Walnut, Calif. – In one of the most thrilling and important regular season showdowns, the Mt. SAC Women's Volleyball Team left it all on the court in a grueling 2-hour and 28-minute, 5-set battle against conference rival Pasadena City College. The Mounties came out on top with a hard-fought 3-2 victory on Wednesday, October 8 with scores of 25-23, 20-25, 22-25, 25-21, 15-9.
The gym was electric as Mt. SAC celebrated Student-Athlete Mental Health Week, treating athletes to free pizza and a match filled with school spirit, long rallies, and nonstop action. The crowd was loud, energized, and fully locked in as both evenly matched teams traded blows set after set. With the win, Mt. SAC improved to 12-5 overall and a perfect 3-0 in South Coast Conference North play. Meanwhile, Pasadena falls to 13-4 overall and 2-1 in conference action.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Set 1: Trading Blows Early
Mt. SAC came out strong in the opening set, exchanging leads with Pasadena throughout. Tied 23-23 in the closing moments, a Lancer error and a clutch kill by Sydney Valentine sealed a 25-23 win for the Mounties. Both teams recorded 13 kills in the set, setting the tone for the evenly matched contest.
Set 2: Lancers Bounce Back
Pasadena took control early in the second set and never looked back. Mt. SAC struggled to regain momentum and managed only 9 kills with a .026 hitting percentage. Despite late offensive sparks from Valentine and Kayla Staveley, the Mounties dropped the set, 25-20.
Set 3: Tight Battle, Pasadena Pulls Ahead
Pasadena again jumped out to an early lead, 12-5, but Mt. SAC responded behind a strong service run from Eva Fisher, tying it up at 19-19. Despite outhitting the Lancers (.200 to .163) and tallying 13 kills, the Mounties couldn't close the gap and dropped the set 25-22, putting Pasadena up 2-1 in the match.
Set 4: Mounties Dig Deep
Facing elimination, the Mounties regrouped. The score was tied seven times in the set, but key plays down the stretch—including a kill from Emma Carson and a Pasadena error—gave Mt. SAC the 25-21 win, forcing a decisive fifth set.
Set 5: Statement Finish
After trading points early to 4-4, Mt. SAC broke the game wide open thanks to another dominant serving run from Fisher, who rattled off eight straight to give the Mounties a commanding 12-5 lead. A highlight of the night came on point 11, when Morgan Wilson and 5'3" middle blocker Tatum Hardaway combined for a massive block that brought the crowd to its feet. The match point came courtesy of a powerful kill from Yaretzi Silva, securing the victory and keeping Mt. SAC unbeaten in conference play.
FINAL STATS:
Mt. SAC outperformed Pasadena in most statistical categories, finishing with 53 kills and a .127 hitting percentage, compared to the Lancers' 49 kills and .120. The Mounties also edged Pasadena in assists (49-47) and blocks (10-7), while Pasadena held slight advantages in service aces (11-8) and digs (87-84).
BY THE NUMBERS:
- Sydney Valentine (Mt. SAC): 18 kills, 16 digs, 2 block assists
- Emma Carson (Mt. SAC): 11 kills, 18 digs, 2 service aces
- Morgan Wilson (Mt. SAC): 42 assists, 11 digs, 2 block assists
- Mayah Tiscareno (Mt. SAC): 26 digs, 6 assists
- Eva Fisher (Mt. SAC): 8 kills, 3 service aces, 1 block assist
- Tatum Hardaway (Mt. SAC): 4 kills on 5 attempts (.800 hitting), 4 block assists
- Payton Scott (Pasadena): 15 kills, 11 digs
- Bobbie Torres (Pasadena): 12 kills, 23 digs, 2 service aces
NEXT UP:
The Mounties return to action on Wednesday, October 15 at 6:00 PM, when they host Los Angeles City College (1-11). Come out and support as Mt. SAC looks to extend their conference winning streak!
STAY CONNECTED:
Follow Mt. SAC Women's Volleyball on Twitter @MtSAC_WVB or Instagram /mtsacvolleyball/
Follow Mt. SAC Athletics on Twitter @MtSAC_athletics Instagram /mtsac_athletics/ or Facebook @Mountie.Athletics
For additional information, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.274.4630.
