Tigers Reach State Championship Game versus Undefeated Fullerton Saturday
SACRAMENTO -- Reaching the state championship game for the fourth time in the last five seasons, the Riverside City College (RCC) Tigers women's water polo team will be seeking its fifth state championship when it faces the undefeated Fullerton College (FC) Hornets on Saturday, Nov. 22, at 1 p.m.
The 2014 California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Women's Water Polo Championships are being hosted by American River College (ARC) this weekend.
Riverside (27-5 overall), the 2013 state runner-up and South No. 2 seed, advanced to the state championship final for the second consecutive season with a 12-8 win over the North No. 1-seeded (and heretofore undefeated) Diablo Valley College (DVC) Vikings (25-1 overall).
Undefeated and South No. 1 seed Fullerton (34-0) dispatched the North No. 2-seeded Foothill College Owls (18-8 overall), 13-5, to earn the opportunity to face the Tigers on Saturday. All five of RCC's losses this season have been to Fullerton.
On Saturday, Riverside will face Fullerton at 1 p.m. after Foothill meets Diablo Valley in the third-place game at 9 a.m. In its only previous state championships appearance, Fullerton was runner-up in 2012 when it lost to then state champion Golden West.
Diablo Valley is making its eighth appearance and has finished as high as third four times (tie in 2004, tie in 2005, 2006, 2011). Foothill is making its seventh appearance and finished as high as third in 2012.
The Tigers had a slow start, trailing, 2-0, in the first quarter, but rallied to tie the game, 3-3, at the end of the quarter and then take a 6-5 lead into halftime. The third quarter was all Tigers as RCC outscored DVC, 5-2, and then cruised in for a 12-8 victory.
The Tigers were led by sophomore Nikki Bell (Riverside / M.L. King '13), who is pictured, with seven goals. Sophomore center Alia McMorris (Riverside / M.L. King '13) added three goals. Alannah Parret and Melissa Woody each scored one goal while sophomore goalie Katia Montoya (Riverside / M.L. King '13) had six saves.
Riverside is making its twelfth state championships appearance and has won the state crown four times (2005, 2007, 2010, 2011), has been runner-up four times (1999, 2001, 2006, 2013) and has finished in third place three times (2004, 2008, 2009) since the women's water polo state championships were initiated with the 1996 campaign.
Second-year RCC head women's water polo coach Doug Finfrock (UC Irvine '03) was a goaltender for RCC men's water polo (1999 & 2000). He was a first team all-Orange Empire Conference (OEC) selection and second team all-America honoree in 1999. In 2000, he was a first team all-OEC pick, first team all-Southern California selection, and garnered first team all-America kudos.
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http://www.cccaasports.org/sports/wwaterpolo/composite - Women
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