Leading the match 2-1, the Rio Hondo College women's volleyball team couldn't close out visiting Pasadena City College in its first-ever South Coast Conference match as the Lancers rallied for a five-set victory in Whittier on Friday night.
Pasadena took the opener 25-22 before the Roadrunners came alive to take the next two sets at 25-19. But Pasadena outlasted Rio Hondo 26-24 in the fourth set and erased a 13-6 Roadrunner advantage in the fifth to win 15-13. It was Rio Hondo's its first five-set loss of the season after pulling out its previous two.
Despite the loss, the Rio Hondo offense was efficient by hitting .320 for the match. Leading the way for the Roadrunners was freshman Michelle Rosas. She hit an impressive .542 on the night as she slammed home 14 kills on 24 attempts with just one error.
Sophomore Paula Alferez had 12 kills on 22 attempts with one error for a .500 hitting percentage. She also added nine digs and two aces. Freshman Bree Newton chipped in with 10 kills and two blocks while sophomore Erika Mendoza had nine kills and a team-high three blocks. From the setter position, sophomores Tanya Metchkoff and Haley Brownwood both totaled 22 assists.
For Pasadena (8-5, 1-0 SCC), Rayleen Rivera and Paige Clingaman both had 14 kills.
With the loss, Rio Hondo fell to 5-5 overall and 0-1 in conference play. The Roadrunners look to earn their first South Coast Conference win on Wednesday (Sept. 28) when they travel to East Los Angeles College for a 6 p.m. match.
