Women's beach volleyball team finishes tied for third in state

Women's beach volleyball team finishes tied for third in state

Irvine Valley's women's beach volleyball team finished tied for third at the California Community College Athletic Association State Championship on Thursday at the Elite Athlete Training Center in Chula Vista.

It was short of IVC's goal of winning a state title, but still a solid showing for a squad that had quite a special season.

Irvine Valley ended the year with a record of 17-8 overall and won the Orange Empire Conference with a mark of 10-0.

IVC ended up going 15-1 against community college opponents. That one defeat came at the hands of Long Beach City, which beat Irvine Valley and moved on from pool play at the state championship on Thursday.

Irvine Valley, seeded third out of the South Region, started the day with an impressive 4-1 win over the top team from Northern California, Sierra, in its first match.

The Lasers received wins from its pairs of sophomore Renata Bath and freshman Lea Kruse, freshmen Anna Unke and Gabriela Griego, sophomores Alyssa Vortouni and Emilie Austin and freshmen Alison Kent and Alaina Thomas. Bath and Kruse fought to win, 15-6, in the third set.

Irvine Valley took on second-seeded Long Beach in its next pool play match with a trip to the state tournament on the line.

IVC had its chances, but came up short in a couple of contests and lost, 4-1. Three of the matches went to three sets.

Irvine Valley's top team of Bath and Kruse defeated Jessica Blakeman and Kylee Irwin-Paz from Long Beach City, 21-15, 22-20, for the lone win in the contest.

Long Beach City ended up taking on the top team from the South Region, Grossmont, in the title match.

Grossmont came away with a 3-1 victory to earn its second state championship in women's beach volleyball.

The Lasers next compete in the state pairs championship on Friday. IVC has four pairs in the event. They are Bath and Kruse, Unke and Griego, Vortouni and Austin and Gendale and Nolan.

Pool play will take place on Friday with the top two pairs from each pool moving on to the round of 16 on Saturday.

 

MATCH #2 (10 a.m.)      
IRVINE VALLEY (4) SIERRA (1)      
No. 1 Renata Bath/Lea Kruse (IVC) def. Meghan Merlino/Haley Biles (SC) 21-15, 11-21, 15-6
No. 2 Anna Unke/Gabriela Griego (IVC) def.  Sarah Shively/Kapri Pelle (SC) 21-16, 21-16
No. 3 Emilie Austin/Alyssa Vortouni (IVC) def. Maddy Meteer/Jasmine Dean (SC) 21-14, 21-19
No. 4 Ashley Almond/Alex Cook (SC) def.  Kendall Nolan/Alaina Glendale (IVC) 23-21, 18-21, 15-12
No. 5 Alison Kent/Alaina Thomas (IVC) def. Gabby Roberts/Cloe Gunter (SC) 21-17, 21-13

 

MATCH #4 (Noon)      
LONG BEACH CITY (4) IRVINE VALLEY (1)      
No. 1 Renata Bath/Lea Kruse (IVC) def. Jessica Blakeman/Kylee Irwin-Paz 21-15, 22-20
No. 2 Sierra Davis/Brooklin Mize (LBCC) def.  Anna Unke/Gabriela Griego (IVC) 21-18, 21-13
No. 3 Doris Woods/Isabella Alvarez (LBCC) def. Emilia Austin/Alyssa Vortouni (IVC) 21-10, 13-21, 15-11
No. 4 Elisa Woods/Kaitlin Peterson (LBCC) def. Kendall Nolan/Alaina Glendale (IVC) 19-21, 21-11, 22-20
No. 5 Emma Harris/Calissa Candalot (LBCC) def. Alison Kent/Alaina Thomas (IVC) 21-15, 15-21, 15-11