In leading up to the official start of the 2022-23 athletics campaign at Irvine Valley, which starts on Aug. 26 with the IVC women's soccer team playing at Southwestern at 5 p.m. and the Laser women's volleyball team hosting Canyons at 5 p.m., the Irvine Valley athletic department will count down the top 10 sports stories from the 2021-22 school year.
The No. 8 story on the list for 2021-22 features the Irvine Valley men's volleyball team and its second-place finish in the Orange Empire Conference, as well as a trip to the California Community College Athletic Association State Tournament semifinals. Freshman libero Adam Schulte was named to the all-state tournament team. The Lasers finished with a record of 17-5 overall, were ranked among the top teams in the state all year. Three of the squad's five losses were to state champion Orange Coast.
The Irvine Valley men's volleyball team, after winning the Orange Empire Conference during a shortened 2021 COVID season, had another strong year in a full campaign in 2021.
Guided by head coach Ryan Windisch, the Lasers finished with a record of 17-5 overall, were ranked among the top teams in the state in the California Community College Men's Volleyball Coaches Association Poll all season, and took second in the OEC with a mark of 5-2.
Irvine Valley swept Santa Monica in the first round of the state playoffs, 25-16, 25-8, 25-18, at home in April behind 14 kills by freshman outside hitter Karl Stenlund and 41 assists by freshman setter Andrew Perez.
The Lasers then fell to eventual state champion Orange Coast, 25-22, 25-20, 25-15, in the semifinals at El Camino College on April 21.
Irvine Valley had six players named all-conference.
They included freshman libero Adam Schulte, freshman middle blocker Trevor Weinert and freshman middle blocker Josh Beymer on the first team and Stenlund, freshman outside hitter Colin Chillingworth and freshman opposite Jaden Churchill on the second team.
Schulte, who was a state all-tournament selection, led the conference in total digs with 201 and was second in digs per set at 2.79.
Beymer paced the conference in blocks per set at 1.34, had a hitting percentage of .516 and averaged 1.42 kills per set.
Weinert was second in the conference in blocks per set at 1.00, hit .497 and averaged 1.51 kills per set.
Stenlund was fourth in the conference in hitting percentage at .280 and averaged 2.55 kills per set, Chillingworth averaged 2.56 kills and 1.19 digs per set and Churchill averaged 1.94 kills per set for the Lasers.
