Pasadena City College continued its run in the CCCAA Southern California Women's Volley 2010 Regional Playoffs with a come-from-behind win in five sets over Santa Barbara 17-25, 23-25, 25-15, 25-21, 15-11 on Saturday night.
"It was an exciting game," Lancer head coach Tammy Silva said, "but not our best."
For the Lancers, the game not only had an epic length but also an epic feel as the team triumphed after starting so poorly.
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"That's how we always start," said All-SCC First Team setter Danielle Stewart. "So I guess we're used to it. But we always turn it around."
In the first set, the Lancers didn't look at all like a team that even deserved to be in the playoffs. Players had problems controlling Santa Barbara's serves, passes to Stewart were constantly off the mark, and kills landed out of bounds.
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"We looked nonchalant, and at times even scared," Silva said.
The second set was frustrating because it was one that got away from the team. Player passing improved and the Lancers seemed to have the set in hand at 19-15. But communication errors on the court abounded and the Vaqueros were able to go on a 10-4 run to take a 2-0 overall lead.
In the break before the next set, Silva took her team behind the gym's separating curtain and issued a challenge.
"Yeah, we got yelled at," PCC outside hitter Markisha Richie said. "We were told to pick it up. Don't complain about passing or sets and just well out."
The message was received, and the Lancers jumped out to an early 5-1 lead in the third set and cruised to a 25-15 win in the third set.
The fourth and fifth sets showed a Lancer team that was getting increasingly sharper and more focused, as well as a Santa Barbara team that was wearing down. Ex-South Pasadena High star Kirsten Taylor led the Lancers with 12 kills, while All-State outside hitter Aliyyah Abdullah added nine of her own along with five blocks.
PCC advances to the third round of the playoffs and will face top-seeded Cypress this Tuesday. The Lancers faced Cypress in their first game of the season and won in three sets. But everyone on the Lancers agrees that was a long time ago, and Cypress has grown stronger.
"We're a different team, and they are a different team," Silva said.