Pasadena, Calif. – What. A. Game. The Mt. SAC Women's Volleyball Team proved once again that they're the top team in the South Coast Conference North, defeating Pasadena City College 3-1 on Wednesday, November 5. The win marks their 10th straight victory and their second over PCC in less than a month. With the result, the Mounties claim the South Coast Conference North Division title outright—after sharing it with the Lancers last season as Co-Champions. Mt. SAC now sits at 19-5 overall and 7-0 in conference play, while Pasadena drops to 17-6 overall and 5-2 in SCC action.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Set 1 – Mt. SAC 25, Pasadena 17

The Mounties came out firing in the opening set, tallying 13 kills with a .200 hitting percentage compared to PCC's eight kills and -.061. Emma Carson led a nine-serve streak that pushed Mt. SAC ahead early, capitalizing on Lancer errors and fierce kills from Sydney Valentine to make it 13-4. Despite a late push from Pasadena's Delaney Blied, the Mounties stayed strong behind Eva Fisher and Yaretzi Silva, with Valentine sealing the set with a kill.

Set 2 – Mt. SAC 25, Pasadena 20

The second set was tighter, with several early ties, but the Mounties maintained control thanks to continued offensive pressure from Valentine, Carson, and Silva. Mt. SAC notched 12 kills and hit .276, while Pasadena managed 12 kills as well but only a .067 hitting percentage. The Mounties' consistency and composure paid off as they took a 2-0 lead in the match.

Set 3 – Pasadena 25, Mt. SAC 21

The Lancers fought back in the third, handing Mt. SAC its only set loss of the night. The Mounties recorded just 10 kills at a .044 clip, while Pasadena posted its best numbers of the night (12 kills, .186). PCC jumped out to an 8-3 lead behind Savannah Curtis and Blied, capitalizing on Mountie errors. Mt. SAC briefly rallied behind a strong service run from Fisher to lead 20-18 and giving hope of pulling of a sweep, but back-to-back aces from Juyeon Lee helped Pasadena steal the set. To make matters worse, Mt. SAC libero Mayah Tiscareno went down with an injury late in the set, forcing the Mounties to regroup.

Set 4 – Mt. SAC 29, Pasadena 27

With the conference title on the line, the tension in the air was palpable entering the fourth set. PCC's football team packed the gym, cheering, chanting and banging on the bleachers in an attempt to shift the momentum in favor of the Lancers – which worked – until it didn't.

This was a set for the ages — a thrilling back-and-forth battle that had the crowd on the edge of their seats. Could the Mounties close it out in four to claim the game and the conference title? Or would Pasadena force a decisive fifth set, just like in their last meeting?

Both teams traded points early to a 3-3 tie before Pasadena built momentum behind Payton Scott and Bobbie Torres, stretching their lead to 11-6 and forcing Mt. SAC to call a timeout. Due to Tiscareno's injury, Veronica Estrada stepped into the libero role and immediately made an impact, serving a key streak that, paired with kills from Fisher and Carson, tied the score at 12-12.

From there, neither team could gain more than a three-point edge. Pasadena surged late to lead 24-21, just one point from forcing a fifth set. But Carson remained calm under pressure, serving her way to 24-25. The set went into extra points, with both sides trading blows until the Mounties finally broke through with back-to-back kills from none other than Valentine and Carson to close out the thriller, 29-27 - sealing the match and the conference title for Mt. SAC.

BY THE NUMBERS:

• Sydney Valentine: 25 kills, 10 digs, 1 block assist
• Emma Carson: 14 kills, 11 digs, 2 service aces, 1 block assist
• Morgan Wilson: 45 assists, 10 digs, 1 block assist
• Payton Scott (Pasadena): 18 kills, 1 block assist

NEXT UP:

The Mounties hit the road for their final conference matchup of the season against Los Angeles City College (1-17) on Wednesday, November 12, at 6:00 p.m. Keep up the great work, ladies!

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.