SAN MARCOS, Calif. – For the fourth consecutive year, the Cal State San Marcos volleyball team partnered with the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) during the month of March, tabling during U-Hour on March 12 to get students, staff and faculty to sign up on the national registry.

The NMDP (formerly known as Be The Match) is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives through blood stem cell and marrow transplants for patients with blood cancers and disorders. It manages the world's most diverse registry of over 42 million potential donors, connecting patients with donors to facilitate life-saving cellular therapies.
 
"NMDP is meaningful to me because it was able to save my aunt's life when she needed a donor at only 19 years old," said CSUSM volleyball student-athlete Zoe Liebel. "Being the same age as my aunt was when she needed help makes partnering with NMDP even more important and special to me. NMDP showed me how one stranger's kindness can mean everything to families like mine."
 
NMDP's 'Get In The Game' initiative harnesses the power of athletics to inspire individuals between the ages of 18 and 40 to join the marrow and stem cell registry. Through partnerships with sports teams and athletes, this initiative amplifies awareness and drives registration, highlighting the importance of teamwork, resilience, and community involvement in saving lives.

"Working with CSUSM Volleyball through NMDP's Get in the Game campaign has been such a special experience," said Joyce Valdez, NMDP's Southern California Account Manager. "The energy, heart, and genuine willingness of these student-athletes to step up for something bigger than themselves is inspiring. When they show up, people listen and that impact goes far beyond the court. I'm so grateful for this partnership and the lives it will help change."

The CSUSM volleyball team got more than 200 to join the registry. Last year's effort resulted in a match which is very rare.

"It is so inspiring to team up with NMDP and our student-athletes," said CSUSM Head Volleyball Coach Andrea Leonard. "We are committed to helping others as well as increasing the education behind matching donors!"

For more information about NMDP or to join the registry, visit nmdp.org/get-involved/join-the-registry.