SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos volleyball concludes its longest road series of the season this weekend with matches at Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State L.A.
 
The Schedule 
Match 18
Friday, Oct. 9 – 7 p.m. 
Cal State San Marcos (4-13, 1-8 CCAA) at Cal State Dominguez Hills (5-12, 3-6 CCAA)
Carson, Calif. – Torodome
Live Stats

Match 19
Saturday, Oct. 10 – 7 p.m. 
Cal State San Marcos (4-13, 1-8 CCAA) at Cal State L.A. (12-5, 5-4 CCAA)
Los Angeles, Calif. – Eagles Nest
Live Stats & Live Video
 
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Cal State Dominguez Hills Preview
All-time vs. CSUDH: 1-0
 
Last Meeting: W, 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 27-25) on Sept. 8, 2012. On the final day of the Cal Poly Pomona/CSULA tournament, CSUSM clinched its first victory over an NCAA Division II school (competing as an NAIA school) with a sweep against CSUDH. Taylor DeGraaf led all hitters with 16 kills. CSUDH had set point at 25-24 but a three-point run capped by a DeGraaf kill gave the Cougars the sweep.
 
CSUDH Breakdown: Despite being 11th in the CCAA standings, the Toros swept second-place Cal Poly Pomona in the Torodome on Tuesday, Sept. 29. CSUDH's other two conference wins came in five-set victories over Cal State Monterey Bay (Sept. 22) and Cal State East Bay (Oct. 2). Top Player: Freshman middle blocker Cecelia Lucas ranks third in the CCAA with 61 total blocks (10 BS, 51 BA).
 
Cal State L.A. Preview
All-time vs. CSULA: 1-0
 
Last Meeting: W, 3-2 (25-20, 26-28, 25-20, 14-25, 18-16) on Sept. 8, 2012. In a match that featured 16 lead changes and 35 ties, both team tallied more than 350 swings in the two hours and 18 minutes of play. The Cougars fought off two CSULA match points in the fifth set. After back-to-back DeGraaf kills, Brittany Thompson served up an ace to clinch the victory.
 
CSULA Breakdown: The Golden Eagles have fallen in four of their last six matches. CSULA dropped a four-set match at San Francisco State on Friday, Oct. 2 before rebounding with a 3-1 victory at Cal State East Bay the next night. Top Player: Senior outside hitter Iona Lofrano leads the CCAA with 263 kills and 4.46 kills per set.
 
Last Weekend Recap
After being swept by CCAA powerhouses Sonoma State and Cal Poly Pomona, the Cougars ended the week with a five-set heartbreaker at Cal State Monterey Bay. CSUSM played catch up throughout the match, winning the second and fourth sets before falling 13-15 in the fifth.  Senior Taylor DeGraaf registered 14 kills, 25 digs and three aces in the match.
 
Sometimes 25 Points Isn't Enough
The Cougars have had to go to "extra points" in sets on seven occasions this season. This is not something new in their young program. CSUSM has had 55 sets go past the 25-point mark in its five years. On a positive note, the Cougars are 33-22 in those sets. The highest set score was a 42-40 victory over William Jessup on Aug. 23, 2012 that resulted in a sweep over the Warriors.
 
The Andrea Leonard File
CSUSM head coach Andrea Leonard enters her fifth season in charge of the Cougar volleyball team, a program she has built from the ground up since arriving on campus in 2010. Entering this season, she has accumulated an 112-46 (.709) record at CSUSM that includes four Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.) Conference Tournament Championships and four trips to the NAIA National Championships.
 
New Territory
After nine seasons of competition in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the Cougars enter their first season of NCAA Division II competition in 2015. CSUSM is currently in the second year of a three-year transition to full NCAA Division II membership. As a part of the transition, the Cougars will be ineligible for postseason play in 2015 and 2016.
 
New Conference
Cal State San Marcos is a part of the 13-team California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), made up of 12 CSU institutions and UC San Diego. The CCAA is one of the premier NCAA Division II leagues in the nation. Its teams have won more national championships (153) than any other conference.