Pasadena City College women's badminton head coach Jen Ho directed her milestone 100th match on Tuesday and not surprisingly it was yet another victory in her remarkable career. The Lancers knocked off De Anza, 17-4, to remain perfect thus far in 2024 at 9-0.
In her ninth season, Ho's overall record is truly impressive at 88-12 for an .880 win percentage. Her resume includes back-to-back state championships in 2017 and 2018, four state runner-ups, and six South Coast Conference titles, which could increase to a seventh crown this season. PCC is 7-0 in SCC play, one win ahead of second-place San Diego Mesa (6-1).
In defeating defending 3C2A champ De Anza for the second time this season in a match played at Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium, the Lancers dominated in winning all 12 singles points.
Top player Rhea Zou downed the Mountain Lions' #1 Mailan Vuong, 21-16, 21-12 and swept #2 Jenny Thai, 24-22, 21-12 while PCC's #2 Anh Vu Nguyen Tran was equally strong in downing Vuong, 21-15, 21-19, and defeating Thai, 21-8, 21-12.
Lancers' #3 Janet Diec outlasted De Anza #3 Renee Ou, 21-19, 21-19, and needed three sets to get by Sheila Wicasono, 17-21, 21-19, 21-11. Uyen Banh, nicknamed "Raven," was solid at #4 in beating Ou, 21-19, 21-15, and also needing three sets to beat a tough Wicasono, 21-7, 15-21, 21-12.
At #5, My Linh Ly scored straight set victories over De Anza #5 Hadis Najafzadeh, 21-10, 21-6, and #6 Kasey Walker, 21-11, 21-13 while PCC #6 Sophie Chao beat Najafzadeh, 21-16, 21-9 and Walker, 21-14, 23-21.
"This was as good as we've played in singles this season," Ho said. "De Anza is not the same team it had last year, but you always expect them to be super competitive."
PCC's #1 doubles duo of Zou-Tran scored two wins over Mountain Lions' #1 Thai and Kelly Tran, 21-11, 21-19, and Vuong-Ou, 21-14, 21-18. The #3 Lancers squad of Ly-Chao won their lone match, 21-9, 21-9 over Walker-Wicasono.
Pasadena routed SCC foe El Camino, 19-2, on March 27 at the Manhattan Beach Badminton Club. Tran, Chao, Leslie Lien, Karylle Peralta, and Laura Lin all won two singles matches while Diec split her two. In doubles, Zou-Diec and Tran-Chao each won two matches and Vicky Ruan-Peralta made it a sweep in doubles with a #3 triumph.
PCC next hosts Compton on Friday, April 5 in a 2 p.m. South Coast contest.