Building job done: Pontes-Christian named volleyball NorCal Coach of the Year

Kristen Pontes-Christian built the Pitman High volleyball program with predictable baby steps until it gained traction and became a Sac-Joaquin Section power.

Ten years after she became coach, Pontes-Christian (236-88-2, .727) reaps the rewards of her success. She has been named Northern California Volleyball Coach of the Year by the California Coaches Association and will be honored on June 17 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Sacramento.

“I am surprised and shocked,” she said. “For the girls to continue to play volleyball after they leave Pitman and the passion they show, that’s a proud coaching moment for me.”

Pontes-Christian, 34, a graduate of Turlock High, played for Modesto Junior College and beach volleyball while she attended San Diego State. Her most recent coaching accomplishments are prolific: Six straight Central California Conference titles and three straight section D-I championships. The latter feat has been accomplished by only three other D-I teams: Davis of Yolo (1983-85), St. Mary’s (1991-96) and Nevada Union (2002-08).

Pitman captured last season’s section title with an emotional win over rival Turlock. The Pride’s reward was an invitation to the inaugural CIF Northern California Open Division Tournament, where it joined only one other public school. Pitman was beaten in the first round by St. Ignatius of San Francisco and finished 28-8.

That was only the latest chapter of seven years of excellence. It wasn’t all victory and glory, however, when Pontes-Christian began her head coaching tenure at Pitman.

Her first three teams didn’t top the .500 mark, so she and parents kicked off the Turlock Crush club team. The first team included future stars Lindsey Vander Weide (Oregon), Maddy Halteman (Fresno State), Spencer Bronken, Ashleigh Phelps, Kaitlyn Walters and others.

Four years later (2014) as seniors at Pitman, that special group went 44-2 and – while Pontes-Christian was pregnant with daughter Kora – reached the D-1 state final. To get there, the Pride rallied from behind for a pulsating win at home over Menlo-Atherton for the NorCal title.

“We started at Pitman with talented players but not year-round players. Those early years were a little bit rough. It was a struggle,” Pontes-Christian said. “That first team with the Crush was the turnaround. It takes a lot of talent and team chemistry in volleyball. When the girls play year-round, it makes a huge difference.”

Between 2011 and ‘15, Pitman won 58 straight CCC games. Since 2010, the Pride has been 207-42 (.831). Pontes-Christian is helped by her father, a volunteer since 2014 who also coaches the Crush.

“When the girls come to Pitman, there are such high expectations and they want to keep up that streak,” she said. “They work so hard to gain that consistency and be successful. I’m so proud of them for their effort.”

This story was originally published April 14, 2017 at 5:22 PM with the headline "Building job done: Pontes-Christian named volleyball NorCal Coach of the Year."