Community College Notebook / Steve Kresal : Guest Decides to Stay Home and Fullerton Volleyball Team Prospers

The Fullerton College women’s volleyball team returned four starters this season and expected to be much improved. But the Hornets didn’t become solid contenders for the conference title until the late arrival of Sue Guest.

Guest, a 6-foot outside hitter, transferred from Washington State, but it took a restless night to decide on the move.

Guest, who went to Troy High School, had her car packed and was ready to return to college at Pullman in the middle of August. She was set to leave early the next morning.

“I was totally ready to go,” Guest said. “But I just couldn’t sleep the night before. I never really thought of not going back until that night when I was in bed. Finally, my mother came in and we had this four-hour talk.

“We talked about a lot of things, but I guess it came down to that I really wasn’t that happy there except for volleyball. That was great, but there wasn’t that much else to do except go to Moscow, Idaho . . . and I’d done that.”

After the talk, Guest decided not to return to Washington State. She decided instead to attend Fullerton, despite that fact that classes started in two days.

Guest went through late registration and walked into the gym for tryouts being conducted by first-year Coach Julie Ortman.

Ortman, who had coached track and volleyball at Fullerton High School, was well aware of Guest’s ability.

Guest was a track and volleyball standout at Troy as a sophomore and junior, but missed both sports as a senior because she severely sprained her left ankle the second day of volleyball practice.

In the spring of her senior year, Guest was finally healthy and played for the Cal Juniors, a club team. She started an aggressive letter-writing campaign in an effort to get a scholarship and Washington State answered.

“I don’t think anyone could ask for a better first-year gift,” Ortman said. “She brings a lot of different things to the court including a Division-I level of intensity that makes a real difference.”

Guest’s talents were not noticed right away as Fullerton was swept by Cerritos, 3-0, in its first match this season. But the Hornets have won six in a row and are 2-0 in Orange Empire Conference play.

“We just didn’t click in that first match,” Guest said. “It sort of made me wonder if I made the right decision to leave and play on this level. But we have been getting it together on the court now.”

At one point in the third quarter of Orange Coast’s 35-15 victory over San Diego City College Saturday, San Diego was faced with fourth and 53.

The Knights had a first down at the OCC 31 and lost 6 yards on the first play.

On second down, a pass fell incomplete but San Diego City Coach Tony Williams protested that his receiver was bumped. After an appeal, Williams was ejected and called for a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. One of his players was also called for the same infraction, so San Diego City lost 30 yards back to its 33.

Then, after a sack for a 7-yard loss, San Diego was faced with a fourth and 53 at its 26 and had to punt.

The series was par for the course for this 3-hour 10-minute game.

San Diego had 17 penalties for 183 yards and OCC was called 16 times for 167 yards for a total of 350 yards in penalties.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a game like that,” OCC Coach Bill Workman said. “The problem is we ended up playing to that level. . . . The whole situation was out of control. Because of that, we got out of control for a short bit. But we got it back together.”

Community College Notes

Marcial Beltran of Fullerton won the individual race in the Irvine Invitational cross-country meet Friday. Beltran, a sophomore, ran the 4-mile course in 19:32. Alfredo Vigueras of Orange Coast College ran 19:38 to finish third as OCC won the team title. . . . Art Orozco and Randy Gonzalez won individual titles as Cypress’ wrestling team finished third Saturday at the Cuesta Invitational. Lassen won the team title and Palomar was second. Orozco won at 150 pounds and Gonzalez won in the heavyweight division.