Isaac Comelli, CSUB Athletic Communications

Beach Volleyball March 13, 2021

CSUB Opens Beach Volleyball Season with a Split

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – With 364 days between the team's last competitive action, the CSU Bakersfield beach volleyball team excitedly return to the Barnes Beach Volleyball Complex at the Student Rec Center Saturday for a pair of matches. The Roadrunners kicked off their season with a 4-1 victory over The Master's University before suffering a close, 4-1 loss against Cal Poly, the No. 6-ranked team in the country.

"We were a little bit nervous at the beginning, which is pretty normal since we have been waiting for this moment for a year," said Cesar Benatti, Bakersfield's Head Coach. "We started a little hesitant, but throughout the Master's game we got in a really good rhythm and executed really well. Mentally, we were pretty solid, which I was pretty happy about."

"When we are building our program, we look forward to competing against some of the top teams in the country," Benatti said of his team's matchup with Cal Poly. "A few sets were not as close, but most of them were really close and we won one of the matches, so, I'm pretty happy. We have to always see the positive side of things and today we most definitely got better."

Benatti went on to discuss what he felt his team did well on Saturday and where the `Runners can improve: "We did a good job of controlling our own actions, like passing and sets, and executing side outs. We have to work a little bit on the serve defense phase of the game, but our side outs were pretty good, which is something we have been working really hard on."

CSUB 4, TMU 1

The `Runners got out to a great start, sweeping the No. 4 and No. 2 matches in the opening wave of play. Bakersfield's No. 3 pair of Alaina Gendale and Hayley McCluskey put together a dominant performance over TMU's Tara Delk and Hannah Wood, clinching the match with a quick victory, 21-7 and 21-9. Seleisa Elisaia and Jazleigh Ortiz, playing as the No. 5 pair, also cruised to a win for CSUB, defeating Kylie Clouse and Alicia Castillo 21-9 and 21-5.

1. Katie Emmerling/Desi Brown (Master's) def. Cameron Solberg/Milica Vukobrat (CSUB) 21-19 21-15
2. Emily Hansen/Hana Makonova (CSUB) def. Kasie Spencer/Hannah Douglas (Master's) 21-17 21-10
3. Alaina Gendale/Hayley McCluskey (CSUB) def. Tara Delk/Hannah Wood (Master's) 21-7 21-9
4. Brooke Boiseau/Anna Unke (CSUB) def. Gwen Garate/Anna Poole (Master's) 21-11 21-14
5. Seleisa Elisaia/Jazleigh Ortiz (CSUB) def. Kylie Clouse/Alicia Castillo (Master's) 21-9 21-5

No. 6 Cal Poly 4, CSUB 1

Brooke Boiseau and Anna Unke got CSUB on the board with a hard-fought victory, 23-21 and 21-19, as the No. 4 pair against Cal Poly's Josie Ulrich and Vanessa Roscoe. Emily Hansen and Hana Makonova nearly put CSUB ahead 2-0 heading into the second wave, but Amy Ozee and Jayelin Lombard helped the Mustangs even the match in a nail biter, 21-19 and 24-22.

While the `Runners were bested by the Mustangs on Saturday, Bakersfield put together multiple closes matches in the loss. Elisaia and Ortiz pushed Cal Poly's No. 5 pair of Eleonore Johansen and Sam Strah to three sets before falling (22-20, 19-21, 15-12).

1. Emily Sonny/Macy Gordon (CP) def. Cameron Solberg/Milica Vukobrat (CSUB) 21-12 21-9
2. Amy Ozee/Jayelin Lombard (CP) def. Emily Hansen/Hana Makonova (CSUB) 21-19 24-22
3. Mariah Whalen/Tia Miric (CP) def. Alaina Gendale/Hayley McCluskey (CSUB) 21-13 21-16
4. Brooke Boiseau/Anna Unke (CSUB) def. Josie Ulrich/Vanessa Roscoe (CP) 23-21 21-19
5. Eleonore Johansen/Sam Strah (CP) def. Seleisa Elisaia/Jazleigh Ortiz (CSUB) 22-20 19-21 15-1

Next Week

With their first two matches under their belts, the `Runners (1-1) will hit the road next week for another tough challenge. CSUB is slated to face off against USC, the top-ranked team in the country, on Thursday, Mar. 18. The `Runners will then return to Bakersfield and host Vanguard on Saturday, Mar. 20.

~GoRunners.com~

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Players Mentioned

#2 Brooke Boiseau: 6' 1"; Junior

#1 Seleisa Elisaia: 5' 11"; Sophomore

#13 Emily Hansen: 5' 10"; Junior

#22 Hana Makonova: 5' 10"; Sophomore

#23 Hayley McCluskey: 6' 0"; Sophomore

#11 Jazleigh Ortiz: 5' 8"; Senior

#3 Cameron Solberg: 5' 8"; Sophomore

#25 Milica Vukobrat: 6' 0"; Sophomore

Alaina Gendale: 5' 8"; Junior

Anna Unke: 5' 4"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#2 Brooke Boiseau
: 6' 1"; Junior

#1 Seleisa Elisaia
: 5' 11"; Sophomore

#13 Emily Hansen
: 5' 10"; Junior

#22 Hana Makonova
: 5' 10"; Sophomore

#23 Hayley McCluskey
: 6' 0"; Sophomore

#11 Jazleigh Ortiz
: 5' 8"; Senior

#3 Cameron Solberg
: 5' 8"; Sophomore

#25 Milica Vukobrat
: 6' 0"; Sophomore

Alaina Gendale
: 5' 8"; Junior

Anna Unke
: 5' 4"; Junior

California State University at Bakersfield Athletics

Next Event

CSUB Opens Beach Volleyball Season with a Split

Players Mentioned

#2 Brooke Boiseau

#1 Seleisa Elisaia

#13 Emily Hansen

#22 Hana Makonova

#23 Hayley McCluskey

#11 Jazleigh Ortiz

#3 Cameron Solberg

#25 Milica Vukobrat

Alaina Gendale

Anna Unke

Players Mentioned

#2 Brooke Boiseau

#1 Seleisa Elisaia

#13 Emily Hansen

#22 Hana Makonova

#23 Hayley McCluskey

#11 Jazleigh Ortiz

#3 Cameron Solberg

#25 Milica Vukobrat

Alaina Gendale

Anna Unke