Five SCC Teams Make First Women's Volleyball State Top 25 Rankings
South Coast Conference women's volleyball is already making some noise after five teams were part of the CCCWVCA State Top 25 Rankings, released on Monday.
Pasadena City College is 4-2 and came in at the #14 spot, followed by Mt. San Antonio (3-3) at #17, Long Beach City (3-0) at #22, and both East Los Angeles (5-1) and Rio Hondo (4-3) sharing with the North's Sacramento City the #25 slot. Cerritos is 3-0 and high up on the state's "Best of the Rest."
PCC is on a 3-match win streak and featured the State Player of the Week #2 in outside hitter Reese Roper along with returning All-SCC First Team OH Emma Yogan. The Lancers beat #18 Santa Barbara City and swept #16 Bakersfield at the SBCC Quad on Sept. 2.
Mt. SAC also defeated SBCC in four sets and swept Santa Monica, but were swept itself by higher-ranked teams in Bakersfield, #5 Irvine Valley and #7 San Diego Mesa. OH Andrea Brewer had a 21 kill, 20 dig performance v. SBCC and was the SCC leader in attack kills with 68.
Long Beach started with a big 4-set victory over #23 Canyons and have two sweeps. Setter Pearlnaiah Tuliau is a top player for the improved Vikings.
East LA has been perhaps the biggest surprise thus far. The Huskies won four in a row, took #11 Cypress to five sets in a semifinals loss at the 8-team, LA Mission Kickoff Classic. OH Roselia Cazares is a standout. ELAC won a high-scoring, extra points set 35-33 in a sweep over San Bernardino Valley.
Rio Hondo also nearly upset Cypress, losing a 5-setter 15-13 in the final game of the LAM championship match. The Roadrunners saw a 4-match win streak stopped, all sweeps. RHC lost to #15 Orange Coast in four sets. Libero Herlinda Casanova was third in the state in digs with 118. Middle hitter Maria Bejines was leading the SCC in points scored with 82.5
Cerritos ended a long drought v. regular non-conference opponent Golden West in a sweep, for the Falcons first victory v. the Rustlers since 2005. Cerritos swept two other opponents and may also be on the upswing after a 4-17 season last year. Libero Priscilla Castillo is averaging 4.89 digs per set.
It's been a tough start for El Camino (0-5), but against quality opponents in 4-set loss to #2 Grossmont and being swept by #13 Moorpark. OH Ryan D'Angelo has excelled early on.
Two SCC colleges who had been dormant in volleyball have returned to play this season. LA Harbor is back after sitting out last year, opening with a loss to West LA. Setter Maira Meza is the only sophomore on new head coach Sean Zuvich's Seahawks roster.
Los Angeles City, directed by George Rodriguez at head coach, is back in the sport for the first time since 2009. The Cubs also lost to West LA and were defeated in their season opener in three sets by San Diego Miramar. OH Jessi Hulleza is one of their top players.
Mt. SAC is the defending conference champions as SCC play will begin the week of September 11-15.
Release by Robert Lewis, SCC SID