Mt. San Antonio wins 1st South Coast Beach Volleyball Crown

April 22, 2023

WALNUT - Mt. San Antonio College became the third different school to win a South Coast Conference beach volleyball title in the short history of the sport after completing an undefeated 8-0 run on Friday. The Mounties defeated Rio Hondo, 4-1, and blanked Cerritos' club team, 5-0, in their final regular season matches played at their on-campus sand courts.

Overall, Mt. SAC is on a 20-match win streak, and 22-1 overall. The Mounties are led by the #1 pair of Riley Degroot and Paige Gutowski, who scored a 21-14, 21-17 win over RHC's pair of Nadine Oronoz and Faith Lee. The second pairing of Alison Whiteman-Bristol Christelman went three sets to get by Faith Wada-Jade Fuentes, 21-18, 8-21, 15-11.

Mt. SAC's only loss this year was all the way back on Feb. 10, 3-2, against Orange Empire Conference Western Division champion Orange Coast.

Rio Hondo (15-4), the third place finisher in SCC play at 4-4, scored its win at #3 as Denisse Sanchez-Madison Mader edged Angelina Burton-Riannel Arevalo, 21-17, 18-21, 15-11.

El Camino (15-5), the 2022 conference champions placed second this year, at 5-3. The Warriors edged 2018-2019 champs Long Beach City, 3-2, and swept Desert, 5-0, as they closed out SCC play on a 3-match win streak. Long Beach (14-6) took fourth in the conference duals at 3-5.

ECC's #1 pair of Diana Enriquez and Leafa Juarez swept LBCC's top pair of Jennifer Lias-Lizbeth Lopez, 21-19, 21-12. The Vikings' #2 got by ECC's pair of Emily Uhrinak-Fracheska Aguilar, 21-16, 16-21, 16-14 in a match that took extra points in the third set. A key win was scored at #3 by Ginia Goods-Bridget Door over Caleyse Sanders-Emma Pearson, 21-14, 21-17.

Desert finished in fifth in the 5-team SCC (six next year with the official addition of Cerritos) at 7-15 overall and 0-8 in SCC play. The Roadrunners have a strong top duo in Grace Abrams and Katie Alexander.

The SCC Pairs Championships take place April 28-29 at Long Beach City College.

(Release by Robert Lewis, SCC Sports Information Director)