COAST CITIES — In spring 2013, MiraCosta College will field its first women’s sand volleyball team. Sand volleyball is a rapidly growing sport, with many NCAA college teams forming across the country.MiraCosta will play in intercollegiate competition against a combination of the Orange Empire Conference (Irvine Valley, Saddleback, Riverside and Golden West colleges), and possibly San Diego colleges.
The college has chosen Casey McFarland as team coach. McFarland, an active beach volleyball player, has competed in the World Volleyball and Beach Volleyball Federation in Europe, with a first place finish in Lugano, Switzerland, in 2008. She has coached high school beach volleyball camps and youth club volleyball for the past 13 years. Her club volleyball teams at Encinitas Wave Volleyball Club have medaled the last two years at the USA Junior Nationals Championships.
McFarland currently teaches health and kinesiology at MiraCosta College and health at Pacific Ridge School in Carlsbad.
“We are very excited to add women’s sand volleyball to the list of opportunities that we offer to student athletes. Much like the surf team here at MiraCosta College, sand volleyball fits well with the culture of our district and will be a fun and exciting sport to follow,” said Athletics Director Pat Conahan.
The sand volleyball season will run from mid-March through the end of April. Tryouts are yet to be scheduled. The team will consist of 10 to 15 players and will train at Ponto Beach in Carlsbad.
For information on tryouts, contact Conahan at [email protected].