Indoor and beach volleyball player Lea Kruse and baseball player Kyle Dobson have been selected as Irvine Valley's athletes of the year for the 2018-19 school year as part of the athletic department's 19th Annual Awards.
Kruse had two great seasons during 2018-19 for the Lasers.
She was named co-Most Valuable player of the Orange Empire Conference during both the indoor volleyball season in the fall and the beach season in the spring.
Kruse helped lead Irvine Valley to conference titles in both seasons.
The Laser indoor team finished with a record of 21-2 overall and reached the California Community College Athletic Association State Championship event.
Kruse, a freshman outside hitter, averaged 3.33 kills and 2.77 digs per set and had a hitting percentage of .269 on the year.
During the regular season, she ranked third in the conference in kills per set and fourth in hitting percentage.
Kruse, originally from Germany, recorded a season-best 20 kills in Irvine Valley's three-set win at Orange Coast on Nov. 9.
On the beach in the spring, Kruse helped IVC to another state championship appearance. The team ended up tied for third in the event in Chula Vista in April.
Her and teammate Renata Bath also finished third in the individual pairs portion of the state competition.
Irvine Valley's women's beach volleyball team ended up ranked third in the state in the final American Volleyball Coaches Association Poll of the season.
Dobson, a freshman left fielder, was named first team all-Orange Empire Conference after a stellar year.
He played in all 40 of Irvine Valley's games and led the Lasers with a .395 batting average, 62 hits, eight doubles and 38 RBI.
Dobson also had a team-best .476 on base percentage. He also led the team in walks (23) and was third in slugging percentage (.446).
He also tied for the team lead in total bases with 70.
He came out of the gate fast, going 6 for 10 with two runs scored, two doubles, two RBI and a stolen base as Irvine Valley split a pair of games with Long Beach City to open the year.
Dobson ended up with 22 multi-hit games, including recording at least three hits in seven contests and having four hits in two games.
He went 4 for 5 with a run scored and a double in Irvine Valley's 3-2 win over San Diego Mesa on Feb. 12 and 4 for 4 with a run scored and a walk in Irvine Valley's 10-8 victory over Orange Coast on Mar. 16.
Dobson drove in a season-high four runs, while also going 2 for 3 with a run and a double in Irvine Valley's 13-3 triumph over Grossmont on Feb. 23.
Dobson, out of Santa Margarita High, helped Irvine Valley finish with a 20-19-1 record and just miss making the California Community College Athletic Association Playoffs.
