Bakersfield Roadrunners sand volleyball will play their first-ever home match on Wednesday when the 'Runners host Oregon at noon at the new sand volleyball courts recently completed at CSUB.
The new facility, a joint-venture between athletics and the CSUB Student Recreation Center, features three courts with sand that was brought in from the beaches San Juan Capistrano; suitable for official sand volleyball competition.
Instrumental in the project were supporters Steve and Lori Barnes. Steve owns Barnes Wealth Management Group and is a longtime beach volleyball fan and coach. The couple were the top supporters of the project, helping financially and with the design and construction of the facility located behind the Student Recreation Center by the Main Soccer Field.
“Lori and I are truly honored to be a part of bringing beach volleyball to Bakersfield, Barnes said. “We have already seen the impact of our contribution and are really excited about the future of the sand volleyball program at CSUB.”
“The program has done far better than I ever imagined in just its second year of existence. I believe that can be attributed to Olivia (Simko) and her entire team's dedication to winning at the highest level of NCAA Division I Beach Volleyball.”
The Barnes' connection to the sport also goes back to the construction of the sand courts owned by the city of Bakersfield located off Truxtun Avenue. Those courts served as the primary practice facility for the Roadrunners during their last season's inaugural year of competition.
Senior associate athletics director Ziggy Siegfried, who worked with the Barnes' on this facility, says the end result was due in part to their involvement and the help of the campus community.
“It has been really exciting to watch the sand volleyball facility become a reality. Overall, this has been a highly collaborative project on our campus, and it has resulted in a facility where both our students can play sand volleyball and our team can compete,” Siegfried said. “The partnership between the Student Recreation Center and the Athletics Department shows that working together can maximize benefits very effectively.”
“I want to thank Steve and Lori for their generous support. Not only did they make a generous gift, Steve also volunteered many hours to making sure the courts were ready for play.”
The facility can be accessed by entering campus off either Stockdale Highway by turning on Don Hart Drive East or off Gosford by turning on Kroll Way. Parking for Wednesday's first home match will be free beginning at 11 A.M. in Lot K only, which is the closest to the sand volleyball facility.
There is no admission charge for sand volleyball matches. The Roadrunners will also host San Jose State on Friday, April 4 and USC on Saturday, April 5 at 10 A.M.
