SAN MARCOS, Calif. – Men’s and women’s basketball will open their 2019 seasons while volleyball, men’s cross country and women’s country continue to compete this week for Cal State San Marcos Athletics.
Women’s basketball will open up its season at The Sports Center against Simon Fraser on Friday at 1 p.m.
Men’s basketball will head to Los Angeles for the CCAA/PacWest Challenge hosted by Cal State LA. The Cougars will open up the season by facing Biola on Friday at 5 p.m. They’ll close out the opening weekend by facing Concordia Irvine on Saturday at 5 p.m.
Volleyball will return to The Sports Center on Friday to host Cal State Dominguez at 5 p.m. They’ll wrap up the weekend by hosting No. 24 Cal State LA on Saturday at 5 p.m.
Men’s and women’s cross country will head to Monmouth, Oregon, for the 2019 NCAA West Regionals on Saturday. The women’s 6K race will get underway at 10 a.m. and will be followed by the men’s 10K race at 11:15 a.m.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Friday, Nov. 8 – 1 p.m. (Home Opener)
CSUSM (0-0) vs. Simon Fraser (2-1)
San Marcos, Calif. – The Sports Center
Live Stats | Watch Live
2019-20 QUICK FACTS •The Cougars are returning seven players from last season’s squad and added seven new faces in the offseason.
•CSUSM was picked to finish third in the 2019-20 CCAA Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll.
•The Cougars finished fourth in the CCAA last season with a conference record of 14-8 and 18-10 overall.
•CSUSM won its first postseason game in the NCAA era last season, defeating Cal State Dominguez Hills, 75-69, in The Sports Center in the quarterfinals of the CCAA Tournament.
•Jon’Nae Vermillion (13.6 PPG), Emma Forel (12.8 PPG) and Akayla Hackson (12.5 PPG) were all ranked in the top 15 in scoring in the CCAA last season.
•Forel finished tied for second in the conference with a 52.7 field goal percentage.
•Vermillion (8.4 RPG) and Forel (7.7 RPG) were 10th and 12th, respectively, in rebounding last year in the CCAA.
SEASON OPENER VS SIMON FRASER •The Clan was tabbed to finish fifth in the 2019-20 GNAC Preseason Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll.
•Junior Ozioma Nwabuko were named to the GNAC Preseason All-Conference team after finishing 2018-19 season with a 55.6 field goal percentage while averaging 9.0 points per game.
•SFU has already played three games this season, going 2-1 in the CCA Division II Tip Off Classic last weekend. The Clan dropped a 78-60 decision to Drury before registering victories over University of Mary (70-67) and Cal Poly Pomona (68-63).
•The Cougars are 0-2 in their only two meetings with the Clan, falling 67-58 last season in The Sports Center.
THE JIMENEZ FILE •Head coach Renee Jimenez enters her fifth season in charge of the Cougar women’s basketball team, a program that is only in its eighth season of existence.
•Jimenez has compiled a 171-129 (.570) in her 12 seasons coaching in the CCAA, spending two seasons at Cal State San Bernardino after a five-year stint at Cal State Monterey Bay.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Friday, Nov. 8 – 5 p.m.
CSUSM (0-0) vs. Biola (0-0)
Los Angeles, Calif. – Cal State LA Gymnasium
Live Stats | Watch Live ($)
Saturday, Nov. 9 – 5 p.m.
CSUSM vs. No. 23 Concordia Irvine (2-1)
Los Angeles, Calif. – Cal State LA Gymnasium
Live Stats | Watch Live ($)
SEASON OPENER AGAINST BIOLA •CSUSM and Biola will open the CCAA/PacWest Challenge on Friday.
•The Cougars’ roster of 13 has six returners from last year’s team to go along with seven new faces.
•CSUSM’s top three scorers from 2018-19 return in Khalil Fuller (14.7 PPG), Darae Elliott (12.4 PPG) and Bryce Sloan (12.2 PPG).
•Fuller led the CCAA in rebounding last season with 8.3 per game and had the third-best field-goal percentage in the league at 50.5 percent.
•Fuller averaged one more offensive rebound per game than anyone else in the league at 3.52 – 19th best in the nation.
•Darae Elliott finished fifth in the conference for rebounds per game last season at 7.0.
•CSUSM was picked to finish 11th in the CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll.
•CSUSM is 3-4 in the all-time series against Biola and is 0-1 against the Eagles in neutral site games.
•Last year, the Cougars fell 64-58 to the Eagles in La Mirada.
•Biola was picked to finish fifth in the PacWest Preseason Coaches Poll after finishing with an overall record of 15-13 and an 11-11 conference record last season.
•The Eagles have five returners from last season to go along with seven newcomers.
•Michael Bagatourian earned Preseason All-PacWest honors for Biola after averaging 12.1 points per game last season.
CLOSING OUT THE WEEKEND AGAINST CONCORDIA IRVINE •CUI was ranked No. 23 in the NCAA Division II National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Preseason Poll on Oct. 29.
•The Eagles went 2-1 in their opening weekend of play at the Disney DII Tip-Off Classic.
•CUI defeated UT Permian Basin 92-86 on Friday before taking a 75-73 win against Wayne State on Saturday.
•The Eagles closed the weekend by falling 91-83 to Ferris State.
•Before facing the Cougars on Saturday, CUI will face host Cal State LA on Friday.
•The Eagles were selected as the preseason favorites in the PacWest after making it to the NCAA Tournament last season and finishing the year with a record of 23-11.
•CUI has four players averaging at least 12.7 points per game or better in the early going.
•The Eagles are shooting 42.9% from the field, 33.3% from three and 62.7% from the charity stripe.
•CSUSM owns a 5-3 record in the all-time series against CUI and is 1-0 in neutral site games.
•The Cougars have won five of the last six games against the Eagles.
•Last year, CSUSM earned a 69-62 victory in a neutral site game at Biola.
THE FOSTER FILE •Head coach B.J. Foster enters his fourth season in charge of the CSUSM Men’s Basketball program after taking over the head position in 2016.
•Under his leadership, the Cougars advanced to the CCAA Tournament for the first time in 2017-18 after finishing the season with a 15-7 conference record and a 20-9 overall record.
•Prior to becoming head coach of the Cougars, Foster was an assistant coach with the team from 2013 to 2016.
•Foster has tallied a career record of 47-38 (.553).
VOLLEYBALL
Friday, Nov. 8 – 5 p.m.
CSUSM (14-8, 8-5 CCAA) vs. Cal State Dominguez Hills (12-8, 5-8 CCAA)
San Marcos, Calif. – The Sports Center
Live Stats | Watch Live
Saturday, Nov. 9 – 5 p.m.
CSUSM vs. No. 24 Cal State LA (15-6, 11-2 CCAA)
San Marcos, Calif. – The Sports Center
Live Stats | Watch Live
PREVIOUS WEEK •The Cougars played only one match last week, dropping a three-set match at UC San Diego on Saturday night.
•As a team in the CCAA statistics, CSUSM jumps back into second in digs per set (15.27) and remains in third in blocks per set (2.22).
•CSUSM’s blocks per set average ranks 39th in the NCAA Division II statistics.
•Grecia Cordero-Barr is pulling away as the CCAA leader with 4.76 digs per set as San Francisco State’s Taylor Garcia sits in second at 4.53.
•The blocking duo of Maddy Newcombe and Kassy Doering hold steady in fifth (69) and sixth (67), respectively, in the CCAA statistics in total blocks.
•In the CCAA standings, CSUSM is fourth, a half-game back of UC San Diego in the South Division.
FRIDAY AGAINST THE TOROS •CSUDH has won four of its last six matches including a five-set victory at Chico State on Oct. 25.
•The Toros were swept by No. 1 Cal State San Bernardino on Saturday in Carson.
•The Cougars swept CSUDH earlier this season in Carson by scores of 25-23, 25-22 and 26-24.
•CSUSM is 6-4 in the all-time series against the Toros and are in the midst of a three-match winning streak.
•The Cougars have registered three-consecutive sweeps against CSUDH in The Sports Center.
•CSUDH ranks 11th in digs per set at 13.78 in the CCAA.
•Samaya Royal has a .388 attack percentage, ranking her fourth in the CCAA.
•The Toros are fifth in the CCAA South Division standings.
GOLDEN EAGLES VISIT THE SPORTS CENTER ON SATURDAY •The Golden Eagles’ lone conference losses were both at the hands of No. 1 Cal State San Bernardino.
•CSULA squeaked out a five-set victory against Cal Poly Pomona on Saturday with the final set concluding at 17-15.
•The Golden Eagles hold a 7-3 advantage in the all-time series against CSUSM.
•The Cougars fell in three sets at CSULA earlier this season. The Golden Eagles were receiving votes in the AVCA National Poll at that time.
•CSULA is averaging 13.36 kills per set while holding opponents to a CCAA-best 10.23.
•The Golden Eagles are also second in the CCAA in blocks per set (2.35) and aces per set (1.88) but are ranked last in digs per set (13.65).
•CSULA is second in the CCAA South Division Standings.
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 174-113 (.606) record as CSUSM’s head coach.
•In 16 seasons as a collegiate head volleyball coach, Leonard holds a 266-239 (.527) 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.
MEN’S / WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Saturday, Nov. 9
NCAA West Regionals
Monmouth, Oregon – Ash Creek Preserve
LIVE SCORING | 6K COURSE | 10K COURSE
RACE START TIMES
10:00 a.m. – Women’s 6k
11:15 a.m. – Men’s 10k
PREVIOUS RACE
•At the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championships on Oct. 26, Joshua Litwiller was crowned CCAA individual champion while leading the men’s squad to a runner-up finish.
•Marina McDonough led the way on the women’s side, finishing sixth out of 106 runners and landing the Cougars a sixth-place finish at the CCAA Championships.
UPCOMING RACE •In 2018, the women placed ninth while the men took seventh at the NCAA West Regionals in Billings, Montana.
•Lisa Flora received an at-large bid to the 2018 NCAA Championships on Dec. 1, where she went on to finish her career taking 54th place.
•Alaska Anchorage stands as the women’s NCAA West Regional Champs and have owned that title five of the last 10 years.
•On the men’s side, Chico State has won 14 of the last 16 NCAA West Regionals, including last year’s.
•The men’s squad is ranked No. 16 nationally and No. 2 regionally according to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
WHO WILL BE MOVING ON •The top three teams from each regional meet will automatically advance to the championship finals (24 teams total). Ten at-large teams will be selected by the NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Committee using the selection criteria found here. There is no limit to the number of at-large teams that may be selected from any given region.
•The top two individuals who are not part of a qualifying team will automatically advance to the championship finals (16 individuals total). All individuals who finish in the top five at the regional meet and are not part of a qualifying team will automatically advance to the championships finals. The next eight individuals will be selected at-large
THE OLSON FILE •Head coach Torrey Olson begins his second season at the helm of the men’s and women’s cross country after taking over in the summer of 2018.
•Olson came to CSUSM after spending three seasons as the Director of Track & Field and Cross Country at the Academy of Art University where his teams earned 50-plus All-American honors.
•Olson served as the head cross country coach the previous three years at Academy of Art.
•In addition to the Academy of Art, Olson has also worked with the University of San Francisco and Pomona-Pitzer College.
•A graduate of Pomona College in 2009, Olson also holds an MFA from St. Mary’s College (2012).
