took the initial charge against the Spartans, forcing them onto their back legs by taking the first two sets.
The Spartans were resilient through this and managed to answer in epic fashion by taking the last three sets.
Junior Jaida Ward and senior Haylee Nelson were the last duo to finish their match. How they managed to combat the nerves and pressure of being the determiners for their team, I may never know.
Nevertheless, their veins proved to be cold as ice as they secured the victory, their 11th as a duo, in their three-set bout 3-2.
Sacramento would be the final dual of the season for SJSU beach volleyball, and certainly one to remember.
Although one match was forfeited by the Hornets, that didn’t make the bout any easier for the Spartans.
The perseverance of the team was on display as all four matches required third sets. The Spartans split the matches, combined with the Sacramento State forfeit, to end the dual 3-2.
Sophomore Letizia Cammillucci and senior Allison Pereira were the only Spartan duo to win both of their matches, first sweeping in their match against the Broncos, and later coming back from a first-set loss against the Hornets.
While their season has ended, there are many highlights to look forward to next year. On paper their 12-12 season finish doesn’t seem the most appealing, but it included a plethora of close matches against nationally-ranked schools such as Cal Poly, Long Beach and Loyola Marymount.
The Spartans will be losing four of their seniors next year, but this season could serve as a foundation for something special to come.
