The College of the Canyons women’s volleyball program will begin the 2017 season by competing in the third annual Pierce College Kickoff Classic, running August 25-26 in Woodland Hills.

Canyons is scheduled to begin tournament play vs. Golden West College at noon on Friday.

The Cougars will return six players from last year’s squad, which finished the 2016 campaign with a 19-6 overall record and second place in the Western State Conference (WSC), South Division.

COC also clinched a postseason berth for the fourth consecutive season before falling in the opening round of the CCCAA Southern California Regional Playoffs.

Returning in 2017 will be outside hitters Emily Burns and Mykhala Stillings, setter Rachel Perez , middle blocker Morgan Ferguson and defensive specialists Demi Dawson and Kelsey Strong.

Burns (300 kills, 29 aces, 101 digs) earned All-WSC First-Team honors as a freshman, while Perez (778 assists, 31 aces, 121 digs) and Ferguson (59 kills, 75 assists, 11 blocks) were both named to the All-WSC Second Team. Dawson (44 aces, 199 digs) was named an Honorable Mention honoree.

COC head coach Clay Timmons begins his second season at the helm, and 13th season overall, with longtime assistant Nate Sparks also back for his sixth season with the program.

After this weekend’s season-opener Canyons will travel to Irvine Valley College on Friday, Sept. 1.

The Cougars will then host San Diego Mesa College in the team’s home opener at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 6.

Admission to all COC women’s volleyball home games is FREE. Contests are held in the Cougar Cage, located in the West P.E. gymnasium on the college’s Valencia campus. A full 2017 schedule can be found here.