Irvine Valley's coaches of the year for the 2023-24 school year are women's indoor volleyball coach Anna Unke and men's tennis coach Ross Duncan.
Under Unke's guidance in the fall 2023 season, IVC finished with a record of 22-5 overall and won the Orange Empire Conference with a record of 13-3.
Irvine Valley claimed its second straight championship in conference and fifth in the last six years.
The Lasers defeated Orange Coast in the regional final and reached the 3C2A State Championship.
Irvine Valley reached the semfinals before falling to Feather River.
Four players from the squad were named to the all-OEC team after the end of the regular season.
The Lasers saw four players land on All-OEC teams with sophomore middle blocker Natalia Brandlin and sophomore outside hitter Tessa Marocco playing their way onto the first team while sophomore setter Mia Bertolone and freshman libero Audrey Fowler were placed on the second team.
Brandlin ranked first in the conference in hitting percentage at .406 and first in blocks per set at 1.20. She also finished second in the state in hitting percentage and fourth in blocks per set.
Marocco was fourth in the OEC in kills per set at 3.49 and second in total kills with 311. She also led the conference in aces per set at 0.65.
Bertolone led the conference in assists per set at 10.98 and Fowler was first in the conference in digs per set at 4.40 and in total digs at 396. Bertolone also ranked first in the state in assist per set.
Marocco and Brandlin were also named all-state for the Lasers.
Marocco is headed to the University of Hawaii to play beach volleyball, Brandlin is going to Cal State Northridge to compete in indoor and beach (story soon) and outside hitter Ava Guenther committed to La Verne to play indoor.
Under Duncan's guidance Irvine Valley finished with a record of 11-2 overall and a mark of 8-0 in conference to win the OEC title.
IVC reached the regional semifinals before losing to Glendale in the So. Cal. Regional Playoffs.
The Lasers still stood out at the 3C2A State Championships.
Irvine Valley freshhman Nick Grove and Luciano Pardo were named as All-Americans after winning the doubles state title.
The duo defeated Glendale's Adam Ridaoui and Lance Morgan, 7-5, 6-7, 7-5, in the final at Libbey Park to win the 3C2A state tite in doubles last month.
Grove, IVC's top singles player, also reached the semifinals in singles.
IVC as a team finished third in the state.
