In a season that featured a revamped roster with 11 new players, the CSU Bakersfield volleyball team turned out an impressive season where the Roadrunner gelled together to record 14 wins, which is six more than in 2011, in its final season as a Division I NCAA independent team.

The program proved it has the talent and is ready to play in the Western Athletic Conference, which it will do beginning in 2013. The CSUB Athletics Department accepted an invitation to join the WAC in October of 2012 and the school will be an official member of the conference beginning in the fall of 2013.

"It was exciting to see our program take a step forward this year in becoming more competitive with some of the established programs in our region," said CSUB head coach Jolene Shepardson. "Our players put forth tremendous effort toward improving and were able to produce some impressive wins. Our players gained valuable experience in competition that we must use to become more consistent in our play as we move forward. There is much to do in all areas of our program in order to compete in the WAC next season."

In its final year as an independent squad, where the 'Runners went 14-17, CSUB was lead by a skilled group of newcomers. Leading the way were two transfers from Western Nebraska Community College and Belo Horizonte, Brazil natives Debora Araujo and Fernanda Gonçalves. Araujo, a junior outside hitter, arose as the attacking leader for CSUB posting 475 kills and recording 544.5 points. Both figures put Araujo in the CSUB record book at No. 10 for most kills and most points in a single season.

Aruajo posted seven double-doubles on the season and posted a season-high of 27 kills in a five-set victory over Cal Poly on Sept. 25. She finished the season with an average of 4.13 kills per set, while also adding 245 digs and 28 aces, both of which were second-best on the team, and 73 total blocks, which was third most for CSUB.

Gonçalves, a junior setter, successfully fulfilled her role as catalyst for the CSUB offense as she amassed 1,161 assists for an average of 10.01 per set. Her most-productive match also came against Cal Poly when she posted 56 assists. Gonçalves also proved to be a versatile player as she 187 digs, 85 kills, 24 aces and 57 total blocks.

Despite not having played volleyball in two years and had never before played the game at the collegiate level, red-shirt sophomore libero Mariah Alvidrez (Bakersfield, Calif./Frontier HS) turned out to be a major defensive assert for the 'Runners. After playing soccer for Fresno Pacific and suffering a bad string of ACL injuries, Alvidrez transferred to CSUB and had a smooth transition from the field to the court by totaling 380 digs for an average of 3.28 digs per set. Her season-high dig performance game against Southern Utah on Oct. 27 when she scooped up 22 digs. She also added 24 aces.

Opposite hitter Kelsee Sawyer (Temecula, Calif., Great Oak HS) made a huge impact on the squad as freshman for the 'Runners in 2012. She finished as the second-leading attacker for CSUB with 313 kills for an average of 2.70 kills per set. As the season went on, she developed a more well-rounded game that helped her total 11 aces, 10 assists, 51 digs and 36 total blocks.

The 'Runners were also significantly helped by its returning core of players. Sophomore middle blocker Molly O'Hagan (Tonganoxie, Kan., Tonganoxie HS) bounced back after an injury-hampered freshman season to finish the 2012 campaign with 210 kills, which was the third most on the team. She also proved her strong net presence with 97 total blocks, which was second best on the team, while also adding 14 aces and 34 digs. Junior middle blocker Julia Bowen (Ottawa, Ontario, Wilfrid Lauer Univ.) stepped up as the team leader in blocks with 107 total blocks. Junior setter Lisa Bartsch (Wuppertal, Germany, Augusta St.) finished first on the team in aces with 30.

Hosting its first home tournament in the Shepardson Era, CSUB hosted and won the Roadrunner Classic with an undefeated performance that including two wins over UMES and another against future WAC opponent Utah Valley. Araujo was named the unanimous MVP of the Roadrunner Classic, while Gonçalves and O'Hagan were selected to the all-tournament team. The tournament helped fuel a five-match winning streak for the 'Runners and the victory of Utah Valley was one of the biggest of the season, along with the win over Cal Poly and splitting a home-and-home series with New Mexico, one of the top teams in the Mountain West Conference.

~www.GoRunners.com~