- Press release by Porterville College Public Information Office

Porterville College (PC) has announced the appointment Alia Alvarez as the new Pirates Head Women's Basketball Coach.

Alvarez spent the 2020-2021 season as assistant coach for both the Men's and Women's teams at PC and will take the lead for the women's team as head coach starting this Summer as we return to in-person practices. She has been an instructor in our Kinesiology program for the past two (2) years.

Athletic Director Joe Cascio is excited that we were able to find the right person to lead the team from right here on the PC Campus. "We are very fortunate to hire someone with Alia's background. She's from the Valley, played here at PC before transferring to Hawaii-Hilo, and came back to the Valley to earn her Master's degree at Fresno State. She also has been teaching in our Kinesiology division and helping with both the Men's and Women's basketball teams here for the last 2 years. That familiarity with PC is going to be a great asset for her as she rebuilds our Women's Basketball program."

Alvarez, an award winning athlete herself, spent time as a Porterville College Pirate from 2012-2014 where she was awarded First Team All CVC and PC Outstanding Performance of the Year in the 2013-2014 season. She then moved on to play at the University of Hawaii, Hilo where she was recognized as Female Scholar Athlete of the Year in the 2015-2016 season. Alvarez completed her Master's degree in Kinesiology at Fresno State in 2019. She has been an assistant coach for the PC men's basketball team since 2019.

Her familiarity with the Porterville community and the operation of the men's and women's teams at PC, makes Alvarez the perfect fit for the program. "I am very excited for this new position! I always knew I wanted to start my coaching career at Porterville College and it's amazing to finally see my dreams come true."

Alvarez continued, "My immediate plans are to create a new team culture and gain more community support. I will recruit high character, local players that strive for excellence on the court and in the classroom. My goal for the girls is to take pride in where they come from and be excited to play for Porterville College."

PC President Dr. Claudia Habib also shared her thoughts on this announcement, "I am excited to have Coach Alvarez on board to lead our Women's basketball team. This has been a tough year, especially for our Student-Athletes. I know the players, and everyone at PC, look forward to being back participating in competitions next Fall. I look forward to cheering our PC Pirates from the stands!"