Community college women’s volleyball: The good ‘ol days

Steve Virgen

The Orange Coast College women’s locker room is about the only

place where freshman volleyball player Melissa Roberts feels left out.

She’s practically speechless when her teammates are talking about

their boyfriends, parties and some comical details of those late weekend

nights. Her lack of being social is expected at these times.

Roberts is 39 years old.

She has many other things on her mind, and yet another, after a player

asked her, “Aren’t you worried your daughter talks about things like

this.”

Roberts, who graduated from Estancia High in 1980, is older than the

team’s head coach, Chuck Cutenese, and twice as old as the Pirates’

youngest players.

However, age and its body-aching results haven’t been able to stop

Roberts.

“I’m very competitive,” Roberts said, revealing the reason she wanted

to play for the Pirates. “I really didn’t know whether or not I would

make it until they asked, ‘what uniform size you want.’ I went in

thinking it would be nice to make the team. There aren’t too many coaches

who would want a 39-year-old player on their team.”

Well, that’s not true. Cutenese is thrilled to have Roberts on his

team.

“I love coaching at the JC level because of this,” Cutenese said.

“It’s the best thing about being in the community college level. You get

people with tons of different backgrounds and you have a different makeup

in your team every year.”

“Melissa brings something to our team that most aren’t aware of,” he

continued. “She supports our coaching staff more because of her

experience and because of her volleyball background. She leads without

being a leader. The players know that when she takes initiative, it’s a

good indication to follow her.”

Though she does not receive much playing time, Cutenese said Roberts

provides intensity in the team’s practices. Roberts, as Cutenese puts it,

“holds her own.”

Without knowledge of her age, Cutenese told Roberts she would make the

team during summer workouts. When she started believing the idea, she

continued to push toward her goal and with the support of her family, her

random thought became reality.

Not only did Roberts welcome the challenge of making the team, she

also thrived on the test of taking on all the added work to her daily

duties.

Roberts has three children, Rachel, 17, Tim, 15, and 15-year-old

stepdaughter Leah. She has been married for the past six years to Roger,

46, and they all live in Orange.

In addition to her studies dealing with computer science at OCC,

Roberts works two jobs.

She is an assistant coach for the freshman and junior varsity girls

volleyball teams at Foothill High. And Roberts maintains the team’s

website. Rachel plays for the varsity team there.

She is also a manufacturing consultant for a research company in

Irvine.

Out of the different hats she wears, she enjoys being a Pirate because

of the challenge it provides.

“I like the team,” Roberts said. “What’s good about this team is that

there are a lot of good players. Most of the players play at a high

level. We all work hard in practice and there’s no fooling around.

Hopefully we can win state this year, that would be awesome.”

Regardless of what takes place this season, Roberts is assured with

the fact she conquered her what-if thoughts. There are no regrets.

She’s not living her sports dreams through her children. She’s making

those fantasies from her own doing.

The desire to compete has been rekindled.

While at Estancia, back in the late 70s, Roberts excelled in

volleyball, gymnastics, field hockey, and diving.

She was named Sophomore of the Year and earned Most Improved honors as

a junior for the Eagles’ volleyball team. She played field hockey for two

years and was also a diver for two years.

Roberts, much like the busybody she is today, spent four years on the

gymnastics team and her most memorable volleyball experience was making

the varsity as a freshman in high school.And now it’s as if those days

are back. Roberts has those nervous feelings before games again. There is

no doubt she has found her place with the Pirates.

Next year, if Rachel does not find a college to play for, Roberts

might play with her daughter at OCC.

“I would like to play next year,” Roberts said. “We’ll see if

(Cutenese) wants me back.”