Preview: Familiar powers back at 3C2A Women's Volleyball State Championships
(WALNUT) -- The North Region comes into this year's 3C2A Women's Volleyball State Championship loaded for bear with three recent state champions and a #1 seed in San Joaquin Delta College, a team that was ranked #1 in the state the entire regular season that is hoping to win its first title. The South? The last champion from the region is back in #4 seed Irvine Valley (2017), but more importantly the region would like to advance a team past the quarterfinals first. Not so sunny SoCal lost all eight quarterfinals matches v. NorCal opponents in both 2021 and 2022.
Overall, the state tourney, hosted this year at Mt. San Antonio College Friday-Sunday, Dec. 1-3, features a field where all eight teams have established success going back several seasons. The schools here are responsible for each of the last six state titles captured since 2016.
The North's field consists of #1 Delta, 2021 state champ #2 Fresno City, defending state champ #3 Feather River, and #4 American River, the only lower seed (at #5) in either region to reach state but with a remarkable streak of now five straight years of making it into the tourney. ARC won a state title as recently as 2018. Including this year, FRC has reached each of the last four state tourneys, winning two of them (the other in 2019). FCC has reached state four of the last five seasons.
The South is led by #1 San Diego Mesa, which made it to state in 2021, #2 Ventura, a strong program the last several seasons but making its first tourney appearance in 23 years, #3 Grossmont, similar to ARC and FRC as it currently owns a 4-year streak now of advancing to the state final eight, and #4 Irvine Valley, a team that advanced to state under a first-year head coach Anna Unke who just happened to play on the last Lasers team to punch a ticket to the dance in 2019. All four were the top seeds going into the South Regionals.
Grossmont, a school that defeated Mesa twice during its undefeated run to a Pacific Coast Athletic Conference title, had to settle for a #3 seed due to the RPI ratings system that values defined win percentages of opponents with better than .500 records in both non-conference and conference play. Mesa ended up playing a stronger non-conference schedule and earned #1 despite its only two defeats of the year v. the perennial nemesis Griffins. However, Grossmont is coming into state on a 20-match win streak, winning 27 consecutive sets, including a sweep over Mesa on Nov. 3.
Interestingly, three of the South head coaches played previously as community college student-athletes at the state tourney in Unke, Grossmont's Brooke Callahan (played at 2014 tourney), and Mesa's Bobbi Jo Stall-Vest (2006). The trio all have that added experience as former tourney participants to use as tools to coach their current rosters.
In the North, Fresno HC Kieran Roblee didn't play at state as a player, but was an All-State, Hall of Fame player at Santa Barbara City College (1988).
Not surprisingly, seven of the nine AVCA All-Americans are playing for the big prize here and five others who were All-Region choices in the regular season. Five conference MVPs are here in Delta's Kiyah Irby, Ventura's Kayla Murdoch, Fresno's Druegan Davis, Feather River's Katherine Gee (a libero) and Grossmont's Chelsee Trendler (a setter). Irby and Murdoch are 2-time, All-American standouts.
Delta's head coach Molly Hummel was the North Region Coach of the Year in each of the last two seasons while Ventura HC Brad Lyans earned that honor in the South last year.
This '23 championship is virtually a reunion party from the '19 tourney at Southwestern College. Unke played as IVC's libero in a 5-set championship match loss to Coach Ritchie's Feather River that ended Irvine's then perfect 27-0 season. At the same tourney, Callahan made her state tourney HC debut for Grossmont, losing a 5-set heartbreaker to FRC in one semifinal while Unke's Lasers defeated Roblee's FCC squad that also went five sets in the other semi. HC Carson Lowden's ARC team was the defending state champ and was beaten in the quarters when Unke made 25 digs in a 5-set IVC victory. Finally, Fresno current assistant coach Kelsee Montagna was the HC for Cabrillo, which got defeated in what else--five games--by Grossmont in the quarterfinals.
Here are capsules of the eight teams going for the 2023 state title:
NORTH
SAN JOAQUIN DELTA COLLEGE, 27-1, Big 8 Conference champions
State Final Regular Season Rank: #1
Mascot: Mustangs
Head Coach: Molly Hummel
Road to Mt. SAC: beat #17 Modesto in 4 sets, swept #9 Solano
State Tourney Appearances: 19, last in 2022
Highest Finish at State Tourney: 2nd place in 2002, 2005, 2017
Record This Season v. State Opponents: 4-1, 2-0 v. Feather River, 1-0 v. Fresno, 1-1 v. American River
Current Win Streak: 2
Sweeps: 21
5-Set Matches: 2-0, wins v. Feather River, Sierra
Top Players: AVCA All-American 1st Team, All-State, All-Big 8 MVP OH Kiyah Irby; All-American 3rd Team, All-State setter Caprisa Brock, All-Big 1st Team MB Bella Cormack
Random Fact: Delta reached the state final in 2017, but lost to Irvine Valley in the championship match. Now they face each other to open this year's tourney.
Quarterfinals Matchup: Friday, Dec. 1 v. S4 Irvine Valley, 10 a.m.
N2-FRESNO CITY, 26-4, Central Valley Conference champions
State Final Regular Season Ranking: #3
Mascot: Rams
Head Coach: Kieran Roblee
Road to Mt. SAC: swept #15 San Mateo, beat #7 West Valley in 4
State Tourney Appearances: 9, last in 2021
Highest Finish at State Tourney: 2016, 2021 state champions
Record This Season v. State Opponents: 1-3, 1-0 v. American River, 0-1 v. Delta, 0-2 v. Feather River
Current Win Streak: 16
Sweeps: 18
5-Set Matches: 1-1, win v. Solano, lost v. Feather River
Top Players: AVCA All-American 1st Team, All-State, All-CVC MVP OH Druegan Davis; All-CVC 1st Team OH Katelyn Goforth, All-CVC 1st Team libero Mia Dilley
Random Fact: When the Rams won their first state title in 2016, they downed then state #1-ranked Grossmont in a semifinals sweep. Of course, they face each other on Friday.
Quarterfinals Matchup: Friday, Dec. 1, v. S3 Grossmont, 4 p.m.
N3-FEATHER RIVER COLLEGE, 26-5, Golden Valley Conference champions
State Final Regular Season Ranking: #4
Mascot: Golden Eagles
Head Coach: Sarah Ritchie
Road to Mt. SAC: swept #14 Monterey Peninsula, swept #6 Lassen
State Tourney Appearances: 7, last in 2022
Highest Finish at State Tourney: 2019, 2022 state champions
Record This Season v. State Opponents: 3-2, 2-0 v. Fresno, 1-0 v. American River, 0-2 v. Delta
Current Win Streak: 6
Sweeps: 19
5-Set Matches: 4-2, wins v. American River, Solano, Fresno, Lassen; losses v. San Mateo, Delta
Top Players: All-American 2nd Team, All-State, Golden Valley Conference MVP libero Katherine Gee; All-Region, All-GVC 1st Team MB Kiyana Faupula; All-GVC 1st Team opposite Autumn Bennett
Random Fact: FRC is 5-0 in its last five state tourney matches v. South Region teams, three of those at the '19 tourney.
Quarterfinals Matchup: Friday, Dec. 1 v. S2 Ventura, 1 p.m.
N4-AMERICAN RIVER COLLEGE, 24-6, Big 8 Conference second place
State Final Regular Season Ranking: #8
Mascot: Beavers
Head Coach: Carson Lowden
Road to Mt. SAC: swept #12 Taft, beat #4 Sierra in 4
State Tourney Appearances: 12, last in 2022
Highest Finish at State Tourney: 2018 state champions
Record This Season v. State Opponents: 1-3, 1-1 v. San Joaquin Delta, 0-1 v. Feather River, 0-1 Fresno
Current Win Streak: 11
Sweeps: 13
5-Set Matches: 3-2, wins v. San Mateo, Solano, Sierra; losses v. Feather River, Sierra
Top Players: All-Region, All-Big 8 1st Team libero Reese Ampi; All-Big 8 1st Team OH Morgan Castaneda; All-Big 8 1st Team RS Mia Santos.
Random Fact: ARC has made it to one semifinal ('21) and two championship matches ('18, '22) during their 4-season streak of state tourney runs.
Quarterfinals Matchup: Friday, Dec. 1, v. S1 San Diego Mesa, 7 p.m.
SOUTH
S1-SAN DIEGO MESA, 26-2, PCAC second place
State Final Regular Season Ranking: #2
Mascot: Olympians
Head Coach: Bobbi Jo Stall-Vest
Road to Mt. SAC: swept #17 Santa Barbara CC, defeated #8 Mt. San Antonio in four
State Tourney Appearances: 4, last in 2021
Highest Finish at State Tourney: 2nd place, 2004
Record This Season v. State Opponents: 2-2, 1-0 v. Ventura, 1-0 v. Irvine Valley, 0-2 v. Grossmont
Current Win Streak: 5
Sweeps: 20
5-Set Matches: 1-0, win v. Moorpark
Top Players: All-American 2nd Team, All-State, All-PCAC 1st Team OH Kailyn Jager, All-PCAC 1st Team setter Jaiden Mojica, All-PCAC 1st Team opposite Olivia Ostler
Random Fact: Emily Eltrich, an All-PCAC 2nd Team OH this year, played in the '21 tourney when the team was swept by Fresno in the quarters.
Quarterfinals Matchup: Friday, Dec. 1, v. N4 American River, 7 p.m.
S2-VENTURA COLLEGE, 21-3, Western State Conference North Division tri-champions
State Final Regular Season Ranking: #5
Mascot: Pirates
Head Coach: Brad Lyans
Road to Mt. SAC: swept #15 Bakersfield, swept #10 Santa Monica
State Tourney Appearances: 3, last in 2000
Highest Finish at State Tourney: 3rd Place, 1991
Record This Season v. State Opponents: 0-1, lost to SD Mesa
Current Win Streak: 7
Sweeps: 16
5-Set Matches: 3-0, 2 wins v. Santa Monica, 1 v. Bakersfield.
Top Players: All-American 1st Team, All-State, WSC North MVP OH Kayla Murdoch, All-Region, All-WSCN 1st Team libero Autumn Rojelio, All-WSCN 1st Team opposite Kylie Ibottson
Random Fact: Ventura is 15-2 v. teams from the two WSC divisions and has not faced a non-WSC opponent (including two playoff matches) in its last 16 matches going back to Sept. 13.
Quarterfinals Matchup: Friday, Dec. 1, v. N3 Feather River, 1 p.m.
S3-GROSSMONT COLLEGE, 26-1, PCAC champions
State Final Regular Season Ranking: #6
Mascot: Griffins
Head Coach: Brooke Callahan
Road to Mt. SAC: swept #14 Mt. San Jacinto, swept #6 Rio Hondo
State Tourney Appearances: 14, last in 2022
Highest Finish at State Tourney: state champions in 1987, 1989
Record This Season v. State Opponents: 2-0, both wins v. SD Mesa
Current Win Streak: 20
Sweeps: 19
5-Set Matches: 0-1, lost to Mt. San Antonio
Top Players: All-American 3rd Team, All-State, PCAC 1st Team OH Kate Beezer, All-Region, PCAC MVP setter Chelsee Trendler, All-PCAC 1st Team libero Avery Banaag.
Random Fact: Coach Callahan is 4-for-4 at advancing her teams to the state tourney as five players who saw action in last year's quarters v. Feather River are back.
Quarterfinals Matchup: Friday, Dec. 1, v. N2 Fresno City, 4 p.m.
S4-IRVINE VALLEY COLLEGE, 21-4, Orange Empire Conference co-champions
State Final Regular Season Ranking: #10
Mascot: Lasers
Head Coach: Anna Unke
Road to Mt. SAC: swept #13 Pasadena CC, edged #12 Orange Coast in 5
State Tourney Appearances: 11, last in 2019
Highest Finish at State Tourney: state champions in 2014, 2017
Record This Season v. State Opponents: 0-1, lost to SD Mesa
Current Win Streak: 4
Sweeps: 14
5-Set Matches: 2-0, both wins v. Orange Coast
Top Players: All-Region, All-OEC 1st Team OH Tessa Marocco, All-OEC 1st Team MB Natalia Brandlin, All-OEC 2nd Team setter Mia Bertolone
Random Fact: In 2014, IVC assistant coach Hannah Matt played on an undefeated state champion Lasers team. Matt didn't get selected to the All-State Tournament team, but ironically Grossmont's Callahan did.
Quarterfinals Matchup: Friday, Dec. 1, v. N1 San Joaquin Delta, 10 a.m.
Release by Robert Lewis, CCCWVCA/3C2A State Championships SID