Poised to be one of the top newcomers to the Cerritos College women's basketball team during the 2017-18 season, Alyssa Salgado saw her year come to an end after just five games. Although she was unable to compete on the court, Salgado continued to get her school work done and was able to sign with Life Pacific University at the conclusion of the season. She spent two seasons with the Warriors, and will be earning her Bachelor's degree in Human Development and Psychology this May. Not only will Salgado be continuing her education, she will also have two more years of playing eligibility at Vanguard University, where she was accepted into their Masters program for Clinical Psychology. She maintained an extra year of eligibility due to her medical red-shirt with the Falcons and another due to Covid-19.

In the fives games she played with the Falcons before getting injured, Salgado (pictured, left) was averaging 5.4 points an 1.6 rebounds a game, while starting all five contests. She scored a season-high eight points against Bakersfield College and shot 52.2% from the field in her abbreviated Cerritos career.

"Alyssa is a natural leader and brings energy to everything she does," said Falcons head coach Trisha Kozlowski. "She zoomed in and chatted with our current team a few months ago and spoke about being a great teammate and taking ownership in all you do. Her academic successes show her immense commitment to living out the advice she is giving others."

While playing at Life Christian, where her father was the head coach in her sophomore year, Salgado accounted for 10.6 points a game, along with 2.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists during the 2019-20 season. She scored a career-high 24 points against William Jessup University and posted 20 points against Hope International University as a sophomore. Salgado hauled down a season-high nine rebounds against Saint Katherine University and dished out six assists against The Master's College.

As a freshman getting her first real college experience in 2018-19, Salgado scored 7.8 points a game and led the team with 38 minutes played each game. She ended the season scoring in double-figures in three of the final four games.

With Vanguard, Salgado will be joining a Lions team that posted a 7-5 mark during their abbreviated 2020-21 season, but were 23-6 in 2019-20 and qualified for the NAIA Division I Tournament before it was canceled due to Covid-19.

"I'm looking forward to watching Alyssa contribute at Vanguard and become another Falcon alumni to earn a Masters degree," added Kozlowski.