BAKERSFIELD, Calif.—The CSU Bakersfield sand volleyball team heads to the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista this weekend for the USAV Beach Collegiate Challenge.

The Roadrunners will open the tournament with a dual against TCU (0-6) on Saturday at 9 a.m. before taking on No. 2 Pepperdine (1-1) at 11 a.m.  CSUB will join TCU, Pepperdine, Hawai'i, and Grand Canyon in a single elimination 32-team single elimination pairs' tournament which will begin on Saturday at 3 p.m. The second round of the tournament is set for 4 p.m. with any if need matches occurring at 5 p.m.

The second round of the pairs' tournament begins at 9 a.m. on Sunday with the quarterfinals coming at 11:30 a.m. The semis are set for 1 p.m. with the finals beginning at 2 p.m.

TCU is in its first season on the sand courts, losing five matches at the Arizona Tournament Mar. 7-8. The Horned Frogs lost to CSUN on Mar. 10 and are scheduled to play Pepperdine and No. 4 Florida State on Mar. 11. TCU will play at No. 3 USC on Mar. 12 before heading to Chula Vista.

Pepperdine, the defending AVCA Collegiate Sand Volleyball National Champions, split a pair of duals at the Hawai'i Tournament last weekend will also face Florida State on Mar. 11 before travel to Chula Vista.

CSUB opened the 2015 season last Saturday with a pair of victories over CSUN and Cal Poly Saturday afternoon. The Roadrunners defeated the Matadors 4-1 and the Mustangs 3-2.

“We are ready to head down to Chula Vista and compete against some of the best programs in sand volleyball,” said CSUB head coach Olivia Simko. “This tournament last season proved to be a huge growing curve for us and I hope to have a similar experience this year.   The team is aware what they have to do and I can't wait to hit the road.”

~www.GoRunners.com~