After more than a year of construction and a $7.07 million budget, De Anza’s new outdoor volleyball courts opened on Sept. 22, the first day of fall quarter, allowing the beach volleyball team to train and host games on campus.
Athletics Director Ron Hannon said De Anza has had a beach volleyball program for over five years, but the previous practice facility did not provide the resources needed to make the program successful.
“I really think that this is going to benefit the program,” Hannon said.
The new facility is located next to Parking Lot D and features six courts with ample space for spectators, bleachers and player sidelines. It also includes stadium lighting, a concrete walkway and a synthetic grass training area, and meets the requirements needed to host games and tournaments.
“They meet both the NCAA requirements and the international beach volleyball regulations,” Hannon said. “We can host a wide variety of sanctioned beach volleyball competition events on this facility.”
Prior to the new courts, the beach volleyball team would have practice off-campus, at a rented facility at Valley Church in Cupertino. The team was unable to host games and tournaments due to the size of the Valley Church court.
“We had to drive extra far for every game we had,” Ava Hudnut (De Anza No. 13), 18, ceramics major, said. “Now we get to host for half our season so we don’t have to pay for buses.”
The facility was built on the previous location of the vacant softball field, which has been inactive since the program’s cancellation in spring quarter of 2019.
“For the last six years, they have not been able to field a softball team. So we did tons of data and research, etcetera … but that was one of the sports that was just difficult to keep going with the many other teams that we have.” said Head Women’s Volleyball Coach Dawnis Guevara.
Guevara said the space was already designated for athletics, making it an ideal fit for the project.
The multi-million dollar project was funded by Measure G which required $898 million to be afforded to construct and renovate De Anza and Foothill campus facilities, classes and labs.
The courts are also being used for kinesiology classes, and on Monday evenings they host a separate beach volleyball techniques course.
Guevara said the facility will also be used for training by other sports programs.
“You can use the sand for a different service to train in – cardiovascular, leg strength. All that it’s helpful for,” Guevara said.
Students will also be able to reserve the facility for use outside of classes or intercollegiate competitions, Hannon said. “It’s designed and meant for both the campus and the community to enjoy. I can see that it’s probably gonna be in high demand, which is exciting for the college.”
Students shared hopes that the new beach volleyball court would bring more awareness to the program.
“I don’t think many people knew that we had a beach team because there was nowhere on campus that we had a place to go,” Hudnut said. “But now that it’s something on campus, and it’s so big, I think the home-game advantage is definitely gonna be big for team spirit.”
The official ribbon cutting ceremony is estimated to be around the beginning of the winter quarter.
