SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos volleyball team (5-10, 4-4 CCAA) will face its travel partner Cal State East Bay (12-4, 5-3 CCAA) twice this week, hosting the Pioneers on Thursday at 5 p.m. before traveling up to Hayward for a 3 p.m. match on Saturday.
LAST WEEK
- The Cougars were swept twice last weekend on the road by two nationally ranked teams.
- CSUSM fell in three straight sets to No. 16 Cal State San Bernardino on Friday and No. 20 Cal Poly Pomona on Saturday.
- This marked the first time in program history that CSUSM has played back-to-back nationally-ranked teams on the road.
- Fifteen matches into the season, the Cougars rank 35th in the nation and second in the CCAA with the toughest schedule in Division II.
| MATCH 16 | CAL STATE EAST BAY |
| Date |
Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022 |
| Time |
5 p.m. |
| Location |
San Marcos, Calif. |
| Venue |
The Sports Center |
| Records |
CSUSM (5-10, 4-4 CCAA)
CSUEB (12-4, 5-3 CCAA) |
| Live Stats |
SideArm Stats |
| Live Video |
CCAA Network ($) |
| Tickets |
HomeTown Ticketing |
| MATCH 17 | CAL STATE EAST BAY |
| Date |
Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022 |
| Time |
3 p.m. |
| Location |
Hayward, Calif. |
| Venue |
Pioneer Gymnasium |
| Records |
CSUSM (5-10, 4-4 CCAA)
CSUEB (12-4, 5-3 CCAA) |
| Live Stats |
SideArm Stats |
| Live Video |
CCAA Network ($) |
CSUEB TIMES TWO
- For the second consecutive season, CSUSM has been paired with Cal State East Bay as its travel partner.
- Last season, the home team was the victor as East Bay tallied a four-set victory in Hayward on Oct. 14 before the Cougars responded with a sweep over the Pioneers in San Marcos on Oct. 16.
- The Cougars have a slight edge in the all-time series over the Pioneers at 5-4 with a perfect 4-0 record at home and a 1-3 record at Pioneer Gymnasium. In 2018, the Cougars faced CSUEB in the first round of the CCAA tournament resulting in a four-set loss.
- After falling in five sets to Holy Names in their season opener, the Pioneers went on a 10-match win streak before falling in three sets to Cal State LA on Sept. 17.
- East Bay ranks third in the CCAA and 54th in the nation with a 2.02 aces per set average with Kara Green leading the way ranking third in the conference with 30 this season.
- CSUEB was selected to finish ninth in the 2022 CCAA Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll.
2022 CSUSM VOLLEYBALL NOTES
- The Cougars return two starters from the 2021 season - Kiora Ridgeway (MB) and Madison Turner (S).
- Eight will be donning Cougar Blue for the first time on Thursday with four being true freshmen and four transferring from a four-year college.
- The 2021 season ended with CSUSM making its fourth consecutive appearance in the CCAA Volleyball Tournament - the most by any CSUSM program that requires a qualification.
- The Cougars finished their 2021 campaign with a 12-13 overall record and 9-9 in CCAA play – sixth in the CCAA standings.
- As a team in the CCAA statistics, CSUSM concluded 2021 ranked fourth in digs per set (15.22) and fifth in kills per set (12.55) and blocks per set (1.88).
- San Francisco State transfer Trinity Barr is featured on the 2022 CCAA Preseason Watchlist after earning All-CCAA first team honors last season.
- In the 2022 CCAA Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll, the Cougars were picked to finish fourth.
THE LEONARD FILE
- Head coach Andrea Leonard enters her 12th season in charge of the Cougar volleyball team, a program she has built from the ground up since arriving on campus in 2010.
- Leonard has a 193-139 (.581) record as CSUSM's head coach.
- In 19 seasons as a collegiate head volleyball coach, Leonard holds a 285-265 (.518) career record.
- Leonard was CSUSM's first-ever CCAA Coach of the Year after guiding the Cougars to a third-place finish in the overall standings during the 2017 season.
