De Anza Volleyball Earns CCCAA Scholar Team Award

The De Anza College women's volleyball team was selected as a California Community College Athletic Association Scholar Team for 2019-2020. The prestigious award will be presented at the CCCAA Convention's Celebration of Scholar-Athletes online event on March 31.

The college has won the award in other sports, but this is the first time for volleyball.

De Anza will join 21 other sport programs that will receive CCCAA Scholar Team awards and an impressive list of student-athletes from conferences throughout the state who earned distinction on the Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll.

De Anza owned the state's top volleyball team GPA at 3.48 – and is the only fall sport team from Northern California of the 10 winners. The 2019 team produced a 19-9 record, a Coast Conference championship (10-2 record), a Top 25 state ranking, six All-Coast Conference players, and six scholar-athletes.

The 2019 season was a special one for head coach Dawnis Guevara, as the team excelled equally in competition and academics. More than half of the team roster will transfer to four-year universities this year.

"I'm so proud of my 2019 team," said Guevara.  

"I appreciate all of the hard work and dedication the team has given to us for the last two years, both on and off the court. This team has represented De Anza College, our volleyball program, and the coaching staff in the highest regard – and I would like to say, 'congratulations and thank you to every team member!' Being selected as a CCCAA Scholar Team recipient is an amazing accomplishment that both my team and I are extremely honored to receive."

Student-Athlete Highlights

The volleyball team was also well-represented in several student leadership projects:

Daysha Patalot was a student body senator; De Anza's first president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC); and a Mellon Humanities Scholar.

Ciara Barros and Joyce Kaliangara were also members of the school's first Student-Athlete Advisory Council. Kaliangara, 2020-2021 SAAC secretary, and continues to serve as a student representative on California's Senate Bill 206 (Community College Athlete Name, Image, and Likeness) committee. 

In addition, eight members of the team served their communities as youth volleyball coaches. 

"The fact that our volleyball team has been selected as the CCCAA Scholar Team recipient is such an honor and truly a team effort," said Patalot, a current junior at UC Berkeley, where she is a research assistant.

"There was a constant focus on our academics through grade reports and a persistent effort of holding our teammates accountable for doing well in our classes. I have to thank everyone that I met during my two years at De Anza: the athletic staff, my coaches, counselors, teammates, and peers. Without them and their unwavering support, I would not be a student at UC Berkeley. I have learned the importance of reaching out during times of adversity and creating meaningful relationships. This was and still is a valuable lesson that I hold near to me as I continue my transition to Cal amid a pandemic."

Kaliangara added that having teammates in her classes was a motivating factor.

"We push each other to do well and turn our assignments in to get that good grade," she said.

"Our coaches, Dawnis Guevara and Sarah Wallace, remind us of due dates for certain things in school, and push us to meet with our counselors and discuss our classes early on. My coaches are motivating and push us to succeed in school. Also, my teammates and I found it within ourselves to push through each quarter with diligence to attain good grades. Being No. 1 in the state is a big deal, so I hope that my teammates feel just as proud; and it also gives me motivation to continue to persevere in my studies."

Kaliangara said De Anza College has provided opportunities and instilled the confidence to transfer to a four-year university.

"The whole athletic department is all very encouraging and my coaches are always finding ways to help my teammates and I succeed in school," she said.

"They ask us how we are doing, and really focus on positivity. They make sure we are okay, which helps me in school. Education has always been immensely important to me because of everything my parents have given me, and with all the good things I have heard about De Anza, I knew it would be a good choice for me. The teachers I have had are great, and with the pandemic, they are very understanding. De Anza's positive atmosphere and good credibility helped me stay focused on my academics and helped me accomplish my goals."

2019-20 DA Volleyball Sophomores

"Where They're Going"