D-Co at SoCal Conferences
Back in their familiar battlefield of San Luis Obispo, UC San Diego Dragon Coalition returned to begin their post-season in the Women’s D-I SoCal Conference tournament. With 3 bids to Southwest Regionals on the table and only 5 teams playing total, DCo felt confident about their chances of advancing. Nonetheless, they had something to prove, still yet to beat their rival UC Santa Barbara this season.
As usual, the Dragons had a sleep start to their Saturday in a game against UCLA. Down the whole game, they struggled to find their usual rhythm. Back on their heels, their captain Ava “Raffi” Hanna gave a speech to rally the team, charging them with the energy to score three breaks in a row and take the 9-8 win. As morning transitioned into midday, the wind accordingly began to pick up, significantly affecting game flow. Thankfully, DCo is equipped with some of the most highly skilled throwers in the nation. They navigated the blustery conditions well and easily conquered Cal Poly SLO 13-7 and USC 13-2. Along with good throwing, the day was aided by the Dragon’s willingness to put their bodies on the line, with stunning layouts coming from Emma “Capwn” Ellefson-Frank and Abbi “Pierogi” Shilts.
On Sunday DCo went toe-to-toe with their foe: UC Santa Barbara. They’ve seen the UCSB Burning Skirts repeatedly over the past year, but up to that point had yet to beat them. Their aggressive playing style was well known, but DCo knew they had the strategy and finesse to take them down. Starting on offense downwind gave them a significant advantage, allowing them to score first and maintain a lead as they traded points with the wind. Eventually scoring on an upwind point, they eventually pulled away to win the game 10-8. Thrilled by the conquest, UCSD won their pool and secured themselves a trip to the regionals. After a bye round, they had a finals rematch against UCSB. Deciding to prioritize the health of their small roster, UCSD played open lines, giving everyone a chance to shine. Xuan “Gadro” Feldman and Kate “Guava” Lindeman made a few exceptional catches off deep shots from Lauren “Linux” Hanna. Ultimately falling to the Skirts 9-12, DCo took home second place at the tournament, and look forward to their next challenge this weekend.