Irvine Valley's women's volleyball team is aiming for its second straight trip to the California Community College Athletic Association State Championships.
But a tough El Camino squad stands in IVC's way tonight in one of two Southern California Regional Final matches.
Irvine Valley, seeded first, takes on No. 4 El Camino at 6 p.m. at Irvine Valley.
No. 2 Grossmont hosts third-seeded Cypress in the other So. Cal. Regional Final tonight.
Irvine Valley is undefeated on the year with an overall record of 23-0.
IVC, which finished third in the state last season, won its second straight Orange Empire Conference title and finished a second straight unbeaten conference schedule.
The Lasers are led by sophomore All-American Annie Mitchem. Mitchem, a 6-2 middle blocker, is the reigning AVCA 2-Year National Player of the Year.
She leads the state in hitting percentage at .509, is sixth in blocks per set at 1.19 and 14th in kills per set at 4.10.
Mitchem, who has signed with the University of Hawaii, has had double figure kills in 17 matches this season with a season-high of 19 in IVC sweeps of Canyons and San Diego City.
IVC sophomore setter Hailey Jones leads the state in assists per set at 11.50.
Sophomore outside hitter Marisa Doran averages 3.41 kills and 2.66 digs and is hitting .337, freshman opposite Juju Cannon averages 2.10 kills and is hitting .305, sophomore outside hitter Kobi Pekich averages 2.12 kills and 2.65 digs and freshman middle blocker Hannah Matt is averaging 1.62 kills and is hitting .423.
Irvine Valley is hitting .358 as a team on the year.
IVC has yet to drop a set at home this year, sweeping all 12 of its opponents in Hart Gymnasium.
The latest sweep was a hard fought one.
IVC pulled through in a 26-24, 25-18, 25-17 win over No. 9 College of the Canyons on Saturday night in the second round.
Mitchem powered 15 kills while Doran added seven kills and 12 digs.
Cannon contributed a season-high 10 kills and Pekich picked up nine kills with eight digs.
In the opening set, COC fought back from an 18‐12 deficit and forced extra points at 24‐24. But then Mitchem had a kill and Jones used a tip-winner to end the set.
IVC trailed, 17-11, in the second set, but scored 12 unanswered points behind the serving of Doran to take control.
And IVC cruised in set three, finishing the match with a Doran kill on an overpass.
The Lasers have lost just four sets total on the year and two of those came against nationally ranked NAIA Concordia in the season opener.
El Camino, seeded 4th in the So. Cal. Regional Playoffs, defeated No. 5 Golden West, 25-18, 25-18, 24-26, 25-23, in the second round Saturday at home.
The South Coast Conference champion Warriors ran their winning streak to 16 in a row and moved into a regional final for the first time since 2001.
Golden West used sharp serving in set three to send it to the fourth set. El Camino responded by getting back to a consistent passing and hitting attack to clinch the match.
All‐American middle blocker Kim Haney pounded 14 kills (.444) and added four blocks for El Camino. ECC also relied on its outside hitter trio of Nickeisha Williams (16 kills and seven blocks), Darlene Lee (15 kills and 17 digs) and Nicole Echeverri (nine kills and 11 digs).
Setter Sadie Fraker totaled 56 assists. And Laynie Thompson contributed eight kills and five blocks.
On the season, Haney averages 3.5 kills and 0.79 blocks per set, Williams averages, 3.01 kills, 1.63 digs and 1.00 blocks per set, Echeverri averages 2.90 kills and 3.10 blocks per set and Lee is averaging 2.41 kills and 4.45 digs per set.
Fraker averages 11.33 assists per set, which ranks second in the state, and 2.33 digs per set.
El Camino is hitting .281 as a team.
The Warriors' two losses this season both came at the hands of Cypress – the first time in five sets and then in four sets.
El Camino and Irvine Valley last played in 2012 and it was also a playoff match. El Camino defeated Irvine Valley in five sets at home.
