COD Volleyball has claimed the #19 seed and will be participating in their first playoff game since 2007, traveling to the #14 Rio Hondo Roadrunners of Whittier in the opening round of the SoCal Regional playoffs.

The game will take at the Rio Hondo College Gym in the city of Whittier this Saturday, November 19 at 6 p.m. The address for Rio Hondo College is 3600 Workman Mill Rd, Whittier, CA 90601.

State Playoffs Ticket Prices are as follows: General Admission is $12. Faculty, Staff, Children Under 12, Adults 60+ & Students w/ Valid A.S. card are $8. There are no guest passes allowed.

Tickets will be available for cash only transactions at the venue, no advanced online purchases or digital/credit card transactions will be available.

Since helming the program in 2015, Detlev Rothe has secured the Roadrunners best Conference finish under his leadership. The #19 seeded Roadrunners Volleyball team ended the 2022 season claiming their first Inland Empire Athletic Conference (IEAC) Championship and first Conference title for Desert Volleyball since 2007.

The Roadrunners finished the regular season, with a 15-8 overall record and a 10-0 conference record, wrapping up the regular season winning or tying 13 of their final 16 games. They were rewarded with the 19 seed in the Southern California Regional Playoffs.

Desert was most recently in the playoffs in the 2007 season entering the Southern California Regional's as the 14th seed, Desert fell to perennial State Title contender, the #3 Golden West Rustlers of Huntington Beach in the first round of Regional's, 3-0 (30-16, 31-29, 30-14).

Desert will face off with a Rio Hondo Roadrunners of Whittier team that finished the regular season with a record of 13-6, Rio Hondo ended the 2022 season in 2nd place the South Coast Conference (SCC) with a record of 9-3. Rio Hondo started the season 6-4 and have one loss in their last 8 games.

Rio Hondo finished the 2021 season in 6th place the SCC with a record of 6-11, with an overall record of 8-16. Rio Hondo was most recently in the playoffs in the 2019 season entering the Southern California Regional's as the 15th seed, Rio Hondo was upset by #18 San Diego City in the play-in round of Regional's, 3-1. Rio Hondo is coached by Teddi Esko in her 20th season.

Desert and Rio Hondo have played each other 59 times since 1984, the most recent time being on October 26, 2022, Rio Hondo won, 3-1 (25-23, 25-18, 20-25, 25-17). Prior to this year's contest, you would have to go all the way back to 2017 for the last time these two teams faced one another. Desert and Rio Hondo were in the same Conference from 1988 until 2015, the old Foothill Conference. Desert holds a 39-20 overall record advantage, plus a 17-11 record in Whittier.

The winner of Saturday's first-round contest will advance to travel to the #3 seeded Moorpark Raiders on Tuesday (Nov. 22) for the Regional Semifinals. The top 12 seeds were given a first-round bye. The SoCal Regional Championship will take place on Saturday, November 26. Three wins are needed to advance to the CCCAA Volleyball State Championship on Dec. 2 & Dec. 4 at Fresno City College.

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For additional information, please contact the COD Sports Information Office at 760.423.6641.

Information, Photo & Story provided by COD Sports Information.