Corsair Men’s Volleyball Season Comes to a Conclusion

The Santa Monica College Men’s Volleyball team takes a first round exit in playoffs

Santa Monica College Corsairs' Javier Castillo dives for the ball during the men's volleyball during the men's volleyball game against the Santa Barbara City College Vaqueros. Freshman Mason Johnson also pictured. SMC won the game 3-2 on Wednesday, April 6 at the SMC Gym in Santa Monica, Calif. (Nicholas McCall | The Corsair)

Tobias Murphree and Arie Padmos, of the Santa Barbara City College Vaqueros men's volleyball team, and Elijah Chambers and Sean Ortiz of the Santa Monica College Corsairs. (Nicholas McCall | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College Corsairs' Bryant Bardeau, Elijah Chambers, and Sean Ortiz after scoring during the men's volleyball match against the Santa Barbara City College Vaqueros. (Nicholas McCall | The Corsair)

On Saturday, April 16, the Santa Monica College (SMC) Men’s Volleyball team faced off against the Irvine Valley College (IVC) Lasers at the IVC Hart Gymnasium for their first round matchup of the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) State Playoffs. The Corsairs faced IVC earlier this season on the same court on Wednesday, March 23 and lost 3-0. The result of the rematch on Saturday was the same, with SMC losing to IVC 3-0. As a result, SMC was eliminated from the state playoffs, ending their season.

The SMC Corsairs finished this year’s spring season with an overall record of 8-9, but their conference record of 7-5 was enough to earn them a spot in this year’s CCCAA State Playoffs. Their last win of the season occurred on Wednesday, April 6, against the Santa Barbara City College Vaqueros in The Pavilion Gym at SMC’s main campus. After going down 2-0, SMC managed to come back and win that game with a score of 3-2. 

Their final game of the regular season resulted in a 3-0 loss at home against the Long Beach City College Vikings on Friday, April 8. 

A scene from the men's volleyball game between the Santa Monica College Corsairs and the Long Beach City College Vikings. SMC lost 0-3 on Friday, April 8 at the SMC Gym in Santa Monica, Calif. (Nicholas McCall | The Corsair)

A joust between Joseph Rocha and Bryant Bardeau during the men's volleyball match between the Long Beach City College Vikings and the Santa Monica College Corsairs. Also pictured are Amery Leomiti for LBCC, and Sean Ortiz for SMC. (Nicholas McCall | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College Corsairs' Elijah Chambers and Javier Castillo during the men's volleyball game against the Long Beach City College Vikings. (Nicholas McCall | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College Corsairs men's volleyball Head Coach Liran Zamir squats near the end of the game against the Long Beach City College Vikings. (Nicholas McCall | The Corsair)

“I’m just happy that we finished a full season, the COVID years weren’t easy,” Liran Zamir, Head Coach of the Corsairs, said after Friday’s loss. Zamir expressed gratitude for the memories he and his team made this season. 

“We came back to the unknown, and we have a great, solid team,” Zamir said. “I love doing what I do thanks to them.”

Although the season is now over, the Men’s team plans to host an alumni game in the upcoming fall semester. More information will be announced at a later time.