After coming so close in 2011, the Bear Cub volleyball team looked to go all the way in the 2012 and capture their first state championship.

The Bear Cubs headed to Fullerton over the weekend for this year’s state championship after defeating rival Feather River College. The Bear Cubs entered the tournament with momentum and confidence. SRJC (26-2) faced stiff competition early, squaring off against the defending state champion L.A. Pierce College (30-0). The Bear Cubs were able to keep all the matches close, but were ultimately defeated in three sets. The final scores for the sets were 23-25, 21-25 and 22-25.

After a crushing the defeat, the Bear Cubs faced Golden West College (22-3) from Huntington Beach. Once again the Bear Cubs were neck and neck with Golden West in each match, but for a second time dropped all three sets.

The ultimate goal of state champions was now out of reach, but the Bear Cubs still had a chance to take home some hardware. SRJC challenged Fresno City College for a third place finish in the state championship tournament. The Bear Cubs had much better success this go around, defeating Fresno City in three sets, with the final scores being 25-16, 25-12 and 25-21.

The win over Fresno City College earned a third place finish for the Bear Cubs, meaning they are ranked third in the entire state of California. The Bear Cubs finished the season strong and end with a overall record of 27-4.