SAN MARCOS, Calif. –  Looking to start CCAA play on a strong note, the Cal State San Marcos volleyball team (2-5) will host RV San Francisco State (5-2) on Friday and No. 19 Cal State San Bernardino (4-3) on Saturday. Both games are slated to begin at 5 p.m. 

LAST WEEK

• CSUSM concluded the Cougar Classic on a high note with a five-set victory (21-25, 25-20, 16-25, 25-15, 15-9) over previously unbeaten Western Oregon in the tournament finale last Saturday. 
• The previous day, the Cougars dropped a pair of matches to Westmont (1-3) and Azusa Pacific (0-3). 
• Three Cougars were named to the Cougar Classic All-Tournament Team: Isabelle Bakken, Addison Kranz and Jessica Thomas. 

  
BY THE NUMBERS

• CSUSM leads the CCAA with 16.85 team digs per set. 
• With 2.04 blocks per set, the Cougars are third in the conference. 
• Gracie Zaitz is third in the CCAA with 9.00 assists per set. 
• Addison Kranz is ninth in the conference with 3.58 kills per set. 

CCAA OPENER VS. SF STATE

• This will be the 13th time CSUSM and SF State have faced each other, all in the NCAA Division II era (2015-present).
• The Cougars hold a 3-1 record when playing in The Sports Center and are 3-9 in the all-time series against the Gators.
• CSUSM looks to snap a five-match losing streak against SF State.
• The last time these two teams met was in the first round of the 2023 CCAA Tournament when the Gators advanced to the semifinals after recording a sweep (17-25, 18-25, 23-25) against CSUSM. 
• The Gators went 4-0 last weekend in their own Route 92 Classic, recording four consecutive sweeps over Colorado State Pueblo, Hawaii Hilo, Concordia University Irvine and Lubbock Christian. 
• SF State opened the season with losses to then-No. 22 Central Washington (2-3) and then-No. 7 MSU Denver (0-3) before sweeping RV Western Washington in their own tournament.
• The Gators are leading the CCAA in aces (2.00), assists (13.22) and kills (14.26) per set as well as hitting percentage (.291). 
• Last week, Kimberly DeBoer was named CCAA Setter of the Week while Izzy Issak picked up CCAA Defensive Player of the Week honors. 
• SF State was picked to finish fourth in the 2024 CCAA Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll. 

SATURDAY AGAINST NO. 19 CSUSB

• Prior to Saturday's match, CSUSB will face Cal Poly Pomona on Thursday in Pomona. 
• The Cougars have faced the national-powerhouse Coyotes 14 previous times with their one win occurring in The Sports Center in 2017.  
• CSUSB opened the season with a pair of victories over then-No. 19 Seattle Pacific (3-1) and Biola (3-0) before falling in back-to-back matches to then-No. 10 St. Cloud State (1-3) and then-No. 12 Chaminade (0-3) in the Yotes Classic Showcase. 
• The Coyotes went up north for the Central Washington Invitational last weekend, registering wins over Western Washington (3-0) and Central Washington (3-2) before being swept by Simon Fraser (0-3). 
• CSUSB is last in the CCAA in team kills (283) and second-to-last in kills per set (11.32).
• Ashley Robinson is third in the CCAA in kills per set at 4.32.
• CSUSB was selected to finish third in the 2024 CCAA Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll. 

LOOK INSIDE THE COUGARS

• The 2024 CSUSM roster consists of eight players competing in their final collegiate season with five being four-year members of the Cougar family – Mya Galvan, Alyssa Gurrola, Kelli Miechowicz, Jackie Phillips and Jessica Thomas. 
• Two new Cougars will only play one season for CSUSM – Danielle McCasland, a graduate transfer from Concordia University Irvine, and Gracie Zaitz. 
• Five others will be donning Cougar Blue for the first time on Thursday with three being true freshmen and two junior college transfers. 
• The Cougars finished their 2023 campaign with a 12-15 overall record, were 10-8 in CCAA play and returned to the CCAA Tournament for the program's fifth appearance. 
• As a team in the CCAA statistics, CSUSM concluded 2023 ranked seventh in blocks per set (1.93) while holding opponents to 1.74, the third lowest in the conference. 
• In the 2024 CCAA Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll, the Cougars were picked to finish seventh.

THE LEONARD FILE

• Head coach Andrea Leonard enters her 14th 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 210-166 (.559) record as CSUSM's head coach.
• In 19 seasons as a collegiate head volleyball coach, Leonard holds a 302-292 (.508) 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 during the 2017 season.