Fotoohi Comes Up Aces: School-Record 11 Served in Women's VB Win

Prior to Friday night, freshman outside hitter Ariana Fotoohi mostly rooted for her Pasadena City College women's volleyball teammates from the Lancers bench. A reserve, she had played briefly in two matches, and had no actual statistics to show for it. By game's end, Fotoohi had etched her name in the PCC record books, setting a school-record with 11 service aces in the Lancers' home sweep over Los Angeles Trade-Tech..

The Lancers had an easy time in limited the Beavers to single digits in two sets during a 25-6, 25-14, 25-5 victory at Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium. 

The 5-foot-7 Fotoohi, from local Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, took full advantage of her first collegiate start against an inexperienced Beavers team (0-2). PCC improved to 5-8 overall in the South Coast Conference crossover match.

In the opening set, PCC grabbed a sideout at 14-6. It was Footoohi's turn to serve in the rotation. Her jump serve became a Lancers delight. She ended up serving an amazing seven aces and the team never lost that sideout with 11 consecutive points to win the set. In the second set, she notched two more aces at the start of the set during a 6-0 run that made it 8-1. The Lancers scored 16 points on Footoohi's first 16 serves. In 21 serves, all in play, 18 resulted in Lancers points.

Fotoohi tied Janell Currier and Camille Ferguson for team high in kills with six each. She added six digs. Reserve defensive specialist Emily Ahedo served a 9-0 Lancers run to cap the third set win. Ahedo was one of nine PCC players to record an ace with the team totaling 22 overall. Sharon Ohlgisser, a defensive specialist who got a chance to play setter, dished out a team-best 12 assists. 

In a trivia note, LA Trade Tech setter Emiko Powell might have drawn some second looks by PCC fans. Powell had once been a Lancers women's basketball guard in the 2015-16 season. Powell led the Beavers with seven digs.

PCC's victory was the team's first sweep in 13 matches this year. It followed a 3-set loss at state No. 3-ranked El Camino College on Wednesday. In that 25-13, 25-15, 25-23 defeat, Leslie Rivera scored 11 kills while Ferguson and Emily Ramirez each had 11 digs. 

Next Wednesday, Oct. 3, the Lancers open defense of their 2017 South Coast Conference North Division title in the conference opener as they host East Los Angeles College. First serve is 6 p.m.