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Women's Volleyball

`Runner Veterans To Lead Melo's Squad Into 2021

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The next CSU Bakersfield Athletics program to return to action this Fall is the Roadrunner volleyball team. After missing out on the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the `Runners are itching to start the upcoming campaign and they will do so this weekend at NIU's Huskie Invitational.

Ahead of her eighth season at the helm of CSUB's volleyball program, Giovana Melo is ready to guide her `Runners into a successful return.

"We feel pretty good in where we stand coming back," Melo said "This group works really hard and they are pushing through our training. Excitement level is high. We have a pretty competitive team and returning to the court is what they have been looking forward to the most. We're just trying to keep them focused on getting a little bit better every day."

Since the `Runner volleyball team last competed, Bakersfield enjoyed a pair of strong graduating classes, featuring vital players of the likes of Emily Hansen, Sidney Wicks, and Rafa Bonifacio, to name just a few. Despite those losses to the roster, Melo returns a sizeable group of veteran student-athletes to the 2021 squad and she said she expects to lean heavily on their experience to guide the team.

Fifth-year `Runner Brooke Boiseau and a quartet of fourth-years in Seleisa Elisaia, Hayley McCluskey, Milica Vukobrat, and Hana Makonova bring a wealth of experience to the team. The five women have played a total of 232 matches for Melo over the last two completed seasons.

"On top of everything they bring with their experience, they are a group that know our system and understand what our program is about," Melo said of her veterans. "They work really hard and are an example for the others."

Bakersfield's coach faces a tough challenge in sending her squad into its first competitive season in the Big West Conference, a league well-known for its volleyball prowess. In 2019, three Big West teams went to the NCAA Tournament in a strong postseason showing.

"I feel pretty good about heading into the Big West," Melo said about the new conference. "We are all excited for the challenge. We have seen some of these teams in tournaments, but it's completely different when you play two of them in the same weekend. The preseason poll came out and we were ranked pretty low, but that's to be expected when we're new in the conference. We're really excited to get out there and compete."

The `Runners kick off the 2021 season at the Huskie Invitational, Aug. 27-28, in DeKalb, Ill. CSUB will play three matches over two days before returning to Bakersfield. The season opener features the `Runners and Air Force on Friday morning. CSUB's only broadcasted match of the tournament will be Friday night's contest against host Northern Illinois. `Runner fans with ESPN+ subscriptions can follow along on via a direct link available at GoRunners.com/Live.

~GoRunners.com~
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Players Mentioned

Emily Hansen

#13 Emily Hansen

RS
5' 8"
Senior
Brooke Boiseau

#2 Brooke Boiseau

MB
6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
Seleisa Elisaia

#1 Seleisa Elisaia

S
5' 10"
Junior
Hana Makonova

#11 Hana Makonova

MB
5' 11"
Redshirt Sophomore
Hayley McCluskey

#18 Hayley McCluskey

OH
6' 0"
Junior
Milica Vukobrat

#19 Milica Vukobrat

RS
6' 0"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Emily Hansen

#13 Emily Hansen

5' 8"
Senior
RS
Brooke Boiseau

#2 Brooke Boiseau

6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
MB
Seleisa Elisaia

#1 Seleisa Elisaia

5' 10"
Junior
S
Hana Makonova

#11 Hana Makonova

5' 11"
Redshirt Sophomore
MB
Hayley McCluskey

#18 Hayley McCluskey

6' 0"
Junior
OH
Milica Vukobrat

#19 Milica Vukobrat

6' 0"
Junior
RS
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