The American River College beach volleyball team competed at the NorCal Pairs Championships at Cosumnes River College on May 2 and 3. The Beavers finished the regular season 18-6, 12-2 in conference, and got second in the Big 8 Conference behind Sierra College. 

ARC sent all five pairs to the NorCal championships; this is the first time in program history that all five pairs have been sent to NorCal’s. 

The tournament got started with Gwendolyn Hanson and Mallory Kuehl going down 21-17 in two straight sets to Maya Cann and Chloe Albiez from Feather River College.

This was the start to a rough day for ARC, four out of the five pairs were eliminated from championship contention in the first round. Samantha Chavez and Sadie White were the only pair from ARC to get the job done in the first round after getting the better of Emma Landaverde and Rachel Sanchez from West Valley College in three sets. 

Chavez and White would go on to lose to Cann and Albiez from FRC in three sets, in the second round of the tournament. 

Lillie Miranda and Maya Mischuck were the last pair from ARC to play in the first round, the pair lost to the number four seed from Fresno City College Phoebe Constable and Lusa Andrews, who would go on to become the eventual NorCal Pairs Champion, and would later advance to the Championship game at the California Community College Athletics Association State Championship in Long Beach.

Despite the second-round loss, Chavez and White would go on to win the constellation bracket for the 13th seed, qualifying them for the CCCAA State Championship.

“You kind of have to have a certain amount of resilience, especially when you go through the losers bracket, which is what Sam and Sadie had to do in order to qualify,” said ARC Beach Volleyball Head Coach Carson Lowden following the NorCal pairs Championships.

The State Championship was hosted at Long Beach City College on May 8-10. Chavez and White were unable to advance out of the Pool Stages where they finished pool play with a record of 0-3, including a loss to eventual State Champion Annah Legaspi and Nicole Lankton from Santa Monica College. 

This was only the third season of Beach Volleyball for ARC, but they are already proving to be a strong competitor. 

“Even though we are less experienced than some of these other programs, I think what it showcases is the depth and the quality of our volleyball program as a whole,” Lowden said.

ARC will look to build on this season of beach into a fresh start for indoor and beach next school year.