Victor De La Cruz lived for volleyball, and his love for the game was obvious to everyone around him. In fact, his passion was one of reasons why he was beloved by the Toros volleyball program, according to head coach Teddi Esko.
“He did a good job of making things fun and enjoyable, even when things were hard, he still found ways to keep our players with a high belief system,” Esko told The Bulletin.
What made De La Cruz particularly special on the court, Esko added, was that he “just loved what he did.”
“He just cared a lot…it was very evident when he was around his players and around other coaches or parents,” Esko said. “He embodied that gift he was given to help others and help others be better at what their craft was—and their craft was volleyball.”
De La Cruz died on June 2 at the age of 28, after a battle with cancer. De La Cruz’s death has been difficult to deal with, players told The Bulletin, but his memory continues to inspire the team this season.
Sophomore guard Giovannina De Sisto said De La Cruz was more than a coach, but a mentor who used volleyball to teach his players about everyday life.
“I felt like he really helped guide us through a lot of it,” De Sisto told The Bulletin. “He was always there as someone to ask a question, or if you had a situation that you needed help with—it didn’t have to be volleyball related…Victor was there.”
De La Cruz’s faith was at the center of his life, De Sisto added, saying that resonated with her as a Catholic. “He always wanted us to have a purpose in everything we do…on the court or off the court.”
Players: De La Cruz a dedicated and caring coach
A native of Hacienda Heights and a graduate of Westcliff University, De La Cruz brought significant experience to Toros volleyball when he joined the program as an assistant coach in 2023. Prior to CSUDH, he spent four years at Rio Hondo, helping to lead the Roadrunners to their first South Coast Conference Championship in nearly three decades.
De La Cruz also served as the freshman head coach at his alma mater, Los Altos High School, guiding the team to its first California Interscholastic Federation championship.
Anna Sanzaro, sophomore blocker, remembered De La Cruz as being a consistently positive presence for the team. “He cared about everything that was happening outside of our life.”
Sanzaro said De La Cruz was the first person to offer praise or constructive feedback.
“[He was] the first person to cheer for you, the first person to give you a high-five when you’re coming off the court,” Sanzaro said.
De Sisto said De La Cruz’s absence has been felt deeply by the team, noting that a lot of the team’s newer players also worked with him.
“It’s obviously been a big change…you can definitely feel there’s something missing,” De Sisto said. “I think the relationships that we’ve built have helped us…but yeah, it feels like there’s a part of us missing.”
De La Cruz encouraged players to show up as their authentic selves in all aspects of life, recalled junior outside hitter Rilee Graham. “He always was working on himself, and he wanted that for us, too.”
Graham, who transferred from Cal State Monterey Bay to CSUDH, credited De La Cruz for bringing back her “love for volleyball.”
“It was really hard to have him gone so soon, but I think we all try to tell ourselves that we’re playing for him and put that out into the universe,” Graham said.
A meaningful victory over Stanislaus State
The team continues to pay tribute to De La Cruz, according to Sanzaro. She said everyone on the team wears zebra ribbons on their shoes each game as a way to keep the memory of their late mentor alive.
The Toros channeled De La Cruz’s passion for the game on Sept. 12 during the team’s 3-2 victory over Stanislaus State. De Sisto said her mindset was “do it for Victor,” and to “go all out.”
Sanzaro said that game hit the team particularly hard. Several of their former teammates were in attendance, she said, as well as a Warriors player who De La Cruz had previously coached. That player lined up with the Toros during the moment of silence before the game.
“It just shows there’s something bigger—bigger than ourselves, bigger than volleyball, and the community around us,” Sanzaro said. “That helped us fight so hard in that game to win, because we had a lot of support from everybody.”
The team showed a “next level” passion during that game, added head coach Esko, saying De La Cruz would want the team to keep doing their best and “make every day count.”
“I know on that day, my Toros played for Victor,” Esko said.
Esko said the coaching staff is still grieving De La Cruz, and she is still processing his death. In remembering De La Cruz, Esko said he could not be narrowed down to one-word descriptions.
“One of the things I learned from him is, he loved to serve others …How can I help you? How can I make you better? How can I impact you?” Esko recalled. “He was passionate, he was caring, dedicated, and very loving—loved everybody around him.”