Snider set sail to San Diego Christian University
COSTA MESA -- Thea Snider, a standout member of the Orange Coast College indoor and beach volleyball programs, will be continuing her academic and beach careers at San Diego Christian University, according to Pirate head coach, Chuck Cutenese.
"Thea is the type of athlete every coach would want to coach," Cutenese said of Snider. "She is someone who takes pride in her performance, gives extra time to improve her skills, watches footage to help improve her game and is always encouraging her teammates when they're winning, or losing."
Snider wrapped up a very successful beach volleyball career after going a perfect 11-0 this past season with teammate Summer Hanks. That perfect record was capped off with a victory over fellow Pirate teammates Sara Enright and Alanna Shields (21-14, 21-13) in the finals of the Orange Empire Conference championships.
"I am taking so much with me from OCC ... the life lessons and fun memories are countless," Snider said. "From both my teammates and Coach Chuck, I've gotten so much life advice. Our outside hitter my first year, Lucrezia Lualdi, always talked about what a pure gift it is to be able to play. It changed my whole perspective on the game and other things I 'get' to do in life that others might only dream of.
"Coach Chuck has also imparted lots of wisdom on the game, especially with last year's season getting canceled (due to COVID). He explained you have to adjust -- which we did this past season -- and you will have to do that in all seasons of your life."
In addition to her stellar beach career, Snider was starting setter for the Pirate indoor program. As a freshman in 2019, she became just the seventh player in the history of the program to dish out over 800 assists and finished the season with 861, fifth-most for one season in school history.
"Coming to OCC was the best college decision I could have made," Snider said. "The community college education system is great, with teachers who really care. I've also seen the campus upgrades and man, I'm jealous! When I graduated high school, I felt pressured to go to a four-year, but OCC couldn't have been a better decision. Not to mention, OCC allowed me to find my passion for volleyball again."
Snider will now take her talents down to San Diego Christian University, where the Hawks will be introducing Beach Volleyball for its first season in 2021-22, a challenge that Snider looks forward to. "First of all, what's not to love about the location," Snider said about SDCU's area. "Then, more importantly, the coach (Gene Krieger) and the school seemed like a good fit for me. The school seemed pretty community-oriented and the coach was constantly reaching out and genuinely asking how I was doing, while also showing a competitive drive for the new sport."
