Volleyball team ranked No. 2 in state for fourth straight week

Volleyball team ranked No. 2 in state for fourth straight week

Irvine Valley's women's volleyball team was ranked No. 2 in the state in the California Community College Women's Volleyball Coaches Association poll for the third week in a row.

The Lasers are only one of two undefeated squads left in the state along with No. 1 Feather River.

IVC is off to a 10-0 start and has swept seven of its 10 opponents.

Irvine Valley has won 30 of 33 sets against opponents this season.

The Lasers cruised in their two Orange Empire Conference matches last week, sweeping at Santa Ana, 25-19, 25-14, 25-8, on Wednesday and then winning at Santiago Canyon, 25-13, 25-15, 25-9, on Friday.

Against Santa Ana, The Lasers ended up hitting .373 on the night.

Sophomore outside hitter Lea Kruse led the way with 15 kills. She hit .389 and also added five digs and three blocks.

Sophomore middle blocker Kristin Austin continued her solid play with 13 kills and a .480 hitting percentage. She also had five blocks.

Sophomore outside hitters Alaina Gendale and Gabriela Griego each added five kills. Griego hit .455, while Gendale added six digs.

Sophomore libero Anna Unke had 18 digs with freshman defensive specialist Lexie Pereira contributing 10 digs.

Sophomore setter Truth Hafey, who leads the state in assists, had 32 on the night to go along with six digs and three blocks in the win over Santa Ana.

And against Santiago Canyon, Irvine Valley received nine kills each from three players.

Freshman middle blocker Helen Reynolds had nine kills, hit .692 and contributed six blocks, Gendale had nine kills and hit .444 with five digs and sophomore middle blocker Alma Entesari had nine kills and hit .571 for the Lasers.

Unke added 11 digs, Kruse had five kills and 10 digs and Hafey finished with 33 assists for the Lasers.

So far Irvine Valley has several conference leaders with Hafey first in the conference and the state in assists at 11.87 per set. Austin is first in the conference and the state in hitting percentage at .442 and Griego ranks fifth at .318. 

Kruse is first in the conference in aces at 0.83 per set.

Kruse leads the Lasers in kills per set at 3.33 and also in digs at 3.53 per set.

As a team, Irvine Valley ranks tops in the conference with a team hitting percentage of .326. That mark ranks second in the state.

Irvine Valley's average of 13.67 kills per set as a team Is also third in the state. 

Irvine Valley had a bye from action on Wednesday and plays at Riverside in a conference match on Friday at 6 p.m.

You can view the full CCCWVCA Poll here