SMCC Women's Volleyball Continues Season with Win over Phoenix College

PHOENIX ---

The South Mountain Community College women's volleyball team (4-14, 2-7 ACCAC) played three matches last week, falling 3-2 at Central Arizona on Sept. 24, defeating Phoenix College 3-2 on the road on Sept. 25, and falling 3-1 to nationally ranked Scottsdale CC at home on Sept. 27. Freshman Bailee Baca recorded a double-double in all three matches, the first three of her SMCC career, while sophomores Rylea Simonich and Ayanna Rae LeBlanc added 19 and 12 kills, respectively, to help lift the Cougars past the Bears.

Central Arizona Recap

The Cougars and Vaqueras battled in a five-set thriller that ultimately went to the hosts: 20-25, 25-27, 25-22, 25-16, 16-14. 

SMCC hit .194 for the match, totaling 55 kills on 170 attacks. The Cougars added 51 assists, 12 service aces, 69 digs, two solo blocks, and 26 block assists. 

Simonich led SMCC with 15 kills and added 11 digs for her ninth double-double. She added four service aces, one assist, and two block assists over the five sets. 

Sophomore Savannah Collings posted a season-high 13 kills in the contest, hitting .400 on 25 swings. She added five block assists and a solo stuff. 

Baca had 11 kills on 45 attacks for a .178 hitting percentage. She added 10 digs for her first double-double of the year and had two block assists and an assist. 

LeBlanc added eight kills, eight block assists, four service aces, three digs, and an assist, while Alyssa Szymanski, Abby Kilpatrick, and Hope Williamson had two kills apiece. 

Williamson led SMCC with 31 assists and added 10 digs to record her fifth double-double of the year. Sophomore Mikelle McAfee had a team-high 29 digs and added three assists and a service ace.  

Phoenix College Recap

The Cougars rallied from a 1-0 deficit to defeat the Bears 3-2 and pick up their second conference win of the year: 25-27, 25-17, 25-14, 22-25, 15-10. 

SMCC finished with 53 kills and hit .169 in 177 swings. The Cougars added 48 assists, 11 service aces, 76 digs, two solo blocks, and 28 block assists in the win. 

Simonich led the charge offensively, totaling 19 kills on 66 attacks for a .182 hitting percentage. She added 15 digs, five block assists, four service aces, and one assist. 

Baca set a new season high with 14 kills on 37 attacks for a .216 hitting percentage. She added 12 digs, one solo block, two block assists, and a service ace. 

LeBlanc was the third Cougar to finish with double-figure kills, posting 12 on 26 attacks for a .423 hitting percentage. She set a new season high with 10 block assists and added five digs and a solo stuff. 

Sophomore Raegan Moran led SMCC with a season-high 32 assists and added three service aces, two kills, and nine digs. Williamson finished with four kills, 11 assists, seven digs and two block assists.

McAfee had a team-high 26 digs to go with four assists and three service aces. 

Scottsdale CC Recap

The Cougars fell in three sets to No. 9 Scottsdale CC on Sept. 27: 25-19, 25-21, 19-25, and 21-14. SMCC hit .344 with 15 kills, holding SCC to a negative hitting percentage in its third-set win. 

In the defeat, SMCC had 51 kills, 47 assists, five service aces, 63 digs, one solo block, and four block assists. 

Simonich led SMCC with 16 kills on 39 attacks for a .256 hitting percentage. She also had nine digs. 

Baca's third double-double of the week resulted from 13 kills and 12 digs. She added one assist and one block assist. 

Szymanski had seven kills on 11 attacks for a .545 hitting percentage, and LeBlanc added seven kills, two service aces, and two block assists. 

Freshman Zariah Brown had three kills, and Williamson and Moran each had a pair. Williamson led SMCC with 22 assists and added six digs, three service aces, and a block assist, while Moran had 18 assists and nine digs. 

McAfee led SMCC with 17 digs, and sophomore Helen Altagracia matched a season-high with 10. McAfee added five assists.