Friday, March 21
San Luis Obispo, Calif.
11:30 a.m.
California State University at Northridge
0
vs
5
Long Beach State
Photo by: Steve Fitzgerald
CSUN Finishes 1-1 on Day One of Big West Challenge
3/21/2025 9:03:00 PM | Beach Volleyball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - The CSUN Beach Volleyball team opened the 2025 Big West Challenge on Friday at the Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex, dropping a 5-0 decision to eighth-ranked Long Beach State before defeating Sacramento State, 3-2. With the Friday split, the Matadors' season record stands at 11-9.
NO. 8 LONG BEACH STATE 5, CSUN 0
The Matadors looked for their first-ever win over the Beach but came up empty in a 5-0 setback. Long Beach's No. 5 pair of Megan Widener and Demi Wagby opened the scoring with a 21-13, 21-8 win over Maleya Miles and Layla Cederlind. The Beach went up 2-0 when Julia Westby and Haley Carrington swept Tia Mendiola and Julia Bazylevych in the No. 2 pair, 21-18, 21-11. Long Beach clinched the dual win on the No. 1 court as Taylor Hagenah and Malia Gementera topped Tasha Mae and Kinley Lindhardt, 21-16, 21-19. The final two pairs also went in the Beach's favor as Mo Gibson and Sammy Okano held off Dylan Hall and Hannah Heflin, 21-17, 21-16 at No. 4 and Natalie Glenn and Mahala Esser topped Haley Coggins and Ainsley Patrick at No. 3 by the score of 21-19, 21-17.
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CSUN 3, SAC STATE 2
Looking to salvage a split on day one of the tournament, the Matadors claimed three of the first four pairs to seal their 11th win of the season and 12th in 13 matches all-time against the Hornets. Miles and Cederlind picked up CSUN's first win of the day, sweeping Hailey Plugge and Abbey Kadillak on the No. 5 court, 21-17, 21-14. Sac State tied things up with a straight-set win at No. 1, as Caitlin Volkmann and Bridgette Smith knocked off Mae and Lindhardt in a tight 21-19, 22-20 decision. Coggins and Patrick and Hall and Heflin then claimed consecutive wins at the No. 3 and No. 4 spots, respectively, to earn the team win. Coggins and Patrick topped Karlie Spohn and Greta Davis, 21-19, 21-13, before Hall and Heflin won for the 10th time in 11 decisions this season, sweeping Victoria Marthaler and Mia Guevara, 21-11, 21-19. The Hornets would salvage the final pair as Ashlynn Archer and Ellie Tisko claimed the final two sets in a 19-21, 21-18, 15-12 win over Mendiola and Bazylevych on the No. 2 court.
COACH ARI HOMAYUNÂ SAID
"Not our best start to the Big West Challenge, but I'm glad we were able to turn the page after Long Beach and get the win against Sac State. Playing six matches in three days means you have to move on from matches quickly, wins or losses. We have to turn the page and focus on the next opponent. It's awesome to see the level of our conference continue to get better across the board. Ended the day on a high note, gotta get a good night of sleep and be ready to battle tomorrow!"
UP NEXT
The Matadors will play their third and fourth matches of the Big West Challenge on Saturday, meeting UC Davis at 10:15 a.m. and Cal State Bakersfield at 4:30 p.m.
#8 LONG BEACH STATE 5, CSUN 0
#GoMatadors
NO. 8 LONG BEACH STATE 5, CSUN 0
The Matadors looked for their first-ever win over the Beach but came up empty in a 5-0 setback. Long Beach's No. 5 pair of Megan Widener and Demi Wagby opened the scoring with a 21-13, 21-8 win over Maleya Miles and Layla Cederlind. The Beach went up 2-0 when Julia Westby and Haley Carrington swept Tia Mendiola and Julia Bazylevych in the No. 2 pair, 21-18, 21-11. Long Beach clinched the dual win on the No. 1 court as Taylor Hagenah and Malia Gementera topped Tasha Mae and Kinley Lindhardt, 21-16, 21-19. The final two pairs also went in the Beach's favor as Mo Gibson and Sammy Okano held off Dylan Hall and Hannah Heflin, 21-17, 21-16 at No. 4 and Natalie Glenn and Mahala Esser topped Haley Coggins and Ainsley Patrick at No. 3 by the score of 21-19, 21-17.
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CSUN 3, SAC STATE 2
Looking to salvage a split on day one of the tournament, the Matadors claimed three of the first four pairs to seal their 11th win of the season and 12th in 13 matches all-time against the Hornets. Miles and Cederlind picked up CSUN's first win of the day, sweeping Hailey Plugge and Abbey Kadillak on the No. 5 court, 21-17, 21-14. Sac State tied things up with a straight-set win at No. 1, as Caitlin Volkmann and Bridgette Smith knocked off Mae and Lindhardt in a tight 21-19, 22-20 decision. Coggins and Patrick and Hall and Heflin then claimed consecutive wins at the No. 3 and No. 4 spots, respectively, to earn the team win. Coggins and Patrick topped Karlie Spohn and Greta Davis, 21-19, 21-13, before Hall and Heflin won for the 10th time in 11 decisions this season, sweeping Victoria Marthaler and Mia Guevara, 21-11, 21-19. The Hornets would salvage the final pair as Ashlynn Archer and Ellie Tisko claimed the final two sets in a 19-21, 21-18, 15-12 win over Mendiola and Bazylevych on the No. 2 court.
COACH ARI HOMAYUNÂ SAID
"Not our best start to the Big West Challenge, but I'm glad we were able to turn the page after Long Beach and get the win against Sac State. Playing six matches in three days means you have to move on from matches quickly, wins or losses. We have to turn the page and focus on the next opponent. It's awesome to see the level of our conference continue to get better across the board. Ended the day on a high note, gotta get a good night of sleep and be ready to battle tomorrow!"
UP NEXT
The Matadors will play their third and fourth matches of the Big West Challenge on Saturday, meeting UC Davis at 10:15 a.m. and Cal State Bakersfield at 4:30 p.m.
#8 LONG BEACH STATE 5, CSUN 0
#1. Hagenah.Gementera (LBSU) def. Mae/Lindhardt (CSUN), 21-16, 21-19
#2. Westby/Carrington (LBSU) def. Mendiola/Bazylevych (CSUN), 21-18, 21-11
#3. Glenn/Esser (LBSU) def. Coggins/Patrick (CSUN), 21-19, 21-17
#4. Gibson/Okano (LBSU) def. Hall/Heflin (CSUN), 21-7, 21-16
#5. Widener/Wagby (LBSU) def. Miles/Cederlind (CSUN), 21-13, 21-8
#1. Volkmann/Smith (SAC) def, Mae/Lindhardt (CSUN), 21-19, 22-20
#2. Archer/Tisko (SAC) def. Mendiola/Bazylevych (CSUN), 19-21, 21-18, 15-12
#3. Coggins/Patrick (CSUN) def. Spohn/Davis (SAC), 21-19, 21-13
#4. Hall/Heflin (CSUN) def. Marthaler/Guevara (SAC), 21-11, 21-19
#5. Miles/Cederlind (CSUN) def. Plugge/Kadillak (SAC), 21-17, 21-14Â
#GoMatadors
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