SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The 2019-20 athletics season will get underway for Cal State San Marcos this week as men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball each begin their season.
Volleyball will get the year started by hosting the 2019 Cougar Classic at The Sports Center on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Men’s soccer will host Fresno Pacfic on Thursday at The Cage before women’s soccer hosts Central Washington on Saturday. Men’s and women’s cross country will travel up to La Mirada for the Biola Invitational on Saturday.
VOLLEYBALL
2019 Cougar Classic @ The Sports Center
Official Tournament Page
Live Stats | Cougar Sports Network
Thursday, Sept. 5
CSUSM vs. Saint Martin’s – 10 a.m.
Western New Mexico vs. Saint Martin’s – 4 p.m.
CSUSM vs. WNMU (Pa.) – 6 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 6
Saint Martin’s vs. Eastern New Mexico, 9 a.m.
WNMU vs. Azusa Pacific, 11 a.m.
Saint Martin’s vs. Bentley, 1 p.m.
Eastern New Mexico vs. Azusa Pacific, 4 p.m.
CSUSM vs. Bentley, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 7
Bentley vs. WNMU – 9 a.m.
CSUSM vs. Azusa Pacific – 11 a.m.
Bentley vs. ENMU, 1 p.m.
Saint Martin’s vs. Azusa Pacific – 4 p.m.
CSUSM vs. Eastern New Mexico – 6 p.m.
MEET THE COUGARS •CSUSM returns 10 including three-time All-CCAA honoree Maddy Newcombe.
•Seven new faces will be wearing Cougar Blue this year: Long Beach State transfer Fayth Rascon-Ryn, Long Island University Post transfer Kiora Ridgeway and freshmen Courtney Potts, Emily Vander Weide, Kayla de los Reyes, Madison Turner and Mackenzie Jennings.
•Taking on the captain roles this year are Olivia Aguilar, Aleese Wheaton and Eliana Williams.
THE OPPONENTS •In the AVCA Division II Coaches Top 25 Preseason Poll (Aug. 20), CSUSM made its debut in the receiving votes section for the first time in program history.
•It will be CSUSM’s first meeting with Bentley and Eastern New Mexico in program history.
•Saint Martin’s is the first school to compete in the Cougar Classic for a second time. CSUSM fell in three sets to the Saints in the tournament finale in 2017.
•CSUSM has played Azusa Pacific twice in program history with both occurrences taking place in 2012. The two Cougar squads faced each other at the Cal Poly Pomona Tournament where APU snagged a three-set victory. The two teams’ second meeting was a five-set thriller in Azusa with APU coming out on top.
THE LEONARD FILE •Head coach Andrea Leonard enters her ninth season in charge of the Cougar volleyball team, a program she has built from the ground up since arriving on campus in 2010.
•Leonard has a 160-105 (.604) record as CSUSM’s head coach.
•In 15 seasons as a collegiate head volleyball coach, Leonard holds a 252-231 (.552) career record.
•Leonard was CSUSM’s first-ever CCAA Coach of the Year after guiding the Cougars to a third-place finish in the overall standings in the 2017 season.
2019 CCAA PRESEASON POLL •The CCAA released their preseason poll last week and CSUSM volleyball is predicted to tie for third in the south division for 2019 (release here).
•Cal State San Bernardino is favored to repeat as CCAA volleyball champions for the fourth consecutive season.
TICKET/PARKING INFORMATION •All Cougar Classic tickets can be purchased at The Sports Center ticket window.
•Tournament pass is $25 and single day ticket is $15.
•Special group rate for 10 or more: $2 per person at the door
•Parking is located diagonally across from The Sports Center in the parking garage at a cost of $10/day. Virtual parking permits may be purchased by calling 1-866-234-7275 or at the kiosk in Lot N, next to the Parking Structure 1.
MEN’S SOCCER
Thursday, Sept. 5 – 3 p.m.
Cal State San Marcos (0-0) vs. Fresno Pacific (0-0)
San Marcos, Calif. – The Cage
Live Stats | Cougar Sports Network
2019 NOTES •The Cougars return 18 players from last season’s squad.
•CSUSM brought in 10 newcomers during the offseason.
•The Cougars’ roster is composed of 10 midfielders, eight defenders, six forwards and four goalkeepers.
•The 2019 roster features six seniors, three juniors, nine sophomores and 10 freshmen.
•CSUSM finished the 2018 season with an 8-7-2 overall record.
•The Cougars were the eighth-most improved team in NCAA Division II in 2018 as they posted 5.5 more wins than 2017.
•CSUSM was picked to finish eighth in the 2019 CCAA Men’s Soccer Preseason Poll.
SEASON OPENER AGAINST FRESNO PACIFIC •FPU was the fourth-most improved team in Division II last season as they posted 6.5 more wins than 2017.
•This will be the first game between the Cougars and Sunbirds since Oct. 23, 2013.
•This is FPU’s first visit to CSUSM since 2011 and will be just the third overall.
•The Cougars earned a 2-1 victory over the Sunbirds in their last visit to San Marcos.
•FPU owns a 4-1 lead in the all-time series while the series in knotted at 1-1 when playing in San Marcos.
•FPU held CSUSM scoreless in the last two games in Fresno.
THE PULVERS FILE •This season marks the 14th season for head coach Ron Pulvers at CSUSM.
•Pulvers has a 111-85-23 (.559) record as CSUSM’s head men’s coach.
•In 22 seasons as a collegiate head men’s soccer coach, Pulvers holds a 237-156-37 (.594) career record.
•He was 84-42-24 (.640) while in charge of the CSUSM women’s program.
•From 2006-13, Pulvers led both the CSUSM men’s and women’s soccer teams.
TICKET/PARKING INFORMATION •General admission tickets are $8 while tickets for CSUSM students, faculty and staff are free with a valid ID.
•Parking for all CSUSM soccer games is free when parking in Lot Z. Parking in other CSUSM lots will require a paid parking pass.
MEN’S/WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Saturday, Sept. 7
Biola Invitational
La Mirada, Calif. – Ted Craig Regional Park
LIVE SCORING | MEET CENTRAL
RACE START TIMES
8 a.m. – Women’s 5k Invitational
8:45 a.m. – Men’s 8k Invitational
TEAMS
Academy of Art, Azusa Pacific, Benedictine-Mesa, Biola University, Chapman, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, Compton College, Concordia Irvine, Cal State LA, Cal State San Bernardino, Cal State San Marcos, Fresno Pacific, Fresno State, Glendale CC (AZ), Hawai’i Hilo, Hawai’i Pacific, Marymount California, Point Loma, SOKA University, UC San Diego, Vanguard, Ventura CC, Westcliff
THIS SEASON •In the 2019 Preseason Regional Rankings, the men’s team is ranked seventh, joining four other CCAA schools in the top 10, while the women sit sixth with two other conference members.
•CSUSM will be hosting the Cougar Challenge at home on Sept. 13.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Saturday, Sept. 7 – 3 p.m.
Cal State San Marcos (0-0) vs. Central Washington (0-0)
San Marcos, Calif. – The Cage
Live Stats | Cougar Sports Network
2019 NOTES •CSUSM returns 22 players from last season’s squad.
•The Cougars brought in five freshmen, one sophomore and one senior to round out this season’s roster of 29.
•CSUSM tied for fifth in the 2019 CCAA Women’s Soccer Preseason Poll after posting a 6-4-2 conference record and a 7-7-4 overall record last season.
•The Cougars’ roster is composed of seven seniors, four juniors, 11 sophomores and seven freshmen.
•Position-wise, CSUSM has 11 midfielders, eight midfielders, six forwards and four goalkeepers.
•2017 and 2018 All-CCAA Honorable Mention Lauren Perry returns for her senior season.
SEASON OPENER AGAINST CENTRAL WASHINGTON •CWU finished last season with a 5-8-4 overall record while finishing 5-5-2 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC).
•The Wildcats were picked to finish fifth in the 2019 GNAC Preseason Women’s Soccer Coaches Poll.
•This will be the first-ever meeting between CSUSM and CWU.
•Junior Madison Bradley returns after leading the Wildcats with nine points last season.
•Prior to the Wildcats’ game in San Marcos, CWU will begin its season at Fresno Pacific on Thursday.
THE RENNEISEN FILE •Head coach Bobby Renneisen enters his sixth year in charge of the women’s program and 14th overall at CSUSM
•Renneisen’s 2018 team made its second consecutive CCAA Tournament appearance in 2018 while also handing No. 1 UC San Diego its lone regular-season loss.
•Between 2006-13, Renneisen was an assistant/associate head coach for both the men’s and women’s soccer teams.
•As the women’s head coach, Renneisen is 36-30-23 (.534) for his career with the Cougars.
TICKET/PARKING INFORMATION •General admission tickets are $8 while tickets for CSUSM students, faculty and staff are free with a valid ID.
•Parking for all CSUSM soccer games is free when parking in Lot Z. Parking in other CSUSM lots will require a paid parking pass.
