Lightning protocol is nothing to mess with. There is a whole cascade of events that happens once lightning strikes within a certain number of miles and once under protocol, it can take hours to get out of it. 

ARC Beach Volleyball was set to host their sophomore day and second round matches with Santa Rosa and Sierra just as a spicy storm was rolling into Northern California. In fact the night before the matches, as the Beavers laid their heads down in their lodge, the sky was lighting up like a fireworks show. 

Beavers, thankfully, were born to be in the water. 

Before the show began, ARC paused to acknowledge their sophomores under a pop-up tent in the pouring rain. Lillie Miranda, Maya Mishchuk, Gwendolyn Hansen, Margaret O'Brien, and Aurora Meneghetti are all completing their second beach seasons with ARC and are beloved members of the Beaver family. Their contributions to the community on and off the court continue to be profound. 

ARC and Santa Rosa started the day together. The first round match-up between the Bear Cubs and the Beavers was a close 3-2 dual that came down to the 5s in 3 sets. In the second round meeting, ARC started strong from the first point. 

An accelerated format was used to try and beat as much weather as possible, so 4 pair matches (2-5) all kicked off at 9:00 AM. Maddy Seabury/Lillie Miranda (ARC) eeked out a closely contested 1st set at the 2 slot with Smart/Amand (SRJC) and then controlled the second 21-15. Gwendolyn Hansen/Kaylee Astacio (ARC) met Melendez/Krohn (SRJC) for the second time this season. The first time, the Bear Cubs controlled the game. This time, Hansen/Astacio rolled to a 2-set victory. Gillian Rossi/Anabelle Gomez (ARC) also met the same SRJC pair for the second time. In the first round, Gomez/Rossi won in dramatic 3-set fashion. On this stormy Friday, it only took 2. Aurora Meneghetti/Maddy Rossman weren't a pair yet the first time these two teams met. Friday they scored the 4th ARC point, beating Brooner/Walker in 2.

With the Beavers up 4-0, Maya Mishchuk/Margaret O'Brien looked to complete the sweep at the 1s. SRJC went out to an early lead before ARC made a late push to close out the 1st set 21-17. The 2nd set was all AR and the dual finished 5-0.   

The second dual is when things really started to get interesting. While ARC and Sierra were playing, the lighting was the closest and the skies decided to open up and dump rain. Seabury/Miranda scored a quick first point for the Beavers, followed closely by Meneghetti/Rossman. When the rain was at its peak, the 3rd point hung in the balance on the 4s court. Hansen/Astacio sealed the deal and clinched the dual as Chloe Lester/Addy Tagala, Gillian Rossi/Anabelle Gomez, and Maya Mishchuk/Margaret O'Brien took the courts for the final wave. The final three Beaver pairs would all win in 2 sets. Rossi/Gomez needed a big 1st set comeback to do it. The duo was down 17-20 and came back to win 22-20. They would win the second 21-15, posting the exact same scores as the first time these two 5s pairs played. 

The Beavers play their final conference matches Friday, April 17th at Solano College.