The Pasadena City College women's badminton team ran into a buzzsaw named City College of San Francisco's Kelly Yau Barria and the Rams sophomore was the difference in the Lancers falling in the 3C2A State Championship team final, 12-7, at Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium on Thursday night.
The 3-hour long match was PCC's sixth state championship final appearance in the last seven championships, but only two have gone the Lancers way when they won back-to-back crowns in 2017 and 2018.
San Francisco won the battle of unbeatens in finishing a perfect 13-0 while the Lancers settle for a 12-1 overall team finish.
Barria, the North Region's top player, scored large singles wins over PCC's #1 Rhea Zou and #2 Anh Vu Nguyen Tran and teamed with partner Jacqueline Leong to win two doubles matches.
In the title clinching match, they got past Zou-Tran but the Lancers' 21-16, 21-14 defeat featured many long rallies. At one point Zou-Tran was tied 14-14 in the second set before the Rams duo pulled away.
The biggest highlight of the night for the Lancers was an inspiring rally from a set down to send the match into the fourth round by #5 player My Linh Ly, who scored a 17-21, 21-18, 21-11 victory over CCSF's #5 Yuchu Huang. Ly won both her singles matches.
Another player who played well was Tran, who scored an exciting sweep over CCSF #2 Carolyn Nguyen, 23-19, 23-21. She also teamed with Zou to win in doubles over Nguyen-Huang, 21-12, 21-4.
Uyen Banh played two marathon matches at #4 singles, rallying past #3 Leong, 12-21, 21-12, 24-22, before losing a tough one v. #4 Isabella Li, 22-20, 19-21, 21-15. Sophie Chao picked up a win in No. 6 singles.
PCC head coach Jennifer Ho talked about her feelings following her team's loss.
"To get seven points was a huge effort by us," Ho said. "We had our chances but there was no question that Barria was the big difference. We showed a lot of heart and I am so pleased that we pushed San Francisco into the final round. I am hugely proud of how our players fought hard in so many of the matches."
My Linh Ly in action
BOX SCORE
CC SAN FRANCISCO 12, PASADENA CC 7
SINGLES, ROUND 1
#1 Kelly Yau Barria (SF) d. #2 Anh Vu Nguyen Tran (PCC), 21-10, 21-10
#2 Carolyn Nguyen (SF) d. #1 Rhea Zou (PCC), 21-14, 22-20
#4 Uyen Banh (PCC) d. #3 Jacqueline Leong (SF), 12-21, 21-12, 24-22
#4 Isabella Li (SF) d. #3 Janet Diec (PCC), 21-14, 21-11
#5 My Linh Ly (PCC) d. #6 Zoe Tao (SF), 21-11, 21-6
#5 Yuchu Huang (SF) d. #6 Sophie Chao (PCC), 21-9, 23-21
DOUBLES. ROUND 1
#1 Zou-Tran (PCC) d. #2 Nguyen-Huang (SF), 21-12, 21-4
#1 Barria-Leong (SF) d. #2 Banh-Diec, 21-15, 21-14
#3 Li-Kayla Man (SF) d. #3 Ly-Chao, 19-21, 21-17, 21-15
SINGLES, ROUND 2
Barria (SF) d. Zou (PCC), 21-5, 21-5
Tran (PCC) d. Nguyen (SF), 23-21, 21-19
Leong (SF) d Diec (PCC), 21-9, 21-8
Li (SF) d. Banh (PCC), 22-20, 19-21, 21-15
Ly (PCC) v. Huang (SF), 17-21, 21-18, 21-11
Chao (PCC) d. Tao (SF), 21-8, 21-23
DOUBLES, ROUND 2
Barria-Leong d. Zou-Tran, 21-16, 21-14
PCC State Runner-Up Women's Badminton Team
