Volleyball: December 2011 Archives

Led by 18 kills from Birmingham graduate Danetta Boykin, the Pierce College women's volleyball team defeated Santa Rosa 25-19, 25-21, 26-24 in the California Community College Athletic Association state final Sunday at Shasta College in Redding to repeat as champion.

Boykin finished with 62 kills in three state matches to secure MVP honors, leading four Pierce athletes honored on the all-tournament team, along with Taft graduate Jasmine Levi (eight kills, six blocks), former Newbury Park standout Veronika Ban (nine kills, 11 digs) and Sakurako Fujii (12 kills, eight digs).

West Ranch graduate Janelle Futch added 47 assists, nine digs and five blocks for Pierce (33-0), which became only the fifth team in state history to win back-to-back titles.

The Brahmas, who received 13 digs from Valencia graduate Brooke Dawson, are the first team to complete an undefeated season since Orange Coast in 2005 and the first to repeat as champion since El Camino in 2007 and '08.

For the third time in a nine-day span, the Pierce College women's volleyball team rallied for a five-game victory, this time overcoming a two-game deficit against El Camino College in the winner's-bracket final of the California Community College Athletic Association state tournament Sunday to prevail 19-25, 15-25, 25-22, 25-20, 15-9 at Shasta College in Redding.

Led by 21 kills from Birmingham graduate Danetta Boykin, the top-seeded Brahmas (32-0) returned to the state final and will take on El Camino (25-3) or Santa Rosa (29-3) at approximately 3:30 p.m. Sunday.

Newbury Park graduate Veronika Ban added 12 kills, 12 digs and eight blocks for Pierce, which is looking to become just the fifth team in the tournament's 35-year history to win back-to-back titles. El Camino was the last team to do so in 2007 and '08.

Former West Ranch standout Janelle Futch contributed 46 assists, five digs and four aces and quickly recovered from a sore ankle after landing awkwardly late in the fourth game to cap Pierce's comeback in the fifth by winning a joust at the net on match point.

Sakurako Fujii had 12 kills and seven digs, with Taft graduate Jasmine Levi recording seven kills and five blocks for the Brahmas, who overcame two games-to-one deficits Nov. 26 against Orange Coast in a second-round regional match and again Saturday against Santa Rosa in its semifinal match.