As she is set to start her ninth season as the head coach, Teresa Velazquez-Ortega has a strong core of returning players and has brought in a new group of freshmen and a new assistant coaching staff. Joining Velazquez-Ortega this season will be Gay Castaneda for her second year, along with Krystal Lee, who will be starting her first season. Last year, the Falcons rebounded from a slow start and finished in fifth place in the South Coast Conference. In six of the last nine seasons, the team has finished in second place in conference action and will be looking for their first conference championship since the 1997 year.

The team has just one returning player this year and will look to a group of freshmen to help them into the post-season. Velazquez-Ortega began her head coaching career with the Falcons by being named the South Coast Conference Coach of the Year in 2001 and has compiled an 82-58 (.586) record in her time with the team.

Prior to taking over as the head coach, Velazquez-Ortega spent six seasons as the assistant coach under Jeanine Prindle (four years) and Nancy Welliver (two years). Prindle retired from coaching, while Welliver has moved on to be the head coach at Cypress College. Velazquez-Ortega has been involved with the Cerritos College volleyball program since 1989 when she led the Falcons to a Final Four appearance in the state championships. She also led the nation in kills among community college volleyball players that season. Velazquez-Ortega was also selected to the Asics All-America Team as well as to the All-State Tournament Team in 1989 and 1990.

Velazquez-Ortega has extensive international volleyball experience and brings her very intense and competitive spirit to the program. She received her dental degree from National University of Mexico and earned her Master’s degree in Physical Education from Azusa Pacific University. Velazquez-Ortega is also a full-time classified employee in the HPER/Athletics Division.

Velazquez-Ortega and her husband Elias, who is also a part-time classified employee in the athletic department; have two children – Chris (17) and Isaac (9).