Women's Volleyball Non-Conference Play Top Notch

Reese Roper fires an attack through the Mt. San Jacinto block in the Lancers sweep on Nov. 2 (photo by Michael Watkins).
Reese Roper fires an attack through the Mt. San Jacinto block in the Lancers sweep on Nov. 2 (photo by Michael Watkins).

Although non-conference RPI is only one criteria in the formula to qualify for the SoCal Regional Playoffs, the #22-ranked Pasadena City College women's volleyball team has that area down pat. PCC is #3 in the region in the rating at .663 (seventh in the state) after its sweep at Mt. San Jacinto on Nov. 2.

The Lancers (14-7 overall) are 10-2 in non-conference matches with wins over state #10 Moorpark, #14 Canyons, #15 Santa Barbara City, #19 Cypress, #23 MiraCosta, and #T25 Bakersfield and #T25 Golden West. The only non-conference losses happen to be against state #4 and SoCal #1 Ventura and state #6 San Diego Mesa. 

While the resume looks like a golden ticket for the postseaon, it's the team's disappointing 4-5 mark in the South Coast Conference that has left PCC's potential seeding a mystery. 

A second loss in conference to leader and #11-rated Mt. San Antonio, 26-24, 25-15, 25-17, on Oct. 28, hurt the team's confidence but not the overall RPI, which places the Lancers somewhere in that top 10 in the region.

The Lancers' sweep over MSJC was one of the squad's more dominating efforts with set scores of 25-7, 25-20, 25-15. Sophomore setter Bia Silva totaled eight kills (13 attempts, hit .615), 25 set assists, nine digs, three aces and two blocks while Emma Yogan added 11 kills (.375) and nine digs. 

Libero Makayla Chiechi checked in with 10 digs, four set assists and two aces while lefty opposite Kyley Chang made six kills. Reese Roper added three kills and three blocks. Leslie Pacheco and Ashley Gilbert tallied four kills a piece. Karmen Turner chipped in five digs. 

Chiechi totaled 12 digs in the Mt. SAC defeat. 

PCC plays at Cerritos College this Wednesday, Nov. 9 (4 p.m. first serve) and then hosts East Los Angeles on Thursday, Nov. 10 in a 7 p.m. contest at Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium. Both are SCC matches.