Former IVC volleyball star Annie Mitchem finds new team

Former IVC volleyball star Annie Mitchem finds new team

Former Irvine Valley superstar Annie Mitchem, who was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Two-Year College National Player of the Year for two straight seasons with the Lasers, has decided to join Zanetti Bergamo in Seria A1 for the 2019-20 season, according to Stephen Creek of volleyverse.com

The 25-year-old spiker will arrive in Bergamo after spending last season at Savino del Bene Scandicci.

Texas-born Mitchem has long been touted as one of America's most promising players, ever since she became Irvine Valley College's first ever state athlete of the year back in 2015.

Mitchem captured three CCCAA State Championships during the 2014-15 academic year.

Two of the state championships came with teams, and she also earned an individual state title.

The middle blocker helped Irvine Valley win its first ever women's indoor volleyball state title in 2014.

The team finished with a record of 27-0 and Mitchem was named the Orange Empire Conference MVP, All-American and all-state for the second year in a row along with being the State Tournament MVP.

IVC dropped just seven sets all season.

In her three matches at the state tournament, she was dominant with 58 kills and 15 blocks in 11 sets, while making only five errors in 99 attempts (.535). Against Feather River she set a state tournament record for highest kill percentage at .826 (19 kills, 0 errors, 23 attempts).

She was a six-rotation, all-around playing middle blocker that led the nation in hitting percentage (.517). Mitchem was fourth in the state in blocks per set at 1.24, 10th in total kills with 358 and 13th in kills per set at 4.26.

Mitchem then helped lead Irvine Valley's sand volleyball team to the inaugural CCCAA title in the spring of 2015

Irvine Valley went undefeated against community college competition and defeated Grossmont, Golden West and Cabrillo in the state tournament.

Mitchem also teamed with freshman Emily Reinking to win the No. 2 pairs state title.

"She's the best player I've seen ever at the community college level," Irvine Valley coach Tom Pestolesi said of Mitchem at the time. "She can do everything."

Mitchem went on to star at the University of Hawaii for two seasons.

She earned all-Big West Conference first team honors as a senior and played for the Rainbow Wahine as a middle hitter/outside hitter in 2015 and '16.

 

You can read the full article about Mitchem heading to Zanetti Bergamo on volleyverse.com here