CVC girls soccer team sets state record with win
Celebratory moments like the one the Central Valley Christian girls soccer team had Tuesday night are usually reserved for a team winning a championship.
A team wins a league or a Central Section title and the entire school pauses to recognize that one team's achievement.
Tuesday's celebration was about honoring 10 years worth of champions at CVC.
The Cavaliers defeated Immanuel 6-0 in a Central Sequoia League match to record their 105th straight league win, setting a state record for consecutive league victories.
The previous record was held by Bonita High School of La Verne, which won 104 matches from 1994-2003.
"This feels good. It is not everyday where you get to break a record like this," CVC coach Jacob De Groot said. "A lot of people that put in a lot of hard work deserve this. I definitely don't take all the credit. It has everything to do with CVC as a community and the consistency of kids we get here."
CVC's streak started with a 2-1 victory over Farmersville on Feb. 8, 2002 to close out that season.
The coach at the time was Scott Elgersma, who continued that streak for 10 more wins during the 2002-03 season.
Elgersma, who is now a pastor at a church in Redlands, was in Visalia on Tuesday to witness CVC's record-setting performance.
Elgersma knew CVC's program had continued to strive under Brian Schaap for two seasons and then under De Groot since he took over in 2005.
But he had no idea they were on the cusp of making history.
"When you have been a part of something like this, you want to see it happen," said Elgersma, who was told about the record by CVC athletic director Ryan Tos just last week. "I was surprised — not because of the success of the program — but because they haven't had any losses in league. I knew about the success over the years, but 105 wins is unheard of."
The Cavaliers have played in three different leagues since the streak began. They won four East Sierra League titles (2002-06), two East Sequoia League titles (2006-08) and three Central Sequoia League titles (2008-11). And with an 8-0 league record this year, they are well on their way to a fourth straight CSL title.
The last time CVC lost a league game was Feb. 6, 2002 against Woodlake, 3-0.
If De Groot has his way, the Cavaliers won't lose another league match for a very long time.
"To be honest, it isn't like I had my eye on the record," De Groot said. "I didn't think about it until last year when it started gaining steam. But we're not ready for it to end either. I take every match we play in seriously. It is my job to get the team ready to win, no matter who we're playing. My job isn't about streaks. It is about maximizing my team's potential to win."
That attitude is something that has shown in De Groot's players.
Senior captain Emily Vannette knows there is still a lot of work for the Cavaliers to do.
She has four matches left to end her four-year varsity career a perfect 48-0 in league. She also is looking for a third straight Central Section title.
"We all knew this was coming," Vannette said. "Now we can put it in the back of our minds because we still have so much more go."
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Vannette girls part of streak from the start
When the Central Valley Christian girls soccer team defeated Immanuel 6-0 in a Central Sequoia League match Tuesday night, it made history.
The Cavaliers set a state record with their 105th consecutive league victory.
The streak started with a 2-1 victory over Farmersville on Feb. 8, 2002.
Since that day, there has been one constant for the Cavaliers — the Vannette family.
In the 10 years since the streak began, there have been four Vannette sisters who have been a part of each and every one of the 105 victories.
ª It all started with the oldest sister Alicia, who graduated from CVC in 2004.
ª Then came Abbey, who graduated from CVC in 2007.
ª Lizzy graduated in 2010 and was named the Times-Delta/Advance Register Tulare County player of the year as a senior.
ª And the youngest Vannette, Emily, is in the middle of her senior season at CVC.
Each player was a member of the varsity team all four years of high school.
"They're great kids," CVC coach Jacob De Groot said. "They are a unique combination of kids with talent who want to work their tail off. They've all been leaders on their respective teams."
Three of the four Vannette sisters were in attendence to experience the Cavaliers history-making victory.
Lizzy wasn't there because she is attending Calvin College in Michigan.
Emily, Abbey and Alicia all wished Lizzy could have been there sharing the moment with them. When the three girls posed for a group picture, they lined up from oldest to youngest and left a space where Lizzy would have fit in.
"I'm sure Lizzy wishes she was here," Abbey said.
Alicia and Abbey were there to support their youngest sister, Emily, but they also took time to reflect on their playing days and their contribution to the record.
"This is a testament to the program and how much it has grown over the years," Alicia said.
"It was cool when they asked the former players to stand up," Abbey said. "That was really neat. Soccer memories are my best memories from high school. Any girl that played would say that."
Emily, who is the youngest of the four sisters, said she only had the opportunity to play on the same team as Lizzy.
As teammates, Emily and Lizzy won a pair of league titles and one Central Section title.
Tuesday's record-setting win allowed Emily to share the spotlight with her two oldest sisters, along with every other former CVC player who was apart of the streak.
"It is so great to have everyone here," Emily said. "We [this year's team] can't take all the credit. It was a 10-year effort by everybody. It is a great feeling to share it with them."
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