The California Community College Women’s Volleyball Coaches Association announces that defending state champion Feather River College, the North Region’s No. 3 seed, and top seeds San Joaquin Delta from NorCal and the SoCal’s San Diego Mesa are the top three favorites going into the 48th edition of the California Community College Athletic Association state women’s volleyball championship this coming Friday through Sunday, Dec. 5 to 7, at Folsom Lake College.
Ranked No. 1 on the final regular season CCCWVCA State Top 25, the FRC Golden Eagles (34-1) are looking for their fourth state title in the last six tourneys going back to 2019. FRC also had the distinction of handing both Delta (29-1) and Mesa their only losses in the 2025 season, both by sweeps in the early nonconference play.
The only team to solve Feather River this season is here in North No. 2 Taft (30-2), which beat the Golden Eagles in five sets back on Sept. 12. The Cougars are making just their second trip to the state tourney after getting to the dance in 2004.
Five teams have returned from last year’s eight-team field including 2024 state runner-up and North No. 4 Fresno City (26-5, an original fifth seed), South No. 2 Los Angeles Mission (25-4) and the Cinderalla story of 2025, the South No. 4 Long Beach City College Vikings (19-9), a team that was seeded No. 14 out of 20 going into the postseason but won three straight SoCal regional matches to reach the tourney again.
Another returnee is the MVP of the 2024 tourney held at Mt. San Antonio College: FRC outside hitter and American Volleyball Coaches Association first team all-American Chloe Albiez. A remarkable nine of the 12 players selected to the 2025 all-state team will be playing at this gala.
Joining Taft as new to this year’s field from last year is Delta, a school that has come up empty on the state title board despite advancing to the state tourney a NorCal-record 19 times previously and finishing runner-up three times in 2002, 2005 and 2017. Also new is South No. 3 Santa Monica (an original fifth seed), which last made it to the tourney 31 years ago, placing in a tie for fifth at the 1994 event.
The tourney features the past five state champions in Feather River (2019, 2022, 2024); Mesa, the last SoCal champion in 2023; and Fresno (2021). North teams have won eight of the last 11 tourneys since Cabrillo won the first NorCal title in 2013 after the South Region had captured each of the first 36 volleyball crowns.
This is the first time since 2009 that a Big 8 Conference school hosted the tourney with Delta serving as the host venue that year. Folsom Lake College is just 25 miles east from the state capitol of Sacramento.
Capsule previews of the eight 2025 3C2A championship teams follow:
N1 San Joaquin Delta Mustangs, 29-1 record
Big 8 Conference champions
Head coach: Molly Hummel, North Region coach of the year
State appearances: 20th, last in 2023
Highest finish: second place, 2002, 2005, 2017
Road to state: swept No. 16 Reedley, swept No. 8 Cabrillo
Record v. field: 2-1, W in 4 v. Long Beach, W in 5 v. Taft, L in 3 v. Feather River
Current win streak: 21 straight
Top Players: first team all-American/Big 8 MVP outside hitter Hadlee Gray, All-State setter Paige Taylor, Big 8 Libero of the Year Catherine Frias
Fun fact: Hummel recently won her milestone 300th career match at Delta in the Reedley Round 2 match.
S1 San Diego Mesa Olympians, 29-1 record
Pacific Coast Athletic Conference champions
Head coach: Bobbie Jo Stall-Vest
State appearances: seventh, last in 2024
Highest finish: state champions 2023
Road to state: won in four v. No. 16 San Bernardino Valley, swept No. 8 San Diego Miramar
Record v. field: 4-1, L in sweep v. Feather River, W in 4 v. Taft, W in 4 v. Santa Monica, W in 5 v. Long Beach, W in sweep v. Fresno
Current win streak: 26 straight
Top players: second team all-American/PCAC MVP outside hitter Mia Lundberg, all-SoCal setter Ruby Ennis, all-PCAC first team opposite Bella Town (2024 all-state tourney)
Fun fact: Mesa’s first state appearance was in 1994 in fourth place, featuring fellow South seed Santa Monica’s last appearance, tied for fifth.
N2 Taft Cougars, 30-2 record
Central Valley Conference South Division champions
Head coach: Mallori Rossi
State appearances: second, last in 2004
Highest finish: fourth in 2004
Road to state: swept No. 18 Solano, swept No. 7 Sequoias
Record v. field: 2-2, L in 4 v. SD Mesa, L in 5 v. Delta, W in 5 v. Feather River, W in sweep v. Fresno
Current win streak: 21 straight
Top players: second team all-American/CVC South MVP outside hitter Jazzahlei Satele, all-NorCal setter/right side hitter Vienna Perier, all-CVC first team setter Amber Makainai
Fun fact: Taft’s athletic director Kanoe Bandy was the head coach of the only other Cougars state tourney appearance 21 years ago.
S2 Los Angeles Mission Eagles, 26-4 record
Western State Conference North Division third place
Head coach: Nabil Mardini
State appearances: second, last in 2024
Highest finish: tied fifth in 2024
Road to state: won in five v. No. 15 MiraCosta, won in four v. No. 7 Mt. San Antonio
Record v. field: 1-0, W in sweep v. Santa Monica
Current win streak: two straight
Top players: all-state middle blocker Amya Cheatham January, all-WSC North second team outside hitters Tawnie Ohrt and Rio Sandaiji
Fun fact: Mardini is directing his 10th trip to the state tourney. The first eight were for LA Pierce, which remains the last school to win back-to-back state titles, winning three in a row from 2010 to 2012.
N3 Feather River Golden Eagles, 34-1 record
Golden Valley Conference champions
Head coach: Sarah Ritchie
State appearances: seventh, last in 2024
Highest finish: state champions 2019, 2022, 2024
Road to state: swept No. 14 Modesto, won in four v. No. 6 San Mateo
Record v. field: 5-1, Ws in sweeps v. San Diego Mesa, Long Beach, Delta, two Ws in 4 v. Fresno, L in 5 v. Taft
Current win streak: 15 straight
Top players: first team all-American/GVC co-MVP outside hitter Chloe Albiez, third team all-American setter Teya Gibbs, all-NorCal outside hitter/GVC co-MVP Carol Manu
Fun fact: Feather River has appeared in each of the last three state championship final matches, and four of the last five. It won three of those and two that went the five-set distance in a reverse sweep last year over Fresno and its first state title win in 2019 v. Irvine Valley.
S3 Santa Monica Corsairs, 26-4 record
Western State Conference South Division champions
Head coach: Christian Cammayo
State appearances: fifth, last in 1994
Highest finish: tied fifth three times: 1987, 1988, 1994
Road to state: swept No. 12 Pasadena City, swept No. 13 Golden West
Record v. field: 0-2, L in 4 v. SD Mesa, L in sweep v. LA Mission
Current win streak: 17 straight
Top players: all-state middle blocker/WSC South MVP Nicole Lankton, WSC Libero of the Year Annah Legaspi, all-WSC first team outside hitter Mia Whitlock
Fun fact: SMC played in the very first state women’s volleyball tournament in 1977, played at Saddleback College. Santa Ana won the title and the Corsairs placed in a tie for seventh.
N4 Fresno City Rams, 26-5 record
Central Valley Conference North Division champions
Head coach: Kieran Roblee
State appearances: 11th, last in 2024
Highest finish: state champions 2016, 2021
Road to state: swept No. 12 American River, won in four v. No. 4 Monterey Peninsula
Record v. field: 1-3, W in sweep v. Long Beach, two Ls in 4 v. Feather River, L in sweep v. SD Mesa
Current win streak: seven straight
Top players: third team all-American/CVC North MVP middle blocker Haiden Davis, all-CVC first team pin Karina Rodriguez, pin-setter Kalani Soares
Fun fact: Fresno has become a frequent visitor to the state tournament, making it seven times in the last nine going back to its 2016 crown.
S4 Long Beach City Vikings, 19-9 record
South Coast Conference South Division champions
Head coach: Tyler Jackson
State appearances: eighth, last in 2024
Highest finish: second three times: 1979, 1995, 2000
Road to state: won in four v. No. 19 Saddleback, No. 3 Orange Coast, No. 11 Palomar
Record v. field: 0-4, Ls in sweeps v. Feather River, Fresno, L in 4 v. Delta, L in 5 v. SD Mesa
Current win streak: three straight
Top players: South Coast South MVP Ryleeh Tuaolo, SCC Freshman of the Year outside hitter Kyla Jones, all-SCC first team middle blocker Marissa Krebs
Fun fact: LBCC is the first team to ever start a season 0-6 and make the state tourney. In 2021, Canyons was 2-8 to begin that season and reached the tourney and the Vikings did the same this year.
