The road to an NCAA Division II women’s volleyball championship requires six wins over a two-week span. It’s something the Cal State LA women’s volleyball program had never done in its history, that is until Saturday, Dec. 9, in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, which hosted this year’s National Championship Tournament.
After taking their first two sets against West Texas A&M the Golden Eagles dropped set three 25-22 but came roaring back to win the fourth set 25-14 and bring a national championship home to Southern California. They defeated Missouri State-St. Louis and Wayne State in the tournament’s opening rounds. This came despite a 2-6 start to the year and not being ranked in the national polls at any point until after they won that national title.
Heritage graduate Jameson Sanders has been key in the Golden Eagles success this year, appearing in 124 of 127 sets played and averaging 2.56 digs per set while recording 36 total aces.
In the postseason she entered 29 sets and recorded 71 digs, including 17 in the first round of National Championship play against Wayne State, along with recording 11 aces. During a West Region semifinal match against number one seed Chaminade she tied a season high with four aces, including two which ended sets with Golden Eagle victories.
After stints at Oregon State and California Baptist University, Temecula Valley graduate Ashlyn Beaver was on the Golden Eagle roster along with Paloma Valley graduate Rachel Lowe. Lowe recorded 21 kills and appeared in 34 sets while Beaver did not make an appearance on the year.
It was Cal State LA’s second straight appearance in the National Championship Tournament, after falling in last year’s semifinals.
Derryl Trujillo can be reached at socaltrekkie@gmail.com.
