Enright to commit to Southern Connecticut
COSTA MESA -- Orange Coast College women's volleyball standout, Sara Enright, will be continuing her athletic and academic careers at Southern Connecticut State University, according to head coach Chuck Cutenese.
Enright, a graduate of Yorba Linda High School, competed for OCC in the 2021 season and made an immediate impact on the Pirate program with 222 kills and 276 digs, both second-most on the team. Her 32 aces led the Pirates and her strong play earned her first-team, All-Orange Empire Conference honors as she helped lead Coast to a 20-6 overall record and trip to Round 2 of the Southern California Regional playoffs.
"OCC was a great experience for me and I learned a lot about volleyball and myself here," Enright said. "I had no idea what I was doing when I originally got here out of high school, since COVID was still impacting us so much. I think Orange Coast College brought back the love I had for this sport, not being able to play it my freshman year of college, and then this year being able to come as the captain and lead this team meant everything to me. I think OCC taught me the most about being part of something much more than just a sport. Coach Chuck would always use the term team, and make us repeat that, this team was family this year. Coach Amber (McCarthy) showed me how lucky we were to be able to play, when other teams were in much worse situations than ours. She taught use how to keep pushing through the bad, because there will always be a light at the end of the tunnel. Coach Adrian (Delgado) made such a huge impact on my volleyball career at OCC. He may not have known it, but him showing up at practices and games put a smile on my face I knew when things were not going our way, he would sit back and find a solution to help us succeed. All the coaches and people at OCC have made such an impact on my life and I made friendships that will last a long time.
"I am most proud of the impact I have made on this program," Enright said. "I think it was hard this year not having any OCC returning players, we had to find a standard and a voice that fit our team, and I think as a team we did that. Making it to second round of regionals this year was an amazing experience. I think I am most proud of how much I have grown from the people around me, as a volleyball player and as a person. I will miss seeing all my friends everyday, being committed to a sport you see your teammates everyday, I will miss the constant support from them, and all the laughs. As well as I will miss Coach Chuck and Coach Amber. I have close relationships with both of them and they both truly have made an impact on my life."
Enright is also enjoying a very successful beach volleyball career for the Pirates as well. Last spring, she and teammate Alanna Shields advanced all the way to the Orange Empire Conference Pairs Championships before falling to Pirate teammates Summer Hanks and Thea Snider in the finals. This year she and teammate, Summer Hanks, are 10-1 this year and have led the Pirates to an unbeaten season thus far in 2022 (11-0).
From the beaches of Southern California, Enright will soon embark on a trek across the country to Southern Connecticut State, where the Owls finished 23-11 in the Northeast 10 Conference.
"There are many reasons I decided to commit to Southern Connecticut," Enright said. "One being the fact it has always been a dream of mine to play out of state, and go to school in a place other than California. California has been home for my whole life, and I am ready to go experience something else in a place that is new. Connecticut felt like home the second I walked onto campus. The team is like family, and so is the school. I was welcomed so fast, and getting the chance to practice with the team while I was there gave me the opportunity to see what it would be like being a player there, and I loved it, the team and the coaching staff. I am so excited to get the opportunity to keep working hard and play the sport I love."
