Canyons Volleyball Returns to Cougar Cage Aug. 29

A year after making a run to the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) State Championship Tournament, College of the Canyons women's volleyball returns to the Cougar Cage on Aug. 29 in the 2018 season opener.

COC head coach Clay Timmons and the Cougars are set to host Glendale College at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 31, in the first of four straight home games to open the season.

Canyons will also host Santa Monica, Irvine Valley and Long Beach City College during the home stand which runs through Sept. 12.

The Cougars then play in back-to-back tournaments, first heading to El Camino College Sept. 14, and then traveling south to play in a tourney hosted by San Diego Mesa College on Sept. 21.

Conference play opens on Oct. 3 on the road vs. West L.A. College, with the Cougars once again competing in the Western State Conference (WSC), South Division.

A full 2018 schedule is here.

All games are held at the COC Cougar Cage located in the college's West Physical Education building, on the north end of the Valencia campus.

Admission to all COC women's volleyball games is free.

A Look Back: 2017 Cougar Women's Volleyball

For the third time in program history, the College of the Canyons women's volleyball program qualified to compete at the CCCAA State Championship Tournament. The Cougars finished the regular season with an overall record of 25-6 and 7-1 in conference play to share a co-Western State Conference (WSC), South Division championship with Bakersfield College. The title was the program's fourth in the last five years (2013, 2014, 2015, 2017). 

COC also saw seven players earn all-conference honors highlighted by 2017 Player of the Year Emily Burns. The sophomore, who was also named to the All-State team, became just the sixth player in program history to take home POY honors. Burns finished the season with a combined 502 kills through 31 matches, to rank second in the state. Her mark of 4.61 kills per set also ranked fifth in the state. She also ranked seventh in California with 67 aces. 

COC rolled through the first two rounds of the postseason with victories over Golden West and El Camino College.

At the State Championship tourney, Canyons swept Feather River College 3-0 (25-16, 26-24, 25-20) in its opening match.

However, COC finished just short of reaching its first state tourney championship game when the Cougars lost to eventual state champs Irvine Valley College in a heartbreaking 3-2 (19-25, 25-13, 26-28, 25-23, 14-16) final result. COC freshman Caroline Page earned an all-tournament selection for the Cougars, who finished tied for third in state to equal the best finish in program history.

At season's end Burns committed to continue her playing career at San Diego State University, while Page departed for CSU, Northridge.

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.