PC snubbed from playoffs, notches 2 1st-teamers
The Porterville College Pirates’ volleyball squad and its coach Dale Henderson experienced a rather bittersweet weekend.
The good news is that three Pirate players earned themselves a spot on the All-Conference teams in the Central Valley Conference.
Outside hitter Jessica Hernandez and middle blocker Olga Velasquez joined the First-Team All-Conference while setter Laura Lopez was named to the second team.
Hernandez, a sophomore, finished the season with 224 kills and 245 digs. Velasquez, a freshman, led the team with 250 kills and finished with a conference-high 69 blocks.
Lopez, also a freshman, led the team with 769 assists, good enough for ninth place in the state among community colleges. She also led in serves 314 serves, including 40 aces.
Middle blocker Jennifer Gliddon and libero Gabby Pino also earned honorable mention. Gliddon had 86 kills and 30 blocks while Pino added a team-high 247 digs.
The bad news, however, is that the Pirates were snubbed out of the playoffs this year. After finishing third in the conference with an 8-6 record, the Pirates understood they had earned a trip to the postseason.
Instead, one of the other NorCal conferences sent four teams, leaving the CVC with Fresno City College and Taft as the only two to qualify.
