LA VERNE, CA — The University of La Verne Volleyball team will host the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens in the Southern California Intercollegiate Atheltic Conference (SCIAC) Postseason Tournament Semifinals this Thursday, November 9, at 7 p.m.

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The game will be streamed online on the SCIAC network free of charge. Tickets are available for purchase in advance for $8 online or can be purchased at the door with cash for $10. SCIAC students, faculty, and staff with institutional ID and children under 12 are free. 

It will be a "White Out" for the Leopards. All La Verne supporters are encouraged to wear white to the game.

The Leopards enter the matchup as the No. 19 ranked team in the country and the No. 2 seed in the SCIAC tournament after ending the regular season 22-3 overall with a 13-3 conference record. The Sagehens enter as the No. 3 seed at 16-11 overall with a 12-4 finish in the SCIAC.

La Verne and Pomona-Pitzer played twice this season, with Sagehens winning both games, 3-1.

The winner of the game will advance to the SCIAC Championship game against the winner of No. 1 seed Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and No. 4 seed Whittier College. The SCIAC Championship game will be played on Saturday, November 11 at 6 p.m., hosted at the highest remaining seed's campus.

"We're excited for the opportunity to play Pomona-Pitzer for a third time this season in the semifinal match. They've been a tough opponent for us to play against and have done a good job of being able to slow down our offense. I feel like we've improved even since the last time we saw them. This should be a great match," said University of La Verne volleyball head coach Jeff Hendershot.

2022 All-American and 2023 SCIAC Offensive Player of the Year Mya Ray will lead the Leopards. The sophomore from Pomona leads the SCIAC with 263 kills in conference play and ranks first with an average of 4.87 kills per set in SCIAC competition. 

Freshmen First Team All-SCIAC recipients Lauren Gott and Malia Capistrano will be relied on for a major offensive impact. The Leopards will also look to their veteran leader and three-time Second Team All-SCIAC honoree, graduate student Ayana Mier for timely kills.

Hendershot and assistant coaches Randi Taylor-Toomay, Mario Meza, and Jack Coberly were named the SCIAC Coaching Staff of the Year after returning La Verne to the national ranks for the first time since 2018. 

The Sagehens will be led by a trio of First Team All-SCIAC recipients, Paige Mountanos, Kellan Hayes, and Corrina Benson.