Six Members Of PCC's "Perfect 18" Volleyball Team Playing At Next Level

Always remembered for its historical achievement for the most victories ever recorded in order to win the South Coast Conference championship--a perfect 18-0, the 2021 Pasadena City College women's volleyball team produced a talented crop of student-athletes now headed to 4-year universities.

Six Lancers from that squad will be playing at the next level while two others will also continue only on their academic path at universities.

AVCA All-American and 2-time All-South Coast Conference First Team selection Nalani Young is headed to NCAA Division 3 University of La Verne. Young was recently named PCC Women's Athlete of the Year for 2021-22 and she was an instrumental leader in helping PCC finish 23-2 overall and a #5 spot in the final regular season CCCWVCA State Top 25 rankings.

An outside hitter from Duarte High, Young became the first All-American selection in the history of PCC women's volleyball as a pick to the national Third Team as well as being named All-State. 

As a freshman in 2019, Young was the first Lancer to ever reach 300 kills and 300 digs in a single season. She leaves PCC by becoming the first PCC player to have more than 500 kills and 600 digs over a 2-season span. Young carried a solid 3.3 GPA in the classroom.

All-SCC First Team middle blocker Monet Latunde is the squad's lone D1 commit as she landed at Siena College (New York). Latunde, from Arcadia High, recorded 47 blocks, a 1.54 kills average and a team-best .292 attack mark and has three years of eligibility to play for the Saints.

All-SCC First Team opposite/middle blocker Camila Sanchez-Tellez signed with D2 Cal State Dominguez Hills. From Burbank's Burroughs High, Sanchez-Tellez also will join CSDH as a sophomore after a brilliant frosh season with PCC. She was the SCC Tournament MVP and averaged a team-best 2.68 kills per set along with an efficient .272 hitting percentage. She added 44 blocks and 51 digs. Sanchez-Tellez recently earned a PCC Jensen Scholarship with a 3.4 GPA.

#5 Sanchez-Tellez (not in signing photo) 

All-SCC Second Team libero Kei'ana Pascua will attend and play at NAIA San Diego Christian College. As is the case for many student-athletes from the 2021 class who were unable to play at the community college level during the lost 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pascua (Oak Hills High) takes her skills as a backrow talent to the university level after just the one season for the Lancers. She averaged 3.5 digs and served 37 aces.

Two-year letterman libero/defensive specialist Saku Yoshioka transfers to D3 University of Redlands. Yoshioka (Glendale High), a member of the 2019 Lancers as well as the '21 squad, totaled 399 digs and was one of the more outstanding servers in recent volleyball history with 101 aces, leading the squad in the offensive category both seasons. 

Outside hitter/opposite Verenice Gonzalez accepted an offer to play at NAIA La Sierra University (Riverside) after a single season on the PCC roster. Gonzalez (Huntington Park High) stepped in as a valuable utility player, averaging 1.3 kills to go with 27 digs, 23 aces and 15 blocks. 

"This group has left its mark on our program," said PCC head coach Mike Terrill. "They have all earned it on the court, but more importantly, maintained excellence in the classroom. It's a special feeling to have so many athletes moving on this year and we couldn't be more proud. While there is work to be done on their journey, the validation from earning a spot at the next level is a big motivator and I am very confident they'll all achieve success.  I think this group will be remembered at PCC for a long time."

Concluding a 2-year community college playing career for PCC, All-SCC Second Team middle blocker Paulina Lopez (South Hills High) has decided to hang up her volleyball sneakers as she continues her goal for a university degree at San Francisco State. Annie Lay, who earned a 4.0 GPA, is also sticking to academics as she will attend UCLA. Lay was a 2-sport athlete at PCC as she also played on the '21-22 women's basketball team. From Colusa High, Lay was a solid setter in Terrill's rotation. 

Young, Yoshioka and Lopez were the only sophomores on the PCC '21 roster as all three matriculate.