Spires and Bambe Punch Ticket to State Tournament with Third-Place Finish at SoCal Regionals

WALNUT, CA (5/3/2025) -- Palomar College's Janell Spires and Emma Bambe continued their exceptional season with a third-place finish at the 3C2A SoCal Regionals Individual Pairs Tournament, securing a berth to the 2025 3C2A State Championships. The two-day event, hosted at Mt. San Antonio College, featured the top pairs from across Southern California, with Spires and Bambe entering as the No. 17 seed.

The Comet duo opened the tournament with a dominant 21-14, 21-11 win in the first round, then followed with another convincing victory over a Long Beach City College pair, 21-11, 21-11. In the quarterfinals, Spires and Bambe outlasted a talented team from El Camino College, prevailing 21-17, 21-17 to reach the semifinals.

Their only loss came in a tightly contested match against the eventual champions from Moorpark College, 21-19, 22-20. They rebounded quickly in the third-place match, defeating Ventura College 21-19, 21-9 to close out the tournament on a high note.

With their performance, Spires and Bambe finish as the No. 3 seed and will gear up for the 3C2A State Championships, set for May 9–10 at Long Beach City College.

The standout pair has consistently led Palomar throughout the season and earned All-Conference honors. They finished in the top eight at the PCAC Individuals Tournament and were the only pair in the conference to place in the top five at regionals—one of just two pairs from the PCAC to finish in the top 10.

Now with a state medal on the line, Spires and Bambe look to continue their run and represent Palomar at the highest level of California community college beach volleyball.