2024 Season in Review - COD Women’s Volleyball

Under the tutelage of nine-year veteran head coach head coach Detlev Rothe, Desert finished the regular season with a record 13-10 overall and 8-4 in conference. The Roadrunners placed 3rd in the Inland Empire Athletic Conference (IEAC).
The complete list of Inland Empire Athletic Conference honorees can be found HERE
Volleyball collected some notable firsts in 2024 as they defeated Rio Hondo for the first time since 2017, hosted Canyons for the first time ever, swept Chaffey for the 4th straight season, swept Copper Mountain for the 3rd straight season and swept Victor Valley.
Sophomore outside hitter Alexia Siani-Rader (Palm Desert Xavier College Prep) was named First team All-IEAC. Siani-Rader started all 23 matches for the Roadrunners in 2024 and was dynamic on all sides of the ball and top 5 or 1st in Conference in multiple categories: service aces (1st - 52), digs (3rd - 249) and kills (8th - 168). In the state, she was 19th in service aces and 11th in service aces per set. Her best game was at Mt. San Jacinto on October 23, where Siani-Rader tied a season high in kills with 15, had a season high in digs with 23, grabbed 3 service aces and a solo block.
Sophomore outside hitter Bella Branconier (Palm Desert Xavier College Prep) was named Second team All-IEAC after being named Honorable Mention All-IEAC in 2023. The hard work put in by Branconier in the off season was rewarded with a move from Honorable Mention to Second team in her sophomore campaign. She started 21 of 22 matches, finishing top-15 or top-10 in Conference in multiple categories: solo blocks (4th - 12), assist blocks (7th - 29), service aces (10th - 33) and kills (12th - 105). Her best game was at Copper Mountain on October 16, where Branconier had a season high 11 kills, service aces and 5 digs in another sweep of the Fighting Cacti.
Sophomore middle blocker Stacie Alexander (Yucca Valley H.S.) was named Honorable Mention All-IEAC after being named First team All-IEAC in 2023. She started 22 of 23 matches and was amazing at the net, finishing tops in Conference play with 16 solo blocks and 54 total blocks. Alexander finished 2nd in assist blocks with 38. Her best game of the season was at Chaffey on October 9, where Alexander had a season high 7 kills, tied a season high for digs with 8 and had 3 assist blocks.
Sophomore setter Ashley Estrada (Queen Creek (AZ) American Leadership Academy) was also named Honorable Mention All-IEAC after being named Honorable Mention All-IEAC in 2023. She started 22 of 23 matches, finishing 2nd in the Conference and 39th in the State with 504 set assists. The best game of the season for Estrada was at home against Cerro Coso on October 25, where she collected a career high for service aces with 5 in another sweep of the Coyotes. She set a career high for set assists with 39 at Mt. San Jacinto on October 23.
Freshman outside hitter Clairie Thomas (La Quinta H.S.) was also named Honorable Mention All-IEAC. She started all 23 matches for the Roadrunners in 2024, finishing 3rd in Conference in kills with 255 and 8th in hitting percentage with .269. Thomas also finished in the top-10 in digs (10th - 193), assist blocks (18 - 6th) and total blocks (7th - 25). Her best game of the season was at home against Canyons on September 4, where she had a season high 17 kills, had 2 service aces and 7 digs.
Follow COD Athletics on Twitter @COD_Athletics Instagram @COD_Athletics or Facebook @College of the Desert Athletics
For additional information, please contact the COD Sports Information Office at 760.423.6641.
Information & Story provided by COD Sports Information. Photo by Michael Leone Photography.