 |
CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY
COLLEGE WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL REGIONALS
CYPRESS MAKES HISTORY IN
ADVANCING TO STATE TOURNEY
For the first time in state
women's volleyball history the lowest seed has advanced to the state tournament
as Cypress College, the South Region's No. 16 seed, completed its second straight
major upset to highlight the second round of the California Community College
regional playoffs.
Cypress (12-8) downed fellow
Orange Empire Conference foe and No. 8 seed Orange Coast (15-6), 27-30, 30-20,
30-26, 30-21 on Nov. 27. The Chargers, ranked No. 25 in the state, now make
their first trip to the Citi California Community Colleges Commission on Athletics
Women's Volleyball Championships at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton Dec.
3-5.
The Final Eight includes
the remaining four teams in both the South and North regions following second
round play. In the North, the four top seeds all were successful in advancing
to the State Tournament. In the South, only the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds made it
through the regional playoffs along with Cypress and No. 5 seed San Diego Mesa.
In the North, No. 1 seed
and state No. 3 ranked San Joaquin Delta swept No. 8
seed Shasta (13-7), 30-13, 30-9, 30-20. Delta (19-1) ran a 14-0 run to finish
off the first game as Breanne Zelmer tallied five of her match-high seven aces
for the Mustangs.
The state's No. 5 rated
and No. 2 seed Taft (21-1) made it 13 consecutive sweeps with a 30-21, 30-16,
30-21 win over No. 7 seed Fresno City (17-6). For Taft, Kaena Apana had 12 kills
and 12 digs while Pikake Nutter-Gaudet led the match with 15 kills. All-State
setter Lehua Yap had 42 assists to go with six kills and 13 digs. The Cougars
and Coach Kanoe Bandy are also making their first trip to the State Tournament.
Butte, state No. 6 and North
No. 3 seed at 20-1, is making yet another Final Eight trip behind a 30-28, 30-20,
30-23 sweep over No. 6 seed College of the Sequoias (21-5).
Sacramento City College, the No. 4 seed and 10th ranked in the state, ran its
record to 17-4 by once again beating Bay Valley Conference Gold Division opponent
Santa Rosa, 30-28, 30-20, 30-22. Santa Rosa was the No. 5 seed and closed out
its season at a respectable 17-7.
In the South, Cypress, coached by Nancy Welliver, had strong performances in
the Orange Coast win by sophomore outside hitter Tordra Sessions with 22 kills,
four aces and four blocks, and by libero Nancy Laguna with 35 digs.
The state's 11-time defending state champion Golden West, ranked No. 2 in the
state and the No. 2 seed in the South, rolled past No. 7 seed Santa Monica,
30-19, 30-16, 30-24. The Rustlers are 21-1.
Los Angeles Pierce College, No. 3 seed and state No. 4 ranked, advanced with
a sweep over No. 11 seed Santa Barbara (13-7), 30-18, 30-28, 30-27. Coach Kim
Lester and state No. 8-ranked San Diego Mesa also made it into the Final Eight
with a 30-25, 30-19, 30-14 triumph over No. 13 College of the Canyons.
For purposes of matchups at the State Tournament, the South re-seeds with Golden
West at No. 1, LA Pierce at No. 2, SD Mesa at No. 3 and Cypress at No. 4. The
North stays identical to its pre-regional playoff seeds with host Delta No.
1, Taft No. 2, Butte No. 3, and Sacramento No. 4.
After going to a single-elimination, four team championship last season, the
Final Eight format returns with eight teams in a double-elimination tourney
over three days.
-30-
Robert Lewis, CCCWVCA Publicist/Statistician
626-585-7018
|
 |
|
