Palomar Splits in PCAC Opener, Falls to San Diego Mesa Before Sweeping San Diego City

OCEANSIDE, CA (2/28/2025) -- The Palomar College women's beach volleyball team kicked off Pacific Coast Athletic Conference (PCAC) play on Friday, splitting their matches with San Diego Mesa College and San Diego City College. The Comets faced a tough 5-0 loss against Mesa to start the day but bounced back with a dominant 5-0 sweep over San Diego City.

Palomar opened against a strong San Diego Mesa squad, where they struggled to find their rhythm. The No. 1 pair of Janell Spires and Emma Bambe battled but fell 21-14, 21-18 to Myah Gomez and Jaiden Mojica. In the No. 2 slot, Brisa Necochea and Kylana Madayag dropped a 21-13, 21-13 decision against Ami Lagrimas and Layla Folkers.

The No. 3 duo of Cadence Young and Kaia Lam fell 21-13, 21-8, while Sierra Schoenwald and Bailey Prieto, playing at No. 4, struggled against Maria Coronado and Eva Luna, losing 21-4, 21-10. The Comets' No. 5 pair of Mariah Flores and Kiana Merrill put up a fight but ultimately fell 21-13, 21-17.

Despite the early loss, Palomar showed resilience in their second match of the day against San Diego City. The Comets came out strong, led by Spires and Bambe, who cruised to a dominant 21-7, 21-8 win over Kailey Vecchia and Cassie Stevens. Necochea and Madayag followed with a commanding 21-11, 21-7 victory at No. 2.

Young and Lam secured a tight 21-17, 21-18 win in the No. 3 match, while the No. 4 pairing of Flores and Merrill delivered one of the most exciting performances of the day. After dropping the first set 16-21, they battled back to take the second set 21-19 before pulling away in the third with a 15-12 victory, completing the Comets' sweep. Palomar also picked up a forfeit win in the No. 5 spot.

With their first conference win under their belt, the Comets will look to carry their momentum forward as they prepare for their next PCAC matchups. They are set to face San Diego Mesa once again, along with MiraCosta College, next Friday at MiraCosta.