This Week in Cougar Athletics: Nov. 5-11
11/5/2018 | General
SAN MARCOS, Calif. – As volleyball season enters the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championship, men’s and women’s basketball will begin their 2018-19 seasons this week for Cal State San Marcos Athletics.
Volleyball will play its quarterfinal match against Cal State East Bay on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. Women’s basketball will tip-off its season at home by facing Hawaii Pacific on Friday at 6 p.m. before taking on Simon Fraser on Saturday at 6 p.m. Men’s basketball will open the season at Biola on Friday at 1 p.m. before turning its attention to Concordia Irvine on Saturday at 5 p.m.
VOLLEYBALL
CCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
Thursday, Nov. 8 – 2:30 p.m.
CSUSM (13-12, 9-8 CCAA) vs. Cal State East Bay (15-11, 11-7 CCAA)
Turlock, Calif. – Ed & Bertha Fitzpatrick Arena
PREVIOUS WEEK •CSUSM knocked off No. 12 Cal State L.A. on the road on Friday in four-sets, marking the first time the Cougars have recorded an upset over a NCAA Division II national ranked team in program history.
•The Cougars punched their ticket to the CCAA Championships with a five-set victory at Cal State Dominguez Hills on Saturday.
•CSUSM is nationally-ranked No. 32 in blocks per set (2.20) with Faith Fortuné leading the way, ranking No. 14 in blocks per set (1.29) and 74th in total blocks (209).
CAL STATE EAST BAY BREAKDOWN •The Pioneers clinched their first ever California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) North Division title on Saturday with a sweep at Sonoma State. CSUEB finished the season with the same record as Cal State Monterey Bay but held the tie-breaker to earn the title.
•Middle blocker Deja Thompson ranks ninth in the CCAA statistics in blocks per game (0.87).
•As a team, the Pioneers are holding their opponents to just 1.48 blocks per set while CSUSM is averaging 2.20 per set.
•The Cougars defeated CSUEB in four sets (19-25, 25-20, 25-12, 25-19) on Sept. 14 in The Sports Center.
THE LEONARD FILE •Head coach Andrea Leonard enters her eighth season in charge of the Cougar volleyball team, a program she has built from the ground up since arriving on campus in 2010.
•Leonard was CSUSM’s first-ever CCAA Coach of the Year after guiding the Cougars to a third-place finish in the overall standings last season.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Friday, Nov. 9 – 6 p.m. (Home Opener)
CSUSM (0-0) vs. Hawaii Pacific (0-0)
San Marcos, Calif. – The Sports Center
LIVE STATS | THE COUGAR SPORTS NETWORK
Saturday, Nov. 10 – 6 p.m.
CSUSM vs. Simon Fraser (0-0)
San Marcos, Calif. – The Sports Center
LIVE STATS | THE COUGAR SPORTS NETWORK
PREVIOUS WEEK •The Cougars fell 64-55 in an exhibition at NCAA Division I University of San Diego on Saturday afternoon at Jenny Craig Pavilion.
•Freshman Dynnah Buckner led the Cougars with 14 points, going 8-of-8 at the charity stripe.
•In the 2018-19 CCAA Preseason Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll, the Cougars were picked to finish eighth. UCSD is expected to finish first out of the 13 teams.
SEASON OPENER VS HAWAII PACIFIC •The Sharks were picked to finish second in the PacWest Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll, behind Azusa Pacific.
•Senior Breanna Mackenzie was named to the 2018-19 Preseason All-PacWest Team after averaging 17.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in 2017-18.
•HPU is receiving votes in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Preseason Poll (Nov. 1).
SIMON FRASER UPDATE •The Clan was tabbed to finish tied for third in the 2018-19 GNAC Preseason Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll.
•Senior Sophie Swant and sophomore Ozioma Nwabuko were both named to the GNAC Preseason All-Conference team.
•With only three upperclassmen, SFU has five freshman and four sophomores on its squad this season.
THE JIMENEZ FILE •Head coach Renee Jimenez enters her fourth 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 153-119 (.563) in her ten 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. 9 – 1 p.m.
CSUSM (0-0) at Biola (0-0)
La Mirada, Calif. – Chase Gymnasium
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
Saturday, Nov. 10 – 5 p.m.
CSUSM vs. Concordia Irvine (1-2)
La Mirada, Calif. – Chase Gymnasium
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
2018-19 QUICK FACTS •The Cougars are returning five players from last season’s squad and added 10 new faces in the offseason.
•CSUSM was picked to finish seventh in the 2018-19 CCAA Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll.
•The Cougars tied for third in the CCAA last season with a conference record of 15-7 and an overall record of 21-11.
SEASON OPENER AT BIOLA •As part of the CCAA/PacWest Conference Challenge, CSUSM will begin its season on the road at Biola on Friday.
•The Cougars own a 3-2 record against the Eagles after defeating them 84-57 at The Sports Center this season.
•In La Mirada, CSUSM and Biola are knotted at 1-1.
•The Cougars last visit to Biola in 2013 resulted in a 74-65 win.
•The Eagles were picked to finish seventh in the 2018-19 PacWest Conference Preseason Poll after finishing 11th with a 5-15 record in the league last season.
•Biola is returning four of its five starters from last season.
NEUTRAL SITE GAME AGAINST CONCORDIA IRVINE •CSUSM will finish up its opening weekend by playing Concordia Irvine in La Mirada on Saturday.
•The Cougars own a 4-3 record against the Eagles, but this will be the first time the two teams have tangled on a neutral floor.
•CUI defeated CSUSM by a score of 103-86 at The Sports Center last season.
•The Eagles opened their season at the Disney DII Tip-Off Classic this past weekend with a 1-2 record after defeating Drury and falling to Embry-Riddle and No. 4 West Texas A&M.
•CUI was picked to finish third in the 2018-19 PacWest Conference Preseason Coaches Poll after finishing fifth in the league with a 12-8 record last season.
•The Eagles will be led by senior Brian Chambers, who garnered All-PacWest Preseason Team honors after leading CUI with 14 points per game last season.
THE FOSTER FILE •Head coach B.J. Foster enters his third 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.
•In his two seasons as a head coach, Foster has tallied a career record of 38-19 (.667).
