CSUN Sweeps Bakersfield on Day One of Big West Challenge

Saturday, March 21

Long Beach, Calif.

8:00 AM

California State University at Northridge

Long Beach State

Photo by: Steve Fitzgerald

CSUN Sweeps Bakersfield on Day One of Big West Challenge

3/21/2026 7:19:00 PM | Beach Volleyball

LONG BEACH, Calif. — CSUN Beach Volleyball got back in the win column with a 5-0 victory over Cal State Bakersfield to highlight day one of the Big West Challenge on Saturday at Rosie's Dog Beach. The Matadors (3-13) opened the day with a nail-biting 3-2 loss to No. 11 Long Beach State and closed the day with a 5-0 loss to No. 3 Cal Poly.

#11 LONG BEACH STATE 3, CSUN 2
No. 11 Long Beach State held on to defeat CSUN 3-2 to open the day. The Beach rolled to a pair of quick wins at the top of the dual as Malia Gementera and Taylor Hagenah swept Hannah Heflin and Maleya Miles 21-8, 21-14 in the No. 1 pair. At No. 2, Kiara Edwards and Savannah Standage took a straight set win (21-16, 21-16) over Tia Mendiola and Ainsley Patrick to put Long Beach up 2-0.

Haley Coggins and Daysha Halbert got CSUN on the board, earning a straight-set win over Sammy Okano and Nicole Lankto, 21-14, 21-19, before Dylan Hall and Ava Rogers evened the dual after taking a three-set (21-18, 9-21, 15-10) win over Victoria Henkel and Mahala Esser.

The match would come down to the No. 3 court, when Jill Rodig and Zaria Henderson took the Beach's Demi Wagdy and Mado Maxwell to the limit before falling 21-18, 16-21, 11-15 as the Beach clinched the win.

CSUN 5, CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD 0
In the middle dual, CSUN snapped a five-match skid by defeating Cal State Bakersfield in all five pairs.

Hall and Rogers earned the first Matador point, sweeping Ella Ensign and Ella Katey Milne at No. 4, 21-13, 21-18, CSUN went up 2-0 when Heflin and Miles made quick work of Erika Markentin and Olivia Silacci-Jensen, 21-16, 21-8. The Matadors would then clinch the dual victory when Mendiola and Henderson teamed up for the first time to sweep Vivi Kaelin and Kendall Kaelin, 21-19, 21-17 at No. 2.

Rodig and Patrick, also teaming up for the first time, made it 4-0 with a 21-19, 22-20 win over Sophia Anderson and Olivia Ostler at No. 3. Coggins and Halbert would complete the CSUN sweep, earning a three-set (21-10, 18-21, 15-10) win over Havi Montano and Vianna Garcia on the No. 5 court.

#3 CAL POLY 5, CSUN 0
The Matadors closed the day, falling to the third-ranked Mustangs in all five pairs.

Heflin and Miles fell to Ella Connor and Erin Inskeep, 21-8, 21-11 at No. 1, before Rodig and Henderson fell to Hannah Byers and Maddy Byrne at No. 4, 21-13, 21-13. Cal Poly clinched the dual win when Hall and Rogers dropped a 21-14, 21-14 decision to Julia Westby and Elise Lenahan at No. 3.

The final two pairs also went to Cal Poly as Quinn Perry and Ashleigh Adams swept Mendiola and Henderson, 21-12, 21-16 at No. 2 and Peyton Dueck and Bailey Showalter topped Coggins and Halbert, 21-8, 21-18.

HEAD COACH JEFF HALL SAID
"Really proud of the girls' effort today. A great first win over a Big West opponent, hoping for a few more tomorrow."

UP NEXT
CSUN concludes the Big West Challenge on Sunday as the Matadors take on Sacramento State, Hawai'i, and UC Davis.

#GoMatadors