El Camino College’s beach volleyball and previous women’s volleyball coach was among six honored and inducted into the California Community College Athletic Association’s Hall of Fame during the organization’s annual convention in Sacramento in late March.
LeValley Pattison, who coached El Camino women’s volleyball program for 26 years and founded the beach volleyball program in 2016, was also a former student who helped take the Warriors to an undefeated state championship season in 1983.
“When I saw the names and bios of other inductees, I’m not sure if I belonged in that group,” Pattison said. “They’re fairly fantastic people and have accomplished some great things. But I was happy to be there.”
Pattison’s roots lie in the South Bay, having grown up in Manhattan Beach and graduated from Mira Costa High School. During her time there, she was a member of the team that achieved one of the school’s numerous volleyball CIF Championships.
She began her collegiate career with a brief stint at the University of California, Santa Barbara as a setter in 1982 before transferring to El Camino College and taking part in the undefeated 16-0 state title run.
Pattison went on to play at Long Beach State from 1984-85 where the 49ers volleyball team competed in the NCAA tournament. She went on to graduate in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education and soon after earned her master’s degree in administration from National University.
Beginning her coaching career, Pattison’s first coaching job was at Mira Costa High School as an assistant. She then had the opportunity to help coach Division 1 volleyball at Pepperdine University assisting the team in four of its NCAA Playoff runs.
Pattison’s time at El Camino was monumental in leading the women’s volleyball program to 16 conference championships. The 2014 Warriors season put her over the top in the 400-win club. Overall, she has a career record of 404-125, and has been named South Coast Conference Coach of the Year 14 times.
“We try to give the student athletes the best experience possible and a lot of times it pays off,” Pattison said. “I had a great experience here as a player. I loved it and we had phenomenal coaches, so I was happy to come back as a coach and be successful.”
