3C2A State Women's Volleyball Final: Albiez is 2-time MVP, Feather River is first North repeat champion

Box Score l Photos

FOLSOM -- In a rematch of the 2023 final, Feather River College became the first team in 13 years to repeat as state champion in sweeping San Diego Mesa in the 3C2A Women's Volleyball Championship match on Sunday afternoon. In the process, the Golden Eagles broke their own state record for most victories in a season with 37.

Feather River, which has made it to each of the last six state tournaments, is the first to accomplish a back-to-back titles from the North Region and the first to turn the feat since LA Pierce in 2010-2012.

The Golden Eagles ended the season on an 18-match win streak and stopped Mesa's streak of 28 in a row. FRC is also responsible for both of Mesa's losses against 31 victories by the Olympians.

"Hard work pays off," said Chloe Albiez, a 2-time winner of the Most Valuable Player of the state tourney at outside hitter. "Look all there is in Quincy is one restaurant and that's a Subway, so all we have is ourselves and playing volleyball. We're a family and we were focused on playing hard for each other and we owe it all to how much our head coach Sarah Ritchie works even harder to prepare us to play at our best. "

Albiez pounded 17 kills (hit .361) with 10 digs and finished the tourney with 56 kills, 29 digs, seven blocks, and five aces over three tourney victories. She is this first player to win back-to-back MVP awards this century. Albiez has yet to decide on a university location, although she is getting interest from such schools as NCAA Division I Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Nevada Reno, East Texas A&M, Northern Arizona, and Montana State.

Also for Feather River, All-Tournament selections included freshman OH Carol Manu with 12 kills and four aces, sophomore right side Tiare Faupula with four kills and three blocks, second-year setter Teya Gibbs tallying 32 assists, eight digs and three blocks, and sophomore Libero of the Tourney Peyton Estes, playing with a broken right hand, making seven digs and playing strong all over the floor over three team wins.

Mesa has had an impressive recent stretch in which it has advanced to state in four of the last five seasons, including its title in 2023, a third place in 2024, and now a state runner-up second this season. It is the top finisher from the South Region in each of the last three Elite Eights. 

The Olympians were led by Mia Lundberg with 10 kills as the All-Tourney freshman OH finished with a tourney high 60 kills in three matches. Trina Nguyen added 11 digs, Charlotte Underwood five kills and four blocks, and Bella Town five kills and two stuffs. 

In the opening set, the teams traded six ties and four lead changes before FRC took over the game, outscoring Mesa, 19-6, and doubling the score on the Olympians for 1-0 lead. The duo of Albiez and Manu destroyed the ball with seven kills each as the Golden Eagles swung at a ridiculous .457 (17-for-35) rate. On one play, Avery Arment saved a ball going into the stands and it turned right into a Manu strike down the middle for a kill. Albiez closed out the set with a kill, then made a 7-0 serving run, including an ace as her squad took a 1-0 lead.

The second set was another run by FRC of 12-7 to take a 20-14 lead, then used Manu's swings for three kills to get to set point at 24-17. Mesa came back on a kill and block by Town, but a service error allowed Feather River to control things at 2-0.

The Olympians best set was the third as a kill by Maddie Connelly put them up 13-9. FRC bounced back to go ahead, 15-14, on a kill by Manu, but Mesa countered with a run to go back up 19-15. Manu served consecutive aces as the Golden Eagles got closer to the title at 23-21. Mesa cut it to 23-22, but Albiez dropped in a lob kill and then ripped another kill off the block to fittingly complete match point.

"We came out today and just played clean volleyball, much better than our sloppy play v. Long Beach," said FRC head coach Sarah Ritchie. "Our serving was so much better as we were hitting our spots."

On winning two in a row, she said, "A player knows what they are signing up for when they come to Feather River and that's to strive to win a state title. If they work hard, then I work hard for them. We recruit players who are mentally tough and that's been a big reason why we've been so successful these last several years."

"I think playing in such an emotional match v. Santa Monica took a lot out of us going into this final," said SD Mesa head coach Bobbie Jo Stall-Vest. "Feather River did just about everything damn well perfect in the first two sets, but we should have taken that third set and let it slip away from us. Feather River has been the best team in the state all season and they deserved to win." 

FRC's Estes said: "We have some of the best athletes in the state and players who would start anywhere else coming off the bench. Our conference isn't that strong, so we have to do a lot of things in practice to keep us ready for these big matches. It's all that work in practice that put us in a position to win."

ALL-3C2A STATE TOURNAMENT TEAM
MVP: Chloe Albiez, So. OH, Feather River
Setter of the Tourney: Ruby Ennis, So., San Diego Mesa
Libero of the Tourney: Peyton Estes, Feather River
Carol Manu, Fr. OH, Feather River
Tiare Faupulu, So. Right Side, Feather River
Teya Gibbs, So. Setter, Feather River
Mia Lundberg, Fr. OH, San Diego Mesa
Trina Nguyen, So. Libero, San Diego Mesa
Nicole Lankton, So. MB, Santa Monica
Kalani Soares, Fr. Pin-Setter, Fresno City
Hadlee Gray, So. OH, San Joaquin Delta
Tyreana Allen, So. Libero, Long Beach City
Tawnie Ohrt, So. OH, LA Mission
Jazzahlei Satele, Fr. OH, Taft

Twenty-six teams have reached 30 victories in a season in state history, but this was the first year in which three different teams performed the feat in Feather River, San Diego Mesa and Taft, which lost in the quarterfinals.

FRC has the state record for most 30-win seasons with six while LA Pierce and Fresno City each done it four times. Coincidentally or almost appropriately, all three of the head coaches who directed those teams were at the state tourney in Ritchie, FCC coach Kieran Roblee (Rams lost in quarterfinals), and Nabil Mardini, who directed Pierce but guided LA Mission this year as it also lost in the quarterfinals.

MOST VICTORIES IN A SEASON
FEATHER RIVER, 37-1 IN 2025
FEATHER RIVER, 36-1 IN 2022
SANTA ROSA JC, 35-3 IN 2008 (2nd)
FEATHER RIVER, 35-2 IN 2019
LA PIERCE, 33-0 IN 2011
LA PIERCE, 33-0 IN 2012
FRESNO CITY, 33-3 IN 2021
EL CAMINO, 32-2 IN 2008
CABRILLO, 32-2 IN 2014 (2nd)
FEATHER RIVER, 32-2 IN 2021 (T3rd)
EL CAMINO, 31-2 IN 2007
SACRAMENTO CITY, 31-2 IN 2009 (T5th)
FEATHER RIVER, 31-3 IN 2012 (lost Rd 3, state was final 4)
CABRILLO, 31-0 IN 2013 
LA PIERCE, 31-2 IN 2015 (2nd)
FRESNO CITY, 31-3 IN 2019 (T3rd)
FEATHER RIVER, 31-7 IN 2024
SAN DIEGO MESA, 31-2 IN 2025 (2nd)
SANTA ROSA JC, 30-4 IN 2011 (2nd)
FRESNO CITY, 30-1 IN 2016
GROSSMONT, 30-5 IN 2013 (2nd)
LA PIERCE, 30-4 IN 2016 (2nd)
CABRILLO, 30-2 IN 2017 (T3rd)
GAVILAN, 30-2 IN 2018 (T3rd)
FRESNO CITY, 30-5 IN 2024 (2nd)
TAFT, 30-3 IN 2025 (T5th)

Release by Robert Lewis, CCCWVCA/3C2A State Tournament SID