Six Cougars Earn All-WSC Accolades

By Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information Director

College of the Canyons had six players earn All-Western State Conference (WSC), South Division accolades, celebrating the achievements of a program that finished second in the conference standings but advanced all the way to the CCCAA State Championship tournament.

COC sophomore outside hitter/opposite Caitlin Liebe and setter Abby Sherman were selected al All-WSC First-Team members.

Liebe led the team and ranked third in the WSC, South with 247 kills, a rate of 2.55 kills per set. She played in all 27 matches for the Cougars and finished the year with 38 total blocks, good for second on the squad and 38th in the conference.

Sherman was third in the conference with 541 assists to go with a conference-leading 68 aces. Her ace total was also tied for the state's No. 4 mark. Those numbers came despite the Cougars employing a rotation that featured three setters seeing significant time on the floor. The freshman led the Cougars with 252 digs, also the conference's sixth-best total.

Sophomore outside hitter/opposite Damani Harvey and freshman libero Rhiannon Boddy were both All-WSC Second-Team honorees.

Harvey was every bit the offensive threat as her counterpart Liebe, finishing second on the team with 241 kills. She added 22 aces, 24 total blocks and 147 to her season stat line and led the Cougars with 277 points on the season.

Boddy appeared in 61 sets across 20 matches, with 27 aces, 45 assists, and 177 digs. Her season dig total ranked third on the team, while her 2.9 digs per set was the top mark.

Sophomore middle blocker Breanna Kelley and freshman outside hitter/opposite Jacqueline Ibarra were both named All-WSC Honorable Mention. 

Kelley finished the year with totals of 130 kills, four aces and 37 total blocks. She hit .385 across 93 sets to finish third on the team and ranked fourth with 156 points.

Ibarra recorded 165 kills, 15 total blocks and four aces to finish third on the team with 178 points. She recorded double-digit kill totals in five matches. 

Canyons (16-12), which started the season 2-8, won its final seven regular season games to get into the Southern California Regional Playoffs as the No. 15 seed. The Cougars were second in the Western State Conference, South Division with a 10-2 mark behind Bakersfield College at 12-0.

The Cougars recorded three postseason wins to advance to the CCCAA State Championship Tournament for the fourth time in program history.

Playing as the South No. 4 seed at the state tourney, Canyons saw its season come to an end at the hands of North No. 1 seed Feather River College on opening night.

The Cougars finished the year as the No. 8 ranked team in the state according to the final CCCWVCA statewide rankings released Dec. 6.

Stay up to date on all this season's action by following the College of the Canyons Athletic department on social media at @COCathletics on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. 

—Photo by Mari Kneisel/COC Sports Information