California State University at Northridge
The Master's University
CSUN Opens Season With Tri-Match Split in Irvine
2/24/2024 4:44:00 PM | Beach Volleyball
CSUN 5, THE MASTER'S 0
The Matadors opened the season against the Mustangs and would claim all five pairs in the 5-0 win. CSUN debuted four new pairs in the season opener as Gabriela Griego and MayaMay Brown won at No. 1 over Evi Bates and Annika Booker, 22-20, 22-20. Lauren Eknoian and Tasha Mae were the only CSUN pair to remain intact from the 2023 season as they picked up where they left off last season with a 21-16, 21-13 win over Faith Wada and Zoe Yates at No. 2.Â
Maleya Miles and Kinley Lindhardt picked up their first win as a pair, sweeping Breanna Brooks and Isabela Rodriguez, 21-16, 26-24. Taylor Buckley and Abbey Sweeting would also win for the first time as pair, sweeping Violet Avila and Ashlyn Unruh by the score of 21-17, 21-14. Julie Bazylevych and Tia Mendiola then made it a clean sweep for the Matadors, defeating Arianna DeRafaelle and Ellie Niehus, 21015, 22-20 in the No. 5 pair. Sophia Jarosz and Haley Coggins also made their CSUN debut, picking up a 21-10, 21-15 victory over Ellie Unruh and Emma Winter in the No. 6 exhibition pair.Â
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CONCORDIA IRVINE 4, CSUN 1
In CSUN's second match, the Matadors picked up a win in the No. 5 pair as Bazylevych and Mendiola completed a 2-0 day with a three-set (21-19, 21-23, 15-13) win over Eva Prewitt and Ashleigh Souza. Eknoian and Mae went the distance in the No. 2 pair before falling to Tatum Smith and Sara Ostojic by the score of 13-21, 21-16, 15-8. The remaining matches all went to the Golden Eagles in straight sets as Kali Uhl and Kelissa Lemione swept Griego and Brown, 21-18, 21-15, Korah Norton and True McCullough defeated Miles and Lindhardt, 22-20, 21-15 in the No. 3 pair before Jordan Nichols and Kelia Giusta swept Buckley and Sweeting, 21-19, 21-18 at No. 4.
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COACH ARI HOMAYUNÂ SAID
"Today was a good first test for us. We definitely had some first-match jitters that we worked through really well against The Master's. Concordia is a really well-coached program and those girls worked really hard. They played good volleyball which ultimately got the better of us. They made changes mid-match that we didn't respond to as well as we could have, but I'm very hopeful and excited for the rest of the season."
UP NEXT
The Matadors return home to host The Master's University and Westcliff in their home-opening tri-dual next Friday (Mar. 1). CSUN takes on The Master's at 10 a.m. followed by a 2 p.m. match against Westcliff.
CSUN 5, THE MASTER'S 0
#1. Griego/Brown (CSUN) def. Bates/Booker (TMU) 22-20, 22-20
#2. Eknoian/Mae (CSUN) def. Wada/Yates (TMU) 21-16, 21-13
#3. Miles/Lindhardt (CSUN) def. Brooks/Rodrgiuez (TMU) 21-16, 26-24
#4. Buckley/Sweeting (CSUN) def. Avila/Unruh (TMU) 21-17. 21-14
#5. Bazylevych/Mendiola (CSUN) def. DeRafaelle/Niehus (TMU) 21-15, 22-20
#6. (Exh.)Â Jarosz/Coggins (CSUN) def. Unruh/Winter (TMU) 21-10, 21-15
CONCORDIA 4, CSUN 1
#1. Uhl/Lemione (CUI) def. Griego/Brown (CSUN) 21-18, 21-15
#2. Smith/Ostojic (CUI) def. Eknoian/Mae (CSUN) 13-21, 21-16, 15-8
#3. Nordin/McCullough (CUI) def. Miles/Lindhardt (CSUN) 22-20, 21-15
#4. Nichols/Giusta (CUI) def. Buckley/Sweeting (CSUN) 21-19, 21-18
#5. Bazylevych/Mendiola (CSUN) def. Prewitt/Souza (CUI) 21-19, 21-23, 15-13 Â
#6. (Exh.) Highstreet/Clifton (CUI) def. Jarosz/Cederlind (CSUN) 21-13, 21-18
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