Irvine Valley women's beach volleyball coach Tom Pestolesi announced that two-year starter, all-Orange Empire Conference player and state performer Alaina Gendale has committed to NCAA Division I Cal State Bakersfield.
She joins beach her pairs teammate from this season, Anna Unke, with the Roadrunners.
Gendale had a great two years both on the sand and indoors with Irvine Valley.
Last spring, Gendale helped lead IVC beach team to an unblemished Orange Empire Conference record and a third-place finish at the California Community College Athletic Association State Championship in Chula Vista.
The Lasers ended the year ranked No. 3 in the state in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) final poll. The Laser beach squad was named the team of the year as part of the IVC athletic department's 19th Annual Awards.
Irvine Valley ended with a record of 17-8 overall and won a conference title with a mark of 10-0. IVC ended up going 15-1 against community college opponents in 2019.
Gendale teamed with Kendall Nolan in the third or fourth position in the lineup for the Lasers last year. Nolan recently signed with Division I Portland University.
Gendale and Nolan finished ninth at the conference pairs championships last April. The duo then took 16th at the South Region pairs championship to move on to the state event individually. The top 20 pairs teams from around Southern California advanced to state.
Gendale and the IVC beach team were ranked No. 2 in the AVCA preason poll this spring and it looked like the Lasers would have another great shot at making a state run before the season was halted.
Gendale, who attended Los Osos High in Rancho Cucamonga, was paired with Unke this season. The duo was playing primarily at the No. 2 or 3 position out of the five teams in the IVC lineup.
Indoors, Gendale had a solid two years for the Lasers. She helped IVC to the CCCAA State Championship both her freshman and sohomore seasons as an outside hitter and the team had a two-year record of 48-3.
Irvine Valley went 27-1 and its only loss was in five sets to Feather River in five dramatic sets in the state title match in Chula Vista this past season. She was named second team all-conference in 2019.
Gendale finished the year averaging 2.64 kills and 2.81 digs per set. She ranked fourth on the team in kills and third in digs. She also had 17 assists on the year.
Gendale is headed to a Cal State Bakersfield beach team that IVC actually already played on the sand this season. The Lasers hosted the Roadrunners on Feb. 28 and Unke and Gendale won their match, 21-16, 21-17, at the No. 3 position.
