SAN MARCOS, Calif. –  Looking to start CCAA play on a strong note, the Cal State San Marcos volleyball team (2-6) will travel to Hayward to take on Cal State East Bay (4-3) for a 5 p.m. matchup on Friday before facing Cal State Monterey Bay (3-4) in Seaside on Saturday at 1 p.m. 

LAST WEEK

• CSUSM bounced back from its opening weekend with a 2-2 showing in the Sixth-Annual Cougar Classic last weekend in The Sports Center. 
• The Cougars were victorious over Concordia University Irvine last Thursday, taking down the Golden Eagles in four sets (25-23, 23-25, 25-12, 25-18). 
• Down two sets against St. Edward's on Friday, CSUSM came roaring back to defeat the Hilltoppers in five sets (22-25, 20-25, 25-10, 25-19, 15-11). 
• The Cougars ended the weekend dropping two hard-fought matches to two teams that are receiving votes in the NCAA Division II National Poll. CSUSM fell in four sets (18-25, 25-21, 13-25, 26-28) to Seattle Pacific on Friday night before dropping a five-set heartbreaker (25-21, 21-25, 19-25, 25-22, 12-15) to Colorado School of Mines on Saturday. 
• Four Cougars were named to the Cougar Classic All-Tournament Team: Trinity Barr, Gracie Beilby, Tori Goff and Sofia Hedqvist. 

 

BY THE NUMBERS

• CSUSM ranks third in the CCAA in team digs with 336. 
• With 336 assists, the Cougars are fourth in the conference. 
• Tori Goff leads the CCAA and ranks 18th in the nation with 19 service aces.
• Goff is dishing out 8.94 assists per set, ranking her fourth in the CCAA. 
• Trinity Barr ranks fourth in the conference in total kills with 104. 

 

MATCH 9 | CAL STATE EAST BAY
Date	Friday, Sept. 15, 2023
Time	5 p.m.
Location	Hayward, Calif.
Venue	Pioneer Gymnasium
Records	CSUSM (2-6) CSUEB (4-3)
Live Stats	SideArm Stats
Live Video	CCAA Network ($)

CCAA OPENER AT EAST BAY

• This will be the 12th time CSUSM and CSUEB have faced each other, all in the NCAA Division II era (2015-present). 
• The Cougars are 5-6 in the all-time series against the Pioneers. 
• CSUSM dropped both of its matches in sweeps in 2022. 
• The Pioneers went 2-1 last weekend in the Cal Poly Pomona/Azusa Pacific Tournament, registering a sweep (25-19, 25-20, 25-18) over Simon Fraser and a four-set victory (16-25, 25-18, 25-23, 25-14) against Point Loma on Friday before falling in four sets (17-25, 22-25, 25-23, 15-25) to then-No. 20 Chaminade.  
• CSUEB is registering a conference-best 18.32 digs per set, ranking the Pioneers 11th in Division II. 
• Lexi Pagani ranks second in the CCAA in total digs (112) and third in digs per set (4.00). 
• CSUEB was picked to finish fifth in the 2023 CCAA Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll. 

 

MATCH 10 | CAL STATE MONTEREY BAY
Date	Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023
Time	1 p.m.
Location	Seaside, Calif.
Venue	Otter Sports Center
Records	CSUSM (2-6) CSUMB (3-4)
Live Stats	SideArm Stats
Live Video	CCAA Network ($)

SATURDAY AT MONTEREY BAY

• CSUSM holds a 5-3 record in the all-time series against CSUMB. 
• The Cougars collected a five-set victory over the Otters last season in Seaside by scores of 19-25, 25-23, 23-25, 25-22 and 15-12. 
• CSUSM is 1-3 when playing in the Otter Sports Center with the Cougars' lone win coming in 2016 in a five-set match. 
• The Otters registered a pair of sweeps over Academy of Art (25-15, 25-21, 25-14) and Dominican (25-15, 25-14, 25-20) in the Sonoma State Invitational last weekend before falling to Westmont College in five sets (25-16, 19-25, 33-3, 25-20, 6-15). 
• CSUMB is leading the CCAA in aces per set (2.52) and total aces (73). 
• Kaila Uota is the CCAA leader in aces per set (0.62) and ranks second with 18 total aces. 
• CSUMB was selected to finish eighth in the 2023 CCAA Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll. 

    

LOOK INSIDE THE COUGARS

• The Cougars return five starters from the 2022 season - Trinity Barr (OH), Sofia Hedqvist (OH), Jessica Thomas (OH), Mia Christensen (DS/L) and Jackie Phillips (DS/L)
• Seven will be donning Cougar Blue for the first time on Friday with four being true freshmen and three junior college transfers. 
• The Cougars finished their 2022 campaign with an 8-17 overall record and were 7-11 in CCAA play – eighth in the CCAA standings. 
• As a team in the CCAA statistics, CSUSM concluded 2022 ranked seventh in blocks per set (1.87). 
• In the 2023 CCAA Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll, the Cougars were picked to finish ninth.

THE LEONARD FILE

• Head coach Andrea Leonard enters her 13th 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 196-150 (.566) record as CSUSM's head coach.
• In 17 seasons as a collegiate head volleyball coach, Leonard holds a 288-276 (.511) 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.