In this week’s edition of the Valley News College Volleyball notebook, we take a look at area alumni playing in NCAA division one. We also cover the early season exploits of a couple of alumni we missed in last week’s small colleges notebook.
NCAA Division Three
- Brenna Bell, Murrieta Valley (2020) – Claremont Mudd Scripps
Last year the Athenas won both SCIAC regular season and tournament titles en route to a 30-1 record and appearance in the division three West Region finals where they fell to Trinity (Texas) in a five-set thriller. Bell hit .404 and finished seventh nationally in attacking percentage while averaging 2.73 kills per set. Early on in 2023 she is averaging 2.67 kills per set and hitting .267 for a CMS side that is 4-2 and ranked second nationally by the AVCA coaches poll as of Tuesday, September 5.
NCAA Division Two
- Tamiya Wilson, Temecula Valley (2022) – San Francisco State
Averaged 4.03 kills per set en route to CCAA Freshman of the Year last fall for a Gators team that went 14-11 overall and 10-8 in conference play but narrowly missed out on tournament play due to tiebreaker. Early in 2023 she’s averaging 3.30 kills per set for the Gators, 4-4 early on in 2023 but 1-2 against ranked opponents.
- Rebecca Rendahl, Murrieta Valley (2018) – San Francisco State
After redshirting at Minnesota and then spending three seasons at Fresno State joined the Gators last year and averaged 2.03 kills per set while leading the Gators in blocks with 54. Early in 2023 she is averaging just under a kill per set with four total blocks while appearing in 17 sets.
- Brianna DeBoer, Murrieta Valley (2020) – San Francisco State
Has played in every set of her first two college campaigns as the Gators starting Libero and was fifth in the conference in digs at 4.12 per set while recording 26 aces. In 2023 she is averaging 2.3 digs per set while appearing in all 30 sets played by the Gators.
- Kimberly DeBoer, Murrieta Valley (2020) – San Francisco State
Was named last year’s CCAA Setter of the Year while averaging 10.93 assists per set and reaching tenth in program history in total assists with 1,603 to finish the 2022 campaign. So far in 2023 she is averaging 10.1 assists per set for a Gator offense that is hitting .218. She won CCAA Setter of the Week honors for the week ending Saturday, September 3 which was the third time in her career she has earned the award.
* Rendahl and both DeBoer’s earned all CCAA academic honors last season. CCAA play begins this week.
- Mariah Hughes, Rancho Christian (2023) – Point Loma
Hughes has appeared in 20 out of 25 sets and is currently averaging 1.36 kills per set for a Sea Lion team that is 3-4 overall and opens PacWest play this week.
NCAA Division One
- Skyler Darr, Vista Murrieta (2023) – University of North Dakota
Darr has entered 16 sets so far for a Fighting Hawks team that is 3-5 and has averaged 1.75 digs per set.
- Breanna Mitchell, Linfield Christian (2022) – Boise State
Spent last season at CSUN where she was named to the All-Big West Freshman Team along with winning Big West Defensive Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week twice. Mitchell led the conference with 513 digs (averaging 4.17 per set which was also first) while recording 33 aces (16th in the Big West). At Boise State she is averaging 3.92 digs per set while recording 29 aces (1.12 per set) in 26 sets played. Has played in every set for the Broncos (2-5) so far. Also on the roster is Vista Murrieta graduate Nicole Jacobs.
- Juliette Russell, Vista Murrieta (2020) – Gonzaga
A senior middle blocker who led her team in total blocks during the fall 2021 campaign and was fourth in total kills that year is averaging 2.21 kills per set to start 2023 with 17 total blocks.
- Julia Haynie, Chaparral (2019) – San Diego State
Has made 89 career starts between two years each with the Vikings and Aztecs and last year was fifth in the Mountain West in hitting percentage posting a .356 mark. So far in 2023 she is averaging 2.26 kills per set with a .398 hitting percentage and nine total blocks for an Aztec side that is 3-6.
- Sarena Gonzalez, Temecula Valley (2022) – San Diego State
Last year appeared in all 31 matches for the Aztecs (starting in 11 contests) while averaging 4.58 assists per set. So far in 2023 she’s taken that number up to 6.12 per set with four service aces.
- Gabby Hollins, Paloma Valley (2020) – Portland State
In her first two seasons as a Viking averaged 2.2 kills per set before not recording an appearance last season. As a senior she’s off to a really good start in 2023, averaging 3.48 kills per set while hitting .208. Both marks early on this year are the highest in her career. Portland State is 5-4 so far with a series against Oregon State coming this week.
- Liz Markovska, Paloma Valley (2020) – Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Last year earned All-Big West freshman honors by appearing in 30 matches and averaging 1.77 kills per set. So far in 2023 she is averaging 3.09 kills per set for a Mustangs team that is 5-4. This week they host Washington, St. Mary’s, and Pepperdine in the Mustang Invitational.
- Madi Allen, Great Oak (2020) – University of San Diego
After a stint at BYU in which she was part of a Sweet Sixteen team in 2021 transferred to USD and was part of their Final Four team a season ago, totaling 34 digs and five service aces in 20 sets. She tied a season high for digs with 12 in USD’s win over Stanford in the Elite Eight.
Derryl Trujillo can be reached at socaltrekkie@gmail.com.
