CSUB Readies for Regular-Season Finale in Phoenix

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – One final regular-season match remains for CSU Bakersfield's volleyball team. The Roadrunners have traveled to Phoenix for a tough matchup with second-place Grand Canyon. CSUB is sitting on the edge of qualifying for next week's Western Athletic Conference Tournament and has an opportunity to control its own fate this weekend.

The top six teams in the WAC standings, not including California Baptist, which is still reclassifying, will qualify for the league tourney in Orem, Utah next week. CSUB currently sits one win ahead of Seattle U for that sixth and final spot with one match to go, but the Redhawks would win a tiebreaker over the `Runners. Seattle U will battle California Baptist on the road in its regular-season finale, which will take place Sunday at 7 p.m. in Riverside, Calif.

The scenarios break down quite simply:

A CSUB win sends CSUB to the WAC Tournament by way of a better WAC record;
A CSUB loss and a Seattle U loss sends CSUB to the WAC Tournament by way of a better WAC record;
A CSUB loss and a Seattle U win sends Seattle U to the WAC Tournament by way of the tiebreaker scenarios.

So the `Runners control their own fate and will prefer to seal the deal on Saturday in Phoenix, but GCU will not let that happen easily. Grand Canyon (22-5, 12-3) is having its best season at the NCAA Division I level and will try to rain on the `Runner parade if possible.

The Lopes have won eight of their last nine matches, falling only to undefeated NM State in that span. GCU arguably has the most well-rounded hitting corps in the WAC, featuring five different Lopes who average over 1.9 kills per set. Junior Yeny Murillo leads the way for GCU with 2.94 kills per set while Kaira Moss chips in 2.3 kills and 1.1 blocks per set.

Redshirt sophomore Brooke Boiseau continues to lead the `Runners as her 2.67 kills and 0.95 blocks per set are a force with which to be reckoned. CSUB's lineup also features a wide variety of attacking options while Bakersfield's back row has recently received some much-needed reinforcement. Senior Rafa Bonifacio moved from outside hitter to libero for CSUB's first match against Grand Canyon and has averaged 5.00 sets per game since then, third-best in the WAC over that stretch.

Saturday's match in Phoenix is scheduled for an 11 a.m. (PT) first serve. The match will be live streamed via the WAC Digital Network. Links to live stats and the live stream are both available on the CSUB volleyball schedule page.

~GoRunners.com~

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Players Mentioned

#2 Brooke Boiseau: MB/RS; 6' 0"; Redshirt Sophomore

#7 Rafa Bonifacio: OH; 5' 11"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#2 Brooke Boiseau
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Sophomore
: MB/RS

#7 Rafa Bonifacio
: 5' 11"; Senior
: OH

Players Mentioned

#2 Brooke Boiseau

#7 Rafa Bonifacio

Players Mentioned

#2 Brooke Boiseau

#7 Rafa Bonifacio