After defeating visiting No. 14 Golden West College in the first round of the California Community College Athletic Association Southern California Regional Playoffs, No. 3 College of the Canyons is one win away from writing a new chapter in its program history.

Canyons has reached the state tournament twice (2007 and 2015), but a victory over No. 11 El Camino College on Saturday would afford the Cougars an opportunity to build on that legacy of success.

COC second-year head coach Clay Timmons recognizes that this year’s team has achieved its goals with contributions and leadership coming from a variety of sources.

“With this team, leadership has come from different people depending on what match it is,” said Timmons. “We get leadership in many ways.”

Sophomore setter Rachel Perez is a quiet leader who shows the way by example. She has dished out 1,087 assists for the season, and her 10.98 assists per set is good for second in the state of California. She has led a balanced and diverse offense that is currently ranked ninth in the state in hitting efficiency at .287. Only five players across the state have surpassed the century mark in kills for the season.

However, there is no doubt that sophomore Emily Burns is the go-to hitter at all times. She has recorded an astounding 478 kills on the year which leads the state, and her 4.69 kills per set ranks fourth.

“Burns will get loud and she will cheer [her teammates] on, and she definitely lights up the crowd with her swings,” Timmons said. “I also see a lot (of leadership) coming from Demi.”

It’s rare to see a team’s libero take on a leadership role as her primary responsibilities revolve around passing and defense, but sophomore Demi Dawson has been up to the challenge this year. She has racked up a team-high 372 digs on the season to go along with 71 aces. At 0.75 aces per set, she ranks amongst the top-10 in the state.

Yet another player that has shown important leadership qualities is freshman Caroline Page who has made a seamless transition from defensive player to outside hitter this year. She has tallied 228 kills to go along with 262 digs this season. Timmons acknowledges the leadership she has brought to the court.

“She was an experienced, high-level, high school and club player and we’ve seen some leadership from her here, even as a freshman.”

In a sport that leans so heavily on teamwork and communication, it seems the Cougars have found a balance that works for them.

“It comes from different places,” Timmons repeated. “Everybody firmly knows their role on the team, that is what has allowed us kind of roll through the end of the season and into the playoffs.

The Cougars also have some extra incentive for reaching the state championship tournament, coming in the form of Timmons’ trademark beard.

The beard has long been a source of laughter (and heartache) for his players. There is no mistaking the COC head coach as his facial hair reaches down to his chest. However, the players will get to see Timmons shave off that beard if they reach the state championship, an incentive that the head coach added to the mix early in the year.

“I started growing the beard at the beginning of last season, so most of these players have only known me with a beard, and most of them despise it,” Timmons joked. “Although small, the motivation has always been there to see what Clay looks like without one.”

Now just one win stands in the way.

The Cougars will face a familiar opponent in an El Camino (20-4, 7-1) team that finished as co-champions of the South Coast Conference, South Division, sharing that title with Long Beach City College (18-4, 6-1). The championship was the program’s eighth straight.

The two programs most recently met in the opening round of the annual El Camino Tri-Tourney on Sept. 15. In that match the Warriors emerged with a 3-2 (25-22, 23-25, 24-26, 25-21, 15-13) victory over the Cougars.

Additionally, Canyons and ECC have met in five of the last six seasons, with the Warriors posting a 4-1 record along the way.

The Warriors upset No. 6 Bakersfield College (19-6, 7-1) with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-14, 25-21) sweep in their opening round playoff match. ECC has won nine straight, and 14 of its last 16, matches to set up Saturday’s playoff duel. El Camino head coach Liz Hazell and the Warriors posted an 8-2 road record on the season.

No. 3 Canyons and No. 11 El Camino will take the court at 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25, in the Cougar Cage. General admission tickets are $12 and $8 for students, staff, children under 12 and seniors over 60 (cash only).

The 2017 CCCAA Women’s Volleyball State Championship will be held Dec. 1-3 at Solano Community College in Fairfield, Calif. The eight-team tourney will include four qualifiers from both the Northern California and Southern California regions.

Stay up to date on all this season’s action by following the College of the Canyons Athletic department on social media at @COCathletics on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

— Brandon Johnson/COC Sports Information

— Photo credit: Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information