For the third time in the last four seasons, the Pasadena City College women's volleyball team is in the postseason. The 2-time, South Coast Conference North Division champion Lancers earned the No. 16 seed and will host No. 17 Mt. San Antonio on Saturday, Nov. 17 in a SoCal Regional Playoff Play-In Round match. The contest has a 7 p.m. start at Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium.
The Lancers, 12-12 overall, will face division rival Mt. SAC (13-13) for the third time this year. The teams split their previous conference matches with Pasadena sweeping at Mt. SAC while the Mounties returned the favor at PCC in three sets. The programs met in the 2015 playoffs with Mt. SAC also winning a Play-In Round game v. the Lancers in three sets.
If PCC defeats Mt. SAC, it would play at either state No. 1-ranked and South top seed Irvine Valley (18-1) or at No. 2 seed Bakersfield on Tuesday, Nov. 20 in a Round 1 playoff match. PCC would only face Bakersfield if #18 Santa Monica beats #15 Mt. San Jacinto on Saturday in the other regional Play-In Round contest.
The Lancers are led by freshman outside hitter Leslie Rivera, averaging 3.13 kills and 3.09 digs per set while leading the squad in service aces with 53. Another top player is letterman libero Pamela Galvan, who is averaging 4.04 digs per set and has landed 41 aces. Mt. SAC also has a top-flight libero in Malia Carr, who led the conference in digs at 4.96 per set, and is paced offensively by outside hitter Jessica Morse, averaging 2.53 kills.
Last season, then No. 15-seeded PCC advanced to Round 1 by defeating Ventura in the Play-In Round. The Lancers lost to No. 2 MiraCosta in Round 1 to end the '17 season. PCC is directed by third-year head coach Mike Terrill. The Lancers didn't advance to a playoff spot in Terrill's debut season of 2016.