David Dennis/All-Star Sports Photography

Beach Volleyball May 01, 2021

`Runners Knocked Out of Big West Championship

LONG BEACH, Calif. – After opening the Big West Beach Volleyball Championship with three tight battles on Friday, the CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners returned to Rosie's Dog Beach on Saturday to continue fighting for a league title. CSUB faced a tough challenge in an elimination game against No. 18 Long Beach State and the `Runners fell to the tournament host, 5-0.

"We couldn't quite find our best game today," said Cesar Benatti, Head Coach of the `Runners. "The weather conditions were not to our advantage as we are not used to the wind. Some of our teams fought really well, but it was not our best day in terms of volleyball."

"I think this season was amazing. We are really proud of how they handled the season. Coming from the big adversity, being at home for 11 months, not having an indoor season, not having practice, everybody came in really on a mission. I think we accomplished big things this year and took our program to a level we have never been. Last year, the gap between us and the top three teams in the Big West was big and we reduced that gap this year. They see us in a totally different way than they saw us in the years before."

Bakersfield was one of just four Big West teams to make it to Day 2 of the league Championship. The `Runners joined three other teams, each of which is ranked in the AVCA Coaches Poll Top 20.

With the loss, the `Runners finished the COVID-abbreviated season with a 6-10 record and a fourth-place finish at the Big West Championship. The `Runners were led by Cameron Solberg and Milica Vukobrat, who played as CSUB's No. 1 pair most of the season and wrapped up the year with an 8-8 record. The pair of juniors have one year remaining to climb the CSUB history book as they are both already tied for sixth all-time for the `Runners with 24 career victories. Senior Emily Hansen played her last match as a `Runner on Saturday and wrapped up her career with 27 wins, which ranks fourth all-time for CSUB.

No. 18 LBSU 5, CSUB 0

Coming off a long day of action on Friday, the `Runners started out slow against The Beach Saturday morning. The bright spot of the first wave of sets was Bakersfield's top pairing of Cameron Solberg and Milica Vukobrat, which edged out a 22-20 victory to go ahead early on. LBSU pushed back and finished off the other four pairings in straight sets. Vukobrat and Solberg nearly took a team point, but eventually fell in the third set to Mari Molina and Tyler Spriggs, who now have a 19-9 record on the year.

1. Molina/Spriggs (LBSU) def. Solberg/Vukobrat (CSUB) 20-22, 21-11, 15-13
2. Skyler Germann/Makenzie Griffin (LBSU) def. Emily Hansen/Hana Makonova (CSUB) 21-11, 21-13
3. Nicci Reinking/Katie Kennedy (LBSU) def. Anna Unke/Brooke Boiseau (CSUB) 21-15, 21-16
4. Emily Mattoon/Jillian Rodriguez (LBSU) def. Hayley McCluskey/Mapuhola Sekona (CSUB) 21-15, 21-10
5. Kenzie Holtz/Alice Pratesi (LBSU) def. Seleisa Elisaia/Alaina Gendale (CSUB) 21-17, 21-13

~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

#3 Cameron Solberg: 5' 8"; Sophomore

#25 Milica Vukobrat: 6' 0"; Sophomore

#15 Mapuhola Sekona: 5' 9"; Junior

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

#3 Cameron Solberg
: 5' 8"; Sophomore

#25 Milica Vukobrat
: 6' 0"; Sophomore

#15 Mapuhola Sekona
: 5' 9"; Junior

Alaina Gendale
: 5' 8"; Junior

Anna Unke
: 5' 4"; Junior

California State University at Bakersfield Athletics

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`Runners Knocked Out of Big West Championship

Players Mentioned

#2 Brooke Boiseau

#1 Seleisa Elisaia

#13 Emily Hansen

#22 Hana Makonova

#23 Hayley McCluskey

#3 Cameron Solberg

#25 Milica Vukobrat

#15 Mapuhola Sekona

Alaina Gendale

Anna Unke

Players Mentioned

#2 Brooke Boiseau

#1 Seleisa Elisaia

#13 Emily Hansen

#22 Hana Makonova

#23 Hayley McCluskey

#3 Cameron Solberg

#25 Milica Vukobrat

#15 Mapuhola Sekona

Alaina Gendale

Anna Unke