Fresno City College sophomores Lusa Andrews and Jayla Iversen (Photo by Freddy Ponce)
Posted: May 09, 2026
Saturday's Photos | Pairs Championship Photos | Complete Pairs Results
Walnut, Calif. – Hand in hand and with tears in their eyes, Fresno City College sophomores Lusa Andrews and Jayla Iversen stepped forward to accept their first-place medals Saturday evening. State champions. Again.
Less than 48 hours after helping lead the Rams to the program's first-ever 3C2A Beach Volleyball Team State Championship and an undefeated season, Fresno's No. 2 pair still had unfinished business on the sand.
Andrews and Iversen capped off an exhausting three-day stretch by capturing the 3C2A Beach Volleyball Pairs State Championship, battling through one of the toughest paths in the tournament before finishing the job in dominant fashion.
"The relief, I think," Andrews said when asked why the moment felt so emotional. "Knowing that all of our hard work paid off and that we fought for it. We grew so much in our partnership this season and just for it to be rewarded and get that satisfaction is overwhelming."
"I think just how hard we push each other," Iversen added. "We make each other better. And I think this just proves it. I'm so proud of her. We worked so hard."
Their pairs championship journey started bright and early Friday morning in pool play, opening at 8 a.m. with an in-house matchup against Fresno teammates, No. 4 pair Haiden Davis and Olivia Gleason. Andrews and Iversen handled business quickly with a 21-12, 21-10 victory before taking down Santa Barbara's Maddie Papia and Abigail Stenz 21-16, 21-18 later in the day.
Their only loss of the entire tournament came in their last match of the day against MiraCosta's Hailey Heflin and Kiara Keibel — a powerhouse duo that would eventually earn bronze medals. Even in defeat, the Rams battled, falling 21-10, 24-22 in a tight second set.
That result still left Andrews and Iversen sitting second in their pool and advancing to Saturday's Round of 16.
Ironically, their first Saturday matchup came against Folsom Lake's Alla Lustiva and Stacy Vorster — the same duo that defeated them in the Northern California Regional Championship. But this time, Fresno flipped the script. Andrews and Iversen stormed to a 21-11 first-set victory before closing things out 21-19 to punch their ticket to the quarterfinals.
Then came another all-Fresno showdown. The Rams' No. 1 pair and sister duo of Devyn and Morgan Castaneda stood on the other side of the net with a semifinal spot on the line. After dropping the opening set 13-21, Andrews and Iversen responded with back-to-back wins, 21-16 and 15-10, completing an emotional reverse sweep against their own teammates.
Their semifinal matchup against Moorpark College's Alesia Thomas and Natsune Makino became another gritty three-set marathon. Once again, Andrews and Iversen dropped the first set 12-21 before clawing their way back with a dramatic 24-22 second set win and a 15-12 finish in the third.
By the time the championship match arrived, Fresno's pair had already played nine matches across three days. Waiting for them in the finals was Orange Coast College's Kayla Ihrig and Sophie Vienna — the South's No. 1 seeded duo.
It was exactly the matchup fans hoped for. The North versus the South. Two elite pairs fighting for the final title of the season.
And once again, Andrews and Iversen found themselves trailing early after dropping the first set 16-21. But then everything changed.
The Rams didn't just respond — they exploded. Andrews and Iversen completely flipped the momentum, overpowering OCC 21-15 in set two before dominating the deciding third set 15-4 to secure the state championship. The clear and most worthy winners.
"They brought it to another level in that third set," Fresno City head coach Kieran Roblee said. "This was their 10th match. They shouldn't be playing 10 matches to begin with."
Roblee credited Orange Coast's duo for an incredible tournament run of their own but acknowledged Fresno's road may have been the tougher.
"Our girls played all day Thursday, through Friday to get to this championship match and win it," Roblee said. "It's very impressive for any team — not just the one that I'm attached to right now — for any team to go that distance and get it."
Roblee said Fresno's experience and conditioning ultimately showed late in the match.
"Our legs were a little jello-y in the first set," she said. "But they locked in. Jayla had some really tough serves and Lusa was stupendous on her defensive movements. Then she got up and attacked some balls in that third set."
The title also carried deeper meaning for Fresno's program.
Not only did the Rams win both the team and pairs state championships, but they also became the first Northern California program to accomplish the feat in the same season — another sign of how much beach volleyball has grown in the region over the last several years.
"Our team invested a lot," Roblee said. "I know how emotional the whole team is because they're our returning sophomores and for them to do it — and what they intentionally had planned with their focus — it's just awesome."
For Andrews and Iversen, the moment was also the perfect ending to their final season together.
"Ending our sophomore year this way, as we graduate and go our separate ways, I know she's going to do great things," Andrews said. "I'm so honored to have had the privilege to be her partner this season."
And for Iversen, the championship happened to come with a little extra celebration attached.
"This is the best birthday present I could have ever asked for," she said with a smile. "Our teammates have been so incredible helping us get here. We could not have done it alone."
And just like that, another beach volleyball season is complete — with Fresno City leaving Walnut carrying two state championships back to the Central Valley.
3C2A Beach Volleyball Pairs Results
Finals:
Andrews/Iversen (Fresno) def. Ihrig/Vienna (Orange Coast), 16-21, 21-15, 15-4
Semifinals:
Ihrig/Vienna (Orange Coast) def. Heflin/Keibel (MiraCosta), 12-21, 24-22, 15-12
Andrews/Iversen (Fresno) def. Thomas/Makina (Moorpark), 21-16, 14-21, 15-11
Quarterfinals:
Ihrig/Vienna (Orange Coast) def. Allen Jones (Long Beach), 21-19, 21-17
Heflin/Keibel (MiraCosta) def. Albiez/Williams (Feather River), 21-12, 21-16
Andrews/Iversen (Fresno) def. Castaneda/Castaneda (Fresno), 13-21, 21-16, 15-10
Thomas/Makino (Moorpark) def. Gibbs/Rivera (Feather River), 21-19, 21-17