Volleyball standouts Taira Ka'awaloa and Matt August have been named Irvine Valley's female and male 2017-18 athletes of the year, respectfully.
Ka'awaloa shined both indoors and on the beach for the Lasers, while August was one of the top men's indoor volleyball players in the state.
Ka'awaloa actually won state titles in both of her disciplines during the year.
She was part of the women's indoor team last fall that captured the program's second California Community College Athletic Association State Championship.
The Lasers were also perfect on the year with a record of 27-0 overall.
The 5-8 Ka'awaloa was a star outside hitter and two-year starter for Irvine Valley.
She was a first team all-Orange Empire Conference Player on the indoor side the last two years.
This past fall with the indoor team, Ka'awaloa was second in the conference in kills per set at 4.12 per set. She ranked No. 10 in the state in kills per set.
Ka'awaloa was second in total kills in conference at 367. And she ranked fifth in hitting percentage in the conference at .321.
She recorded 15 kills in Irvine Valley's state title 23-25, 25-16, 25-20, 25-16 win over San Joaquin Delta in the title match at Solano College on Dec. 23, 2017.
On the season, Ka'awaloa also averaged 2.52 digs and was fourth on the team in aces.
She ended her two-year IVC career with 610 kills (3.72 per set), a .300 hitting percentage, 26 aces and 449 digs.
Ka'awaloa was also a two-year starter and top player on the Laser women's beach volleyball team.
She won the 2018 CCCAA Beach Volleyball Pairs Championship with teammate Megan Ramseyer at West Valley College in Saratoga on May 12.
Ramseyer and Ka'awaloa posted a 22-20, 21-18 victory over Long Beach City's Josannah Vazquez and Sierra Davis, culminating a day that also featured wins over Long Beach City's Jessica Kaeka and Brooklin Mize (22-24, 21-13 18-16), Cabrillo's Hayley Hall and Deirdre Wilson (21-12, 21-19), and MiraCosta's Michelle Mason and Claudia Mathews (23-21, 21-18).
Ka'awaloa was named first team all-conference in beach the past two seasons and also helped the Irvine Valley team win a conference title, as well as make a trip to the state tournament.
Ka'awaloa is headed back home to play both indoor and beach volleyball at Hawai'i Hilo.
August, a 6-7 middle blocker, was a force for the Lasers' men's indoor volleyball team for two seasons.
He averaged 3.08 kills and 1.90 blocks per set, while hitting .454 during the spring season in 2018.
August led the state in blocks per set, was second in hitting percentage and ranked 10th in kills per set.
August, who was named first team all-Orange Empire Conference, led the OEC in blocks per set and hitting percentage.
He had 12 matches with double-digit kills, including recording 16 kills in an IVC sweep at Grossmont on Feb. 21. He also hit .565 in that match.
August also had a 15-kill, .737-hitting performance in an Irvine Valley sweep of San Diego Mesa at home on Mar. 2.
He hit .700 or higher in three matches in 2018, with a season-best .786 (12-1-14) in a sweep at Santiago Canyon on Mar. 16.
August helped Irvine Valley to a 16-6 overall record, 5-3 Orange Empire Conference mark and a trip to the semifinals of the California Community College Athletic Association State Championship.
Irvine Valley ended the year ranked No. 4 in the final California Community College Men's Volleyball Coaches Association State Poll, which was released last week.
During his freshman year in 2017, August averaged 3.00 kills and 1.36 blocks per set, while hitting .415. IVC had a record of 15-4 last season and made the playoffs.
August finishes his IVC career with 395 kills, 211 blocks and a .434 hitting percentage.
August has signed with the University of Hawai'i.
