Former Irvine Valley volleyball star player Renata Bath didn't get a chance to receive a top award last week.
Bath, who now plays at UC Riverside, was slated to be named a California Community College Athletic Association women's volleyball state scholar award winner for her great work in the classroom, on the court and as a leader for the Lasers.
She was to be honored last Thursday at the annual CCCAA Spring Convention in Ontario. But the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
We will honor her here instead and that trophy/plaque will be on its way.
Bath definitely made her mark for the Irvine Valley women's indoor volleyball and women's beach volleyball programs during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years.
Last spring, Bath reached the CCCAA State Women's Beach Volleyball Championship semifinals in the pairs event with teammate Lea Kruse and helped her IVC squad finish third in the state championship team event.
Bath, who plays the libero position indoors, was named co-Most Valuable Player of the Orange Empire Conference in the fall of 2018 after helping her team win a second OEC title in a row and make another trip to the state tournament.
She was also picked All-State by the CCCAA and second team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association in the fall of 2018.
Bath helped lead the Irvine Valley women's indoor team to a state championship and undefeated season in 2017.
The sophomore libero played a big part in IVC finishing with a 21-2 overall record indoors in 2018.
Bath made things easier for the Lasers indoors and on the sand with her superb ball control and all-around hustle.
She had a team-leading 293 digs and averaged 3.91 digs per set indoors in the fall of 2018.
Bath ranked fifth in the Orange Empire Conference in digs per set during the regular season.
She recorded 10 digs or more in 18 matches, including Irvine Valley's final nine contests. She recorded 22 and then 21 digs, respectively in IVC's two matches at the state tournament in Solano in the fall of 2018.
Bath helped Irvine Valley win four conference titles (two with the indoor squad and two with the beach team) and also made the state tournament in beach volleyball both years.
Bath, originally from Brazil and out of Ja Jolla High, signed to play at UC Riverside and had a solid season for the Highlanders last fall, leading the squad in digs per set at 2.92.
She was a scholar athlete every semester at Irvine Valley, was chosen as IVC's female scholar athlete of the year for 2018-19 and is studying pre-med at UC Riverside.
Bath joins Marisa Doran, who was also honored for as a Scholar Athlete Award winner for volleyball/beach volleyball in 2015 for Irvine Valley.
The Scholar Athlete Award is the highest student achievement honor awarded annually by the CCCAA. The winners, along with the rest of the annual honor roll, are selected by the CCCAA Awards Committee from nominations made by community colleges throughout California.
Candidates for the Scholar Athlete Award must carry a minimum GPA of 3.5 and must also show outstanding leadership as an athlete, student, or in other college and community activities, as well as have participated in two seasons of sport at a California community college.
About the CCCAA
The California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) is the governing body providing oversight of intercollegiate athletics within the California Community College System. The single largest educational system in the world, with attendance in excess of 2.6 million students annually, the California Community College system serves one-third of all community college students in the United States. The CCCAA establishes the rules and regulations to administer the intercollegiate athletic activities of 24,000 student-athletes attending California's community colleges. To view the latest news, information, and updates of all 24 CCCAA-sanctioned sports visit www.cccaasports.org.
