Inland college notes: Mamea sisters helped San Bernardino Valley College volleyball team to memorable season

The Mamea sisters – Loleaulelei and Manaia – did everything in their power to put the San Bernardino Valley College women’s volleyball team at the top of the list in Southern California.

Winning back-to-back Inland Empire Athletic Conference championships – this year with an 11-1 conference record – they nearly made it before coming up short at Cerritos in the SoCal Regional championship match on Nov. 30.

“I’m super proud of our team but especially our sophomores, who laid the foundation last year and continued to strive for a little bit more,” SBVC second-year head coach Robert Vansant said. “I think they should hold their heads high because they did some really great things for San Bernardino Valley College.”

The No. 14 seed entering the SoCal Regional playoffs, the Wolverines beat Riverside City and No. 3 seed Moorpark in the semifinals to advance to the regional final, where they lost in straight sets, 25-15, 25-17, 25-11, against No. 6 Cerritos.

“(Cerritos) is really good,” Vansant said. “They have a few more players than we do, but you know, we got the most out of our team.”

The Mamea sisters, sophomores from Summit High School, were among the top hitters in the state all season.

Opposite hitter Loleaulelei Mamea led the IEAC in kills per set (4.19) and hit percentage (.379), while averaging 2.51 digs with 32 blocks and 46 aces this season. Outside hitter Manaia Mamea averaged 3.77 kills per set, hit .283 and averaged 2.5 digs.

Sophomore setter Christina Muller (Redlands East Valley) led the conference with 772 assists (8.48 per set) and had a team-high 49 aces, while sophomore blocker Ariana Romero (Redlands) led the team with 35 blocks.

“There will never be another group like this,” Vansant said. “I told them that during our meeting after the game (against Cerritos).”

Manaia Mamea led SBVC with 15 kills and 11 digs in the SoCal Regional final, while Loleaulelei Mamea totaled 11 kills. Muller finished with 24 assists and 10 digs.

“If I can get something close to this group and get good kids that work hard in the classroom and on the court, and have that level of trust that these guys had in me, they’ll be OK,” Vansant said.

Prior to going 18-7 last season and advancing to the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade.

SBVC had won just 16 games over the previous five seasons prior to Vansant’s hiring, going 3-19 in 2022, 4-12 in 2021, 4-19 in 2019, 3-21 in 2018 and 2-20 in 2017.

REDLANDS POLO WINS ANOTHER NATIONAL TITLE

A year after losing by one goal, the University of Redlands men’s water polo team captured its second USA Water Polo Division III collegiate national championship with a one-game win of its own.

Senior Nicolas Fedotov scored the game-winner with 1 minute, 3 seconds remaining as Redlands hung on to defeat Chapman University 14-13 at the Thompson Aquatics Center on Sunday, Dec. 8.

Fedotov finished with a game-high five goals for Redlands (18-12 overall), which lost 6-5 to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in the 2023 championship game. The Bulldogs previously won the national title in 2022.

RETLAFF SIGNS NIL DEAL

Centennial High School graduate and Riverside City College alum Jake Retzlaff is having a breakout season as the first Jewish starting quarterback at BYU, and he recently signed his first NIL agreement.

Retzlaff, who has 20 touchdowns and nearly 2,800 yards for the No. 18-ranked Cougars (10-2 overall) this season, is the newest product ambassador for Manischewitz Foods, one of North America’s largest Kosher brands.

As part of the collaboration, Manischewitz has created limited-edition collectibles like the ‘Jake Retzlaff Matzo Boxes’, and marketing centered around the Retzlaff family’s favorite latkes mix that will be available in select communities.

RUN ENDS FOR LANCERS POLO

Junior Logan Puhl (Los Osos) had three goals but it wasn’t enough as the California Baptist University men’s water polo team’s season came to an end in the NCAA Division I Tournament.

Puhl scored early as CBU netted the first three goals before No. 2 seed Southern Cal rallied to win 17-13 in an opening round game at Stanford University on Dec. 6.

Senior Bodhi Bowden ends the season as the team leader with 82 goals for the Lancers (23-13 overall), which notched a pair of wins over top-five teams (UC Irvine and Pacific) and earned its highest national ranking at No. 9 earlier this year.