Irvine Valley's women's beach volleyball team starts the road to defending its CCCAA State Championship on Friday with the first match of the 2016 season.
Irvine Valley hosts Saddleback at noon.
The Lasers had a magical 2015 season, winning the inaugural CCCAA state title. Several players moved on from the squad to four-year schools to play indoor, sand or both. Both Marisa Doran (University of New Mexico) and Kobi Pekich (Long Beach State), who won the No. 1 pairs state title at IVC last season, are starring for their university's beach teams this spring.
The Lasers swept the team and individual competitions at the inaugural CCCAA State Championships at Irvine Valley in early May of last year. The Lasers won the team state title on Friday and then had all three of their teams in the individual competition claim state titles on Saturday.
Doran and Pekich won the No. 1 team title, sophomore Annie Mitchem (University of Hawaii) and freshman Emily Reinking took the No. 2 team championship and sophomore Samantha Holdredge (Brockport) and freshman Hailee Earnest captured the No. 3 team title.
Irvine Valley's team hasn't lost to another community college team the past two seasons.
"It was awesome to watch what our gals did," IVC coach Tom Pestolesi said after the 2015 state final. "It just proves that we were the best team. This is the greatest group of women's volleyball players to ever come through Irvine Valley and it has been a pleasure to be their coach. They had the focus, drive and loved to play together."
In the team competition a day earlier, the Lasers finished with a record of 3-0 in the four-team sand event to claim the championship.
IVC defeated Cabrillo, 4-1, Grossmont, 5-0, and was up, 2-1, over Golden West when the match was clinched.
"We knew we had the talent," Pestolesi said. "You are always nervous and maybe even a little more nervous when you know you should win. But the girls stepped up when they needed to today. That second round against Grossmont was big and all of our girls really played well. Winning that match, 5-0, really put some separation between us and everyone else."
Irvine Valley got straight-set victories from all five of its teams against Grossmont.
Grossmont earned the runner-up trophy with a 2-1 record. It defeated Golden West, 5-0, and was up, 3-1, over Cabrillo when the match was halted.
Irvine Valley, Grossmont, Golden West and Cabrillo each won regional events on Tuesday to move on to the first-ever State Championship event.
"We have great players and our coaching staff is amazing," Pestolesi said. "Our assistant coaches Mike Cram and Butch May do such a good job and make it a lot of fun. It has all worked out so well for us."
Earnest, Reinking along with fellow sophomores Hannah Matt, Kayla Scheevel and Taylor Askins return to lead this year's team.
