Senior Finley Corona is expected to graduate the 2025-26 school year as one of the best volleyball players in Christopher history. She produced four years of elite play as a six-rotation outside hitter, with more than 1,000 career kills, and led the Cougars to new heights in both the Blossom Valley Athletic League and in the Central Coast Section playoffs.
Corona will play in college this fall at Chico State.
In addition to being a dominant force at the net and a reliable passer in the backcourt, Corona led the team as captain. Even with multiple coaching changes during her Cougar career, Corona produced the same strong performances and results every game and every year.
Her personal emphasis was on the team and its success. The 2023 team was unbeaten in league and reached the CCS playoffs for the first time since 2019. The 2024 team moved up a level in the BVAL division hierarchy to the top level, the Mt. Hamilton Division, and won its first-round CCS playoff game.
The 2025 team improved its league record from 5-9 to 8-8, competitive in the highest competition.
Corona’s recollection of highlights are all team-oriented.
“Highlights were beating undefeated Leland at home (on Oct. 14),” Corona said. “That was amazing. Also, senior night when we won in five sets against Sobrato. In my sophomore year, we went 10-0 to win league and it was the second banner to put up in the gym for volleyball.”
Others pass along the individual compliments.
“I coached her at City Beach Volleyball Club on our 14 Green team,” coach Kaitlyn Keller said. “Finley’s journey that year was incredibly impressive. She was skipping an age group to play up with her grade, a massive jump considering the net height and ball weight change between 12s and 13s, all while the pandemic was making the season hectic.
“Watching her evolve from that quiet 12-year-old into the stud player she is today has been beyond exciting.”
Keller focused on building a foundation. Corona also credited City Beach’s Jacky Yao for coaching her into the player she is today, both on and off the court.
“Finley was a staple of City Beach from 2020-2025, competing on several of our top teams,” City Beach Club Volleyball Director Yao said. “I had the privilege of coaching her under-16 team in 2024. Finley is an athletic outside hitter with a huge heart. She is the rare kind of player who celebrates her teammates’ successes as much as her own. We are all incredibly proud of her journey and look forward to seeing her excel at the collegiate level.”
Christopher stats are a bit incomplete but Corona’s presence among the best in school history is a certainty. She played all six rotations for the last three years. Statistic compilation was best in 2025 and it shows double-digit kill totals in 12 of the last 14 matches, including four with 20 or more.
At 5-foot-10 with an outstanding vertical and a fast arm swing, Corona has been the Cougars’ top attack option for a long time. Add in blocking at the net and back-row passing, plus her vision and game knowledge to be in the right place or to quickly move to the ball.
“When Finley is on, she’s hard to stop.” CHS coach Tait Rafat said.
Corona comes from a family of athletes. Older brother Logan Corona starred in wrestling at Christopher, holds the school record for most pins in a season, finished second in CCS at 185s and went to the CIF State Meet in 2024. He now wrestles in college at Adams State.
Mother Melanie Corona competed in volleyball at Cal State Bakersfield and in basketball at Sonoma State, and has coached Finley. Father Matt Corona reached the CIF State meet as a Gilroy High wrestler and later competed at Cal State Bakersfield.
And there is younger sister Harper Corona, a Christopher freshman who already excels at volleyball. Harper, at 5-foot-11, was the Cougar varsity’s setter this past year and also would hit from the right side. Harper had the most assists of any freshman setter in CCS this past year and has a bright future.
“It’s our first year together,” Finley Corona said. “I had so much fun. She’s helped me in so many ways. She gives me a different perspective and that’s helped me with my leadership. She also helps entice me to get better.”
Harper Corona added that playing together brought the two sisters closer to each other. They have similar mindsets.
“She is a great role model,” Harper Corona said. “She showed me what leadership is on and off the court. She takes accountability and gives us all encouragement.”
Finley began in gymnastics, but moved to volleyball.
“I loved volleyball way more,” Corona said. “The environment is welcoming and I like the team aspect of it. It’s a very important aspect of my life. I met my best friends there. It’s definitely helped me with my time management and how to manage friendships on and off the court.
Corona chose Chico State over other interested schools, including San Francisco State, Hawaii Pacific and Cal State East Bay.
“The campus was my first deciding factor,” Finley Corona said. “I met the coach. I felt he could teach me and help me progress. Chico is distant. Not too close but not too far.”
Tommy Gott, Chico State coach since 2020, has led the program to year-over-year improvement each of the past four years. In 2025, the Wildcats were 12-13 overall, 8-10 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association.
Gott is on a personal leave, and Ricci Luyties has been the Interim Coach. Luyties, who has been head coach at Colorado, Southern Mississippi and UC San Diego, is one of the most decorated volleyball players of all time.
He won four NCAA titles at UCLA between 1981 and 1984, and was NCAA Player of the Year the final two seasons. Luyties was a member of the gold-medal Olympic champion team in 1988 and had an extensive beach volleyball career.
With coaches such as Gott and Luyties, Chico has impressive leadership. Off the court, Corona looks to utilize her interest in marine biology to major in Environmental Science.
“City Beach is incredibly proud of the player and person she’s become,” coach Keller said. “We’ll be rooting for her at Chico State.”
