Six game winning streak and counting

Lancers’ volleyball extend their winning streak to six and took possession of first place (3-0) in SCC North after an intense four set match against Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) Wednesday night then a victory over Chaffey College Friday, Oct. 13th.

Mt. SAC have always been a tough team to beat, given that it’s been seven years since PCC beat them. However, that didn’t stop the Lancers from proving a point as they tied the match 1-1 after trailing in the first set, then finished strong with a final 3-1 (20-25, 27-25, 25-22, 25-16).

The Lancers found their rhythm in the second set. As they battled back and forth, it was the Lancers execution on small adjustments that kept them in control. Though Mt. SAC gained match point, outside hitter Paige Clingaman decked a clean kill down the middle to put them back in position.

At this point, it became the longest and most tense set of the match. The score was 25-26, still anyone’s game. Mt. SAC went for the kill, but a block made by PCC sealed the deal.

“I was nervous at first because we were making little mistakes,” libero Kelsey Sarreal said. “When we started getting back into the game [and] getting into the rhythm is when I knew we could do this. I never stop believing in my team.”

Defensively, Sarreal collected 27 digs, most of them made in the third set alone.

In the third set, the Lancers held a 5-2 lead which forced a Mt. SAC timeout. Yet they rattled it off with a threatening 20-20 tie. A corner kill pounced by Clingaman finished the set 25-22.

“We tried to just do one or two key points that we need to do better in the next set,” head coach Mike Terrill said. “Instead of giving our players zone we said ‘hey you guys go attack them, find what works and keep doing it’. They took responsibility for that [and] I’m proud of them.”

The Lancers went head on into the fourth set with a 10-5 lead and saw out the game from there.

Setter and veteran, Emily Leung assisted with back-to-back aces, racking up a total of 31 at the end of the match. Clingaman notched 13 kills while Vanessa Lopez put up 10 digs.

“We came in strong, it was a really mental game but we try not to think of anything, we just keep fighting [for] each point and don’t stop,” Lopez said.

As for the match against Chaffey, the Lancers were able to finish in three sets, but according to Terrill it wasn’t as easy as it seemed. Although the ladies did have a full day to recover it was tougher on an emotional level.

“From an emotional high on Wednesday night playing Mt.SAC, I think that made Friday’s match against Chaffey so much [harder] and we had to fight through the traffic to get out there then it was hot, so emotionally that was maybe even a tougher match,” said Terrill.

Though it didn’t seem that way, the Lancers were in full effect after winning the first set in a landslide, 25-12. It was the last two sets of the match that came close (25-20, 25-18). According to middle blocker Lania Potter, it was the confidence in the team that lead them to their victory.

Potter put up six kills along with outside hitter Kendall Schmedes who also pounded six and added nine digs.

The Lancers will host No. 16 state ranked El Camino College this Friday at 6 p.m.