Former Irvine Valley state champion men's volleyball player Rory Jones is back on top.
Back on top for the IVC men's volleyball program.
Jones was named the new head coach of the men's squad earlier this fall.
He takes over a program that has had a ton of success, not only with wins and four state championships, but with moving players on to the next level.
Legendary coach Tom Pestolesi started the program and then Ryan Windisch took over. Pestolesi retired this past summer and Windisch, who led the IVC men to a state title appearance in 2019, will continue to coach the women's indoor team and take over the women's beach duties.
Jones is more than ready to lead the men's program.
He helped the Irvine Valley men's team win a state title in 2007. The Lasers had a record of 17-2 overall and were the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference champs.
IVC upset Long Beach City in five sets (15-13 in the fifth) to win the state title.
Jones played along some of IVC's best-ever players with Peter Johnson, Sean Grubbs, Tyler Rex, Kaleo Baxter, Adam el-Rakabawy, Ted Slaughter and Bryan Simmons.
That squad was coach by Pestolesi and current NCAA Division I head coach at George Mason Jay Hosack.
Jones went on to compete with NCAA Division I Long Beach State and has been a part of volleyball his whole life. He has coached at the high school and club levels and then at IVC.
Jones also played in pro beach tour events.
"i am very happy for him," Pestolesi said. "He has the experience and has been around our program. It is great having former players with championship experience running our teams. He is an awesome young man."
Jones has been an assistant coach for the Lasers on the men's side for the previous four years with Windisch and had taken over a lot of the specific practice training.
"I am very happy that Rory will be our next men's coach," Windisch said. "He has been right by my side for the past four seasons and was a huge part of our success during those years.
"Being a former IVC player himself, he knows the standards that should be held when running a great program like this is.
"It will be fun to watch him bring some more of his own coaching style to the program and I wish him all the best."
Jones is ready to take over the men's team, which will start the 2023 season with a home match on Feb. 1, 2023 against Antelope Valley at home at 6 p.m.
"I am fired up," Jones said. "We have several returners and a lot of new guys that we can't wait to see play.
"I want to continue what I have learned under coach Pesto and then build on what myself and Ryan (Windisch) have done over the last few years.
"Our goal is to be competitive and one of the top teams in So. Cal., challenge in the Orange Empire Conference and make another run in the playoffs."
Irvine Valley finished with a record of 17-5 overall last season and reached the state championship semifinals.
In a shortened 2021 year (due to COVID), Irvine Valley won an Orange Empire Conference title over Orange Coast.
And in in 2019, the Lasers went 15-8 overall and went on a great streak to reach the CCCAA State Championship Final at Fullerton before falling to Long Beach City.
