A familiar face is back to lead the City College of San Francisco women's volleyball team.
Sifa Faaiu, a 2015 first-team All-Coast Conference selection and team most valuable player for the Rams, was named the new head coach at CCSF and returns to take over the program she once suited up for.
"I feel blessed to be named the head coach at City College of San Francisco," said Faaiu. "The program at CCSF, my coach, as well as our trainers at City, definitely prepared me for the next level. I feel that I have a lot to offer the athletes that do come in because I, myself, was a JUCO product. I know what it takes to make it to the next level and to compete in the next level. I am excited to give back to the program that helped me."
Following a successful two years at CCSF, Faaiu transferred to Cal State Los Angeles and wrapped up her collegiate career playing out her junior and senior seasons on the indoor and beach volleyball squads. She also went on to earn her BA degree in business administration.
Faaiu brings coaching experience at the club level, most recently with SF Elite Volleyball, and also spent two years as an assistant coach for the Rams and former head coach Saga Vae during the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
She'll start the 2022 season with a clean slate. With no returners from a 2021 team that compiled a 3-18 overall record, Faaiu will look to build a new foundation for the program with nine freshmen to open the schedule.
Faaiu pointed out setter Jennifer Mata'u (Burton HS), as well as outside hitters Vanessa Semien (Jefferson HS) and Anivaolegai-Moors Tafilele (El Camino HS) as players to watch this season.
The Rams get the 2022 season underway on Friday (Aug. 26) when they travel to Napa Valley College for a pair of non-conference matches. CCSF takes on West Hills College Lemoore at 3 p.m. in its season-opener followed by a 5 p.m. contest against host Napa Valley.
CCSF will make its home debut on Wednesday, Sep. 7 when it hosts Skyline College at 6:30 p.m.
Faaiu has some lofty goals for her first season but looks to make improvements from last year.
"The ultimate goal would be to win the conference," she said. "My expectation would definitely be to finish higher than we have in previous years."