By John M. Sherrard
(Walnut, CA) For the 11th time in the last 12 years the Mt. SAC Women's Volleyball team will be playing in the first round of the CCCAA Southern California Regional Championships on Tuesday.
The Mounties, 20-3 overall and seeded 16th, swept their way in a play-in match over visiting Mt. San Jacinto College (MSJC) Saturday, 25-15, 25-20, 25-14 and will travel to play No. 2 seed L.A. Pierce College. The match will start at 7:00 p.m.
"The team played so well (Saturday)," first-year Mt. SAC Head Coach Ali Carey-Oliver said. "We really came together and played great team defense and executed our offense better than we have all season.
"We hit an impressive .376 on the night," Carey-Oliver added. "Carolina (Urquieta) spread the ball really well and all five of our hitters had great numbers."
Urquieta (3 kills), a sophomore setter, was selected to the All-SCC first team and had 29 assists in the match.
The SCC also recently named Mt. SAC sophomore outside hitter Haley English as the Most Valuable Player in the North Division, while sophomore defensive specialist Alexandria Peterson was chosen as the Libero of the year.
All-SCC first team selection Makenzie Thieme (7 digs) had nine kills, followed by eight kills from sophomore outside hitter Erica Gumz (6 digs, 3 aces), who was named to the conference second team.
The team had 42 kills in the match, committing only five hitting errors, one each in the first and third sets.
Freshman middle blocker Jordon Wilson added six kills and sophomore middle Kaitlyn Partridge had five. Both were named to the All-SCC Second Team.
The Mounties, who also won a play-in match last season, were led by English (5 digs, 5 assists) with a match-high 11 kills over MSJC.
"The girls are in the zone right now. We are really proud of how they are playing and are looking forward to Tuesday night."
L.A. Pierce, ranked 2nd in the state and was the 2015 state runner-up, comes into the match with a 26-3 record. They captured three state titles in a row from 2010-12.
The Mounties are paired up against second-ranked Pierce by virtue of an upset in the other play-in match when No. 18 seed Riverside City College (RCC) defeated No. 15 seed San Diego City College in five sets. RCC will play No. 1 seed Grossmont.
"Pierce is very strong," said Carey-Oliver, the 2016 South Coast Conference, North Division, Coach of the Year. "They have an incredible setter and a strong opposite. We're looking forward to a battle."
Mt. SAC last advanced to the second round during the 2012 season.
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For additional information, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.274.4630