Irvine Valley Completes Undefeated Season With State Title
CCCAA State Women's Volleyball Championships
at Cabrillo College
Moments
after Irvine Valley became the fourth straight undefeated state
champion Sunday, Lasers' middle blocker Annie Mitchem was signing
autographs for a few young fans. There's a good chance, her
celebrity status will get brighter in her future after a dominating
MVP performance in leading IVC to its first-ever CCCAA women's
volleyball state title.
The Lasers defeated last year's state champ Cabrillo for the second
time in two days and completed a perfect season at 27-0. Irvine is
the third Orange Empire Conference program to win a state
title.
Irvine Valley only lost seven sets all season (81 won) in
accomplishing the feat and handed previously undefeated Cabrillo
its only two defeats while ending the Seahawks' 62-match win
streak.
"It feels really good to
accomplish this championship after getting to state last year and
losing to Cabrillo," said Mitchem, who put on a clinic in the
finals match with 24 kills (.488), six solo blocks (seven overall),
and seven digs.
Mitchem's numbers overall in three victories were
staggering as she totaled 58 kills and 15 blocks in 11 sets while
making only five errors in 99 attempts. Her .535 overall attack
percentage is unheard of for that many attempts at this level.
Mitchem will take her talents to the University of Hawaii on a
scholarship.
"One thing I improved at was playing all-around including the back
row and passing. It helped my entire game. What I like about our
team is we all get along so well. It was great to win it for Pesto
and the rest of the coaching staff."
The Lasers took control of the match, grabbing a 10-5 lead in the
first set. They put together a 10-1 run for a 10-point opening game
triumph. In set 2, Cabrillo led 12-11 and the teams traded 12 ties
before Mitchem took over with three kills and a solo block during a
7-2 run that clinched the game.
Cabrillo wouldn't quit in front of its home crowd in Aptos as the
Seahawks won set 3, 25-22. But in the fourth set, the Lasers led
8-1 and never were threatened.
"She's the best player I've seen ever at the community
college level," Irvine Valley coach Tom Pestolesi said of his top
player. "She can do everything. As a team, I go back to when we had
our bus ride back from Foothill College (after being eliminated at
last year's state tourney). It started there. Our four corps
players were determined to come back and win it this year. And it
all came together this weekend."
For Irvine, Marisa Doran made 17 kills (.395) and added 14 digs
and three blocks. Kobi Pekich added six kills and 13 digs while
setter Hailey Jones added 51 assists and 13 digs. Libero Kayla
Scheevel chipped in 17 digs.
Cabrillo was paced by last year's MVP and an All-Tourney selection
this year in Kelsey Shaver, who hit 15 kills and had 10 digs.
Patrice Williams contributed 11 kills and Alex Flores added 10.
Madison Borch had eight kills and four blocks.
"The better team won," said Cabrillo Coach Gabby Houston-Neville.
"I felt like after we won last year, everyone showed up here with a
clean slate. I'm proud that we fought as hard we did and we just
came up against a powerful team in Irvine. To finish in second
place after the state title win last year is something to be proud
about."
Doran talked highly of her teammate Mitchem.
"It's an honor for me to have played with a player of Annie's
caliber," Doran said. "She did so many things well, and it pushed
me and other teammates to be better. We had a great camaraderie as
a team. We never got on each other, and we concentrated on our
court play."
Pestolesi talked about his team's style of play, which featured
heavy hitting from Mitchem, Doran, Pekich, Hannah Matt and Juju
Cannon.
"When you have an athletic bunch, you want to coach them to be an
exciting team to watch. They did all the work. But they were as fit
a team as you'll find. We conditioned them well, and they stayed on
task all year. I couldn't be happier for the players and our
coaching staff and support staff."
For Irvine Valley, it also returned the state crown back to
Southern California after that region's colleges won the first 36
state titles prior to Cabrillo's first-ever North region title in
2013.
Release by Robert Lewis, CCCWVCA/CCCAA State WVB SID, rmlewis@pasadena.edu; 818-679-1335