SAN MARCOS, Calif. –  The Cal State San Marcos volleyball team (2-8, 0-2 CCAA) will face its second consecutive nationally-ranked team on Friday when the Cougars travel to No. 17 Cal State LA (6-3, 1-1 CCAA) before heading over to Cal State Dominguez Hills (4-6, 1-1 CCAA) on Saturday. 

LAST WEEK

• CSUSM went 0-2 against two tough teams to open CCAA play last weekend. 
• The Cougars dropped a five-set (16-25, 25-21, 25-21, 20-25, 9-15) heartbreaker in their CCAA home opener to RV San Francisco State on Friday. 
• In Friday's match, Isabelle Bakken tallied a CSUSM career-best 18 kills while Addison Kranz collected a career-high five blocks. 
• On Saturday, CSUSM faced No. 19 Cal State San Bernardino and was able to snag the first set 25-23 before falling in the final three sets, 16-25, 18-25 15-25. 

BY THE NUMBERS

• CSUSM continues to lead the CCAA in digs per set at 16.37. 
• With 1.94 blocks per set, the Cougars rank fifth in the conference. 
• Jackie Phillips is fourth in the CCAA aat 3.74 digs per set.

 

MATCH 10 | NO. 17 CAL STATE LA
Date	Friday, Sept. 27, 2024
Time	5 p.m.
Location	Los Angeles, Calif.
Venue	Cal State LA Gymnasium
Records	CSUSM (2-7, 0-2 CCAA) CSULA (6-3, 1-1 CCAA)
Live Stats	SideArm Stats
Live Video	FloVolleyball ($)

FRIDAY AT NO. 17 CSULA

• This will be the 17th time CSUSM and CSULA have faced each other, all in the NCAA Division II era (2015-present) except for one match in 2012. 
• The Golden Eagles hold a 13-3 lead in the all-time series.
• CSUSM's last win over CSULA came in 2018 with a four-set victory in Los Angeles. 
• CSUSM dropped both of its matches against LA in 2023. 
• In the last meeting between these two teams, the Cougars gave the eventual national champion a run in a four-set match (24-26, 26-24, 26-28, 19-25). 
• The Golden Eagles opened CCAA play with a sweep at Sonoma State (25-23, 25-15, 25-20) last Thursday. 
• CSULA fell to Cal Poly Humboldt in five sets on Saturday (20-25, 25-20, 25-22, 23-25, 12-15), its first loss to the Lumberjacks since 2015. 
• The Golden Eagles rank last in the CCAA with 13.19 digs per set. 
• Emily Elliott is leading Division II in attacks per set at 13.49 and is second in the nation in kills per set (5.43) and points per set (6.30). 
• CSULA was picked to repeat as conference champions in the 2024 CCAA Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll. 

 

MATCH 11 | CAL STATE DOMINGUEZ HILLS
Date	Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024
Time	3 p.m.
Location	Carson, Calif.
Venue	Torodome
Records	CSUSM (2-7, 0-2 CCAA) CSUDH (4-6, 1-1 CCAA)
Live Stats	SideArm Stats
Live Video	FloVolleyball ($)

SATURDAY MATINEE IN CARSON

• CSUSM holds a 10-6 record in the all-time series against CSUDH. 
• The Cougars collected a five-set victory over the Toros last season in Carson by scores of 20-25, 25-18, 21-25, 25-21 and 15-8. 
• CSUSM is 4-4 when playing in the Torodome. 
• At the helm for the Toros is newly appointed Head Coach Teddi Esko. 
• This past weekend, CSUDH recorded a four-set victory (25-20, 25-21, 15-25, 25-21) at Cal Poly Humboldt before dropping a four-setter (21-25, 20-25, 25-18, 20-25) at Sonoma State. 
• CSUDH is third in the CCAA in blocks per set (2.05). 
• Aleya Starnes is third in the CCAA in blocks (37) and fourth in block per set (1.03). 
• CSUDH was selected to finish 11th in the 2024 CCAA Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll. 

    

LOOK INSIDE THE COUGARS

• The 2024 CSUSM roster consists of eight players competing in their final collegiate season with five being four-year members of the Cougar family – Mya Galvan, Alyssa Gurrola, Kelli Miechowicz, Jackie Phillips and Jessica Thomas. 
• Two new Cougars will only play one season for CSUSM – Danielle McCasland, a graduate transfer from Concordia University Irvine, and Gracie Zaitz. 
• Five others are donning Cougar Blue for the first time with three being true freshmen and two junior college transfers. 
• The Cougars finished their 2023 campaign with a 12-15 overall record, were 10-8 in CCAA play and returned to the CCAA Tournament for the program's fifth appearance. 
• As a team in the CCAA statistics, CSUSM concluded 2023 ranked seventh in blocks per set (1.93) while holding opponents to 1.74, the third lowest in the conference. 
• In the 2024 CCAA Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll, the Cougars were picked to finish seventh.

THE LEONARD FILE

• Head coach Andrea Leonard enters her 14th 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 210-168 (.556) record as CSUSM's head coach.
• In 20 seasons as a collegiate head volleyball coach, Leonard holds a 302-294 (.508) 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.