Posted: Sep 16, 2021

Changing Of the Guard? SCC Women's Volleyball Sees Switch Of Powers in 2021

Nalani Young is a big part of Pasadena City College's rise to the #6 spot on this week's State Top 25 Women's Volleyball Rankings.

For the past decade and for that matter as far back as the start of the 21st century, El Camino College has been synonymous with the best the South Coast Conference has had to offer in women's volleyball. The Warriors won back-to-back state titles in 2007 and 2008 and has won at least a share of 18 of the last 19 conference titles.

But in 2021, El Camino has struggled while three other teams--Pasadena City, Mt. San Antonio and Long Beach City--all have passed the Warriors by so far in the early going. PCC was rated #6 in this week's CCCWVCA State Top 25 Rankings, Mt. SAC entered the top 10 for the first time in program history at #10 while Long Beach was at the #14 position. El Camino? At a current 3-8 mark, the Warriors are on the outside looking in for easily the first time in 20 years.

With the conference back to one grouping after three years of split divisions (2016-2018), you have to go back to 2009 to find the last school other than El Camino to win the outright conference title in Pasadena, which went 16-0 that season.

This season, PCC is 6-1, including a win over state #3-ranked and current SoCal #1 Cypress. Meanwhile, Mt. SAC is 6-2, winners of five straight and a sweep victory over #5 Moorpark. Both colleges meet up on Friday at Mt. SAC in an early showdown during a 16-match conference schedule and then regular-season ending SCC Conference Tournament to determine this year's champion.

The Lancers are led by sophomore and 2019 returning All-SCC First Team outside hittter Nalani Young (averaging 2.4 kills, 3 digs and leading the team with 17 service aces) and newcomer setter Bia Silva, who was the CCCWVCA State Player of the Week #1.

Mt. SAC has a 1-2 attack punch of outside hitters Riley DeGroot (3.72 kills, 2.7 digs per set) and JJ Quarrels (3.52 kills, 2.2 digs).

(Mt. SAC's #11 JJ Quarrels in action in a recent match.)

Long Beach is 4-3 and a legitimate contender too with victories over #9 San Diego Mesa and #20 Canyons. The Vikings, paced by OH Jennifer Lias (2.9 kills, 3 digs), are already 2-0 in SCC play. Despite its rough start, El Camino is always a tough opponent and has a strong OH in Brea Rutledge, who was leading conference hitters in overall kills (3.2 average).

Cerritos is off to its best start in several seasons at 5-2, including a 5-set win on Wednesday (Sept. 15) v. Rio Hondo. Falcons setter Carissa Mendibles is third in the SCC in assists at a 7.05 clip.

At 3-5, Rio Hondo is in the middle of the pack with current conference digs leader Daniela Sanchez (averaging 4 digs per set).

Los Angeles Harbor (3-5) showed its no slouch, sending El Camino to five sets before losing the fifth game, 15-10, and the match. The Seahawks' key outside hitter is Aiyana Henderson, who leads the SCC in overall aces with 22 and is averaging 2.86 kills. She had 19 kills in the ECC defeat.

East Los Angeles (3-3) and Compton (0-3), playing for the first time in women's volleyball in school history in adding the sport for the 2021 season, round out the 9-team SCC. Compton's historic first-ever match was a 3-set loss to Rio Hondo on Sept. 10.