Photo by: Chuck Marvel
CSUN Tabbed Eighth in Big West Preseason Coaches Poll
8/21/2025 1:33:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
IRVINE, Calif. - The CSUN women's volleyball team was picked to finish eighth by the conference's coaches in the 2025 Big West Preseason Poll released on Thursday, Aug. 21.
The Matadors received 42 points from the Big West coaches as Aquiles Montoya opens his second season as head coach. In his first season, Montoya led the Matadors to a 10-19 overall record, as CSUN reached double figures in wins for the first time since 2019. With five Big West wins, Montoya led CSUN to its highest conference win total in three seasons.Â
The top two teams from a season ago sit atop the preseason poll with a razor-thin margin separating defending champion Hawai'i and 2024 regular-season champion Cal Poly. UC Davis (75 points), UC Santa Barbara (73) and Long Beach State (68) are the next grouping in the poll. Just three points back and in seventh in the polling is UC San Diego, followed by CSUN (42), Cal State Bakersfield (23), Cal State Fullerton (21), and UC Riverside (14) to round out the listings. UH was picked to win the crown in their final season of full Big West membership, accumulating 94 total points and five first-place picks in a vote by the league's 11 head coaches. Just two points behind and also garnering five first-place nods is Cal Poly with 92 total points.Â
CSUN returns its entire starting lineup from the 2024 season finale, including Amaris Smith, Hailey Brockway, Katie Kolar, Leah Miller, Paige Sentes, Iye Okolo, and Tatiana Turgeon. Smith led the Matadors with 383 kills while averaging 3.55 kills per set, which ranked sixth in the Big West, while Brockway ranked third on the team with 306 kills, averaging a team-high 3.60 kills per set which ranked fourth among Big West hitters. Miller ranked second on the team with 311 kills while averaging 2.68 kills per set, which ranked 16th in the Big West.
Kolar posted a team-high 1,134 assists in 2024, while averaging 9.78 assists per set, which ranked fourth among Big West setters in assists per set. Sentes returns as one of the top liberos in the Big West after leading CSUN with 468 digs while averaging 4.03 digs per set, which ranked second in the Big West. Sentes' season total in digs ranks sixth in CSUN history and is fifth-best in the program's Rally Scoring era. Turgeon was CSUN's top blocker a season ago, averaging 0.86 blocks per set with 10 solo blocks and 89 assisted stuffs to rank 12th in the Big West in blocks per set. Okolo added 82.0 total blocks, which included nine solo blocks and 73 block assists to rank 19th in the Big West in blocks per set (0.72).
The 2025 season also figures to see the debut of several new players to the CSUN roster, including sophomore transfer Hayley Ogden (Gonzaga), redshirt freshman Kyleigh Moore, along with freshmen Layla Moore (Long Beach, Calif.), Raegan Richardson (Gilbert, Ariz.), and Saniyah Sobers (San Bernardino, Calif.).
The Matadors open the 2025 season with an exhibition match against Cal State LA on Aug. 23. CSUN will officially open the 2025 regular season next week, hosting The Ridge Invitational from Aug. 29-31). The Matadors open against Idaho State next Friday (Aug. 29) at 6 p.m., and will take on Pacific on Saturday at 6 p.m. before wrapping up the weekend on Sunday against California Baptist at 2 p.m.Â
Fans can get ready for the season in the 2025 Big West Women's Volleyball Preview presented by The Hawaiian Islands next Thursday, Aug. 28 at 1 p.m. PT/10 a.m. HT on ESPN+. Tune in to hear from every head coach in the conference and hear in-depth analysis and insights from the tandem of Chloe Clark and Rob Espero.Â
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First serve across The Big West is set for Friday, Aug. 29, with all 11 teams in high-flying action across the country, including four on their home court. Conference play around The Big West commences on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
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First-place votes in parentheses Â
#GoMatadors
The Matadors received 42 points from the Big West coaches as Aquiles Montoya opens his second season as head coach. In his first season, Montoya led the Matadors to a 10-19 overall record, as CSUN reached double figures in wins for the first time since 2019. With five Big West wins, Montoya led CSUN to its highest conference win total in three seasons.Â
The top two teams from a season ago sit atop the preseason poll with a razor-thin margin separating defending champion Hawai'i and 2024 regular-season champion Cal Poly. UC Davis (75 points), UC Santa Barbara (73) and Long Beach State (68) are the next grouping in the poll. Just three points back and in seventh in the polling is UC San Diego, followed by CSUN (42), Cal State Bakersfield (23), Cal State Fullerton (21), and UC Riverside (14) to round out the listings. UH was picked to win the crown in their final season of full Big West membership, accumulating 94 total points and five first-place picks in a vote by the league's 11 head coaches. Just two points behind and also garnering five first-place nods is Cal Poly with 92 total points.Â
CSUN returns its entire starting lineup from the 2024 season finale, including Amaris Smith, Hailey Brockway, Katie Kolar, Leah Miller, Paige Sentes, Iye Okolo, and Tatiana Turgeon. Smith led the Matadors with 383 kills while averaging 3.55 kills per set, which ranked sixth in the Big West, while Brockway ranked third on the team with 306 kills, averaging a team-high 3.60 kills per set which ranked fourth among Big West hitters. Miller ranked second on the team with 311 kills while averaging 2.68 kills per set, which ranked 16th in the Big West.
Kolar posted a team-high 1,134 assists in 2024, while averaging 9.78 assists per set, which ranked fourth among Big West setters in assists per set. Sentes returns as one of the top liberos in the Big West after leading CSUN with 468 digs while averaging 4.03 digs per set, which ranked second in the Big West. Sentes' season total in digs ranks sixth in CSUN history and is fifth-best in the program's Rally Scoring era. Turgeon was CSUN's top blocker a season ago, averaging 0.86 blocks per set with 10 solo blocks and 89 assisted stuffs to rank 12th in the Big West in blocks per set. Okolo added 82.0 total blocks, which included nine solo blocks and 73 block assists to rank 19th in the Big West in blocks per set (0.72).
The 2025 season also figures to see the debut of several new players to the CSUN roster, including sophomore transfer Hayley Ogden (Gonzaga), redshirt freshman Kyleigh Moore, along with freshmen Layla Moore (Long Beach, Calif.), Raegan Richardson (Gilbert, Ariz.), and Saniyah Sobers (San Bernardino, Calif.).
The Matadors open the 2025 season with an exhibition match against Cal State LA on Aug. 23. CSUN will officially open the 2025 regular season next week, hosting The Ridge Invitational from Aug. 29-31). The Matadors open against Idaho State next Friday (Aug. 29) at 6 p.m., and will take on Pacific on Saturday at 6 p.m. before wrapping up the weekend on Sunday against California Baptist at 2 p.m.Â
Fans can get ready for the season in the 2025 Big West Women's Volleyball Preview presented by The Hawaiian Islands next Thursday, Aug. 28 at 1 p.m. PT/10 a.m. HT on ESPN+. Tune in to hear from every head coach in the conference and hear in-depth analysis and insights from the tandem of Chloe Clark and Rob Espero.Â
Â
First serve across The Big West is set for Friday, Aug. 29, with all 11 teams in high-flying action across the country, including four on their home court. Conference play around The Big West commences on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
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| 2025 Big West Women's Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll | ||
| Rank | Institution | Points |
| 1. | Hawai'i | 94 (5) |
| 2. | Cal Poly | 92 (5) |
| 3.  | UC Davis | 75 |
| 4. | UC Santa Barbara | 73 (1) |
| 5. | Long Beach State | 68 |
| 6. | UC Irvine | 53 |
| 7. | UC San Diego | 50 |
| 8. | CSUN | 42 |
| 9. | Cal State Bakersfield | 23 |
| 10. | Cal State Fullerton | 21 |
| 11. | UC Riverside | 14 |
First-place votes in parentheses Â
#GoMatadors
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