Fresno City Completes Perfect Season with 3C2A State Championship

 

Walnut, Calif. – Fresno City College finally got their storybook ending.

 

After back-to-back runner-up finishes the past two seasons, the Rams came down to Southern California with a job to do and they did it - capturing the program's first 3C2A Beach Volleyball State Championship in dominant fashion. And they didn't just win it all — they completed a perfect undefeated season at 29-0.

 

"I'm a little speechless and I'm super happy for the gals," said Fresno City College Head Coach Kieran Roblee. "They were very intentional with their focus. Intentional with their growth. Intentional with what they wanted to accomplish."

 

That word — intentional — became the theme of Fresno's entire season. Calm, focused, relentless.

 

The championship dual featured the top teams from both sides of the state: Fresno City, the No. 1 seed from the North, and MiraCosta College, the South's No. 1 seed. On paper, it looked like an epic showdown. On the sand? Fresno completely took over.

 

The Rams earned a decisive 3-0 victory over the Spartans, clinching the title before the remaining courts could even finish. However, it should be noted that MiraCosta's No.1 pair of Hailey Heflin and Kiara Keibel did take the first set.  

 

Mikayla Weiss and Cambria Waites earned Fresno's first point of the championship, taking down Gwen Mitchell and Kylie Osborne 21-16, 21-18 at the No. 3 pairs spot.

 

From there, Kalani Soares and Annika Ramirez brought the heat on court five with a quick 21-12, 21-10 victory over Willow Snow and Emily Musolf.

 

Then came the clincher. Haiden Davis and Olivia Gleason sealed the state title with a gritty 21-19, 21-15 win over Claire Komadina and Savai Kilaulani in the No. 4 pairs match — setting off the celebration for the undefeated Rams.

 

Fresno looked locked in all day long. They opened the tournament with a dominant 5-0 sweep over Long Beach City College before heading into game two against San Diego Mesa College. Once again, Fresno made it look easy, winning 3-0 with two matches ending early after the dual was clinched.

 

The Castaneda sisters, Devyn and Morgan, absolutely handled things in the No. 1 pairs spot, cruising to a 21-9, 21-9 victory over Mia Lundberg and Layla Folkers. Lusa Andrews and Jayla Iversen followed with a commanding 21-7, 21-11 win, while Davis and Gleason stayed hot with another straight-set victory.

 

Top to bottom, Fresno's lineup was simply stacked.

 

"Our daily objective has been intentional growth," Roblee said. "There are going to be highs and lows, - and those lows can really bring you down - but if you stick with it and continue to focus on growth, we are going to do a lot of really good things."

 

Still, Fresno's focus never wavered.

 

"We focus on the mini games — not the big picture," Roblee explained. "The little seven-point switches and staying in those moments."

 

That mentality carried the Rams through every rally, every matchup, and ultimately to the biggest win in program history.

 

Meanwhile, MiraCosta had to grind through a much tougher road to the finals. The Spartans opened with a 4-1 win over Santa Barbara City College before surviving a battle with Feather River College in a tight 3-2 victory. Multiple courts went the distance to three sets throughout the day, showing the grit and determination of the runner-up Spartans.

 

And while the championship trophy is heading back to Fresno, Roblee made it clear this win was about more than volleyball.

 

"I'm very happy for our Central Valley community," she said. "That we are bringing back a Beach Volleyball State Championship to Fresno — for the beach community, for our college. I think that is what overwhelms me the most."

 

Championship secured. Perfect season complete.

 

While Fresno City celebrated their historic team title Thursday evening, the action is far from over. The 3C2A Pairs Championship starts Friday at 8 a.m., featuring the top individual duos in the state competing for a championship of their own. With elite talent across every court, the stage is set for another exciting stretch of beach volleyball heading into Saturday's finals. Stay tuned!