Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
CSUSM 3 - San Diego Christian 0
CSUSM 3- Hope International 0

Riverside, Calif.- The Cal State San Marcos women's volleyball team kicked off its 2012 season Wednesday at the La Sierra Tournament in Riverside, knocking off San Diego Christian and Hope International in straight sets.
 
Just two days after receiving the No. 23 national ranking in the NAIA Coaches poll, the Cougars looked the part of a top-25 team with a 25-23, 25-14, 25-19 victory over San Diego Christian and a dominant 25-14, 25-14, 25-16 win over Hope International.
 
This marked the second straight season the Cougars have won their season opener, as they triumphed over Holy Names 3-0 a year ago in the first match in program history. Cal State San Marcos went on to finish 29-8 and went on to win the A.I.I. Conference Championship.
 
With almost the entire squad returning, the Cougars wasted no time in asserting themselves as a force to be reckoned with in 2012. After a close first set against San Diego Christian, CSUSM took the second and third sets with relative ease.
 
Senior outside hitter Lindsey Sappington led the offense with a game-high eight kills and an efficient .429 hitting percentage. Sappington also contributed three service aces and nine digs, tying with freshman Brittany Esposito for the team high in both categories. Esposito and Sappington both attended nearby Calvary Chapel High School in Murrieta, but never played together until Wednesday.
 
The Cougars are now 4-0 against the San Diego Christian, and have won 12 of a 13 total sets against the Hawks.
 
In the second match, the Cougars quickly overcame the Hope International Royals with a phenomenal performance from last years NAIA All-American Honorable Mention outside hitter Taylor DeGraaf.
 
The sophomore DeGraaf had 16 kills with no errors in 26 attempts for a sparkling .615 hitting percentage. The hitting percentage tied a career-high for DeGraaf, when she hit .615 against Hope International last season. It is also the second highest single-game hitting percentage in school history with at least 10 kills. DeGraaf also recorded a double-double with 10 digs on the match, but Brittany Esposito lead the Cougars in digs once again with 12.

Freshman Andi Vordermann had 6 kills against the Royals to finish her first day as a Cougar with eight kills and a .667 hitting percentage. CSUSM hit .330 as a team in the match, the fifth best performance in school history. Vordermann also set an individual school record with five block assists, helping the Cougars set a team-single game record with nine blocks.
 
The Cougars are now 2-0 after Wednesday's play in the La Sierra Tournament, while San Diego Christian is now 0-2 and Hope International is 0-1. Cal State San Marcos will take on Montana Western (1-1) at 12:30 pm and La Sierra (1-0) at 5:30 pm Thursday to wrap up the tournament. The Cougars have never faced Montana Western, and CSUSM is 2-1 lifetime against La Sierra, who they defeated 3-1 to win the A.I.I. Championship Game last year.