Mackenzie Westphal Photography

Beach Volleyball February 23, 2022

CSUB Beach Volleyball Set to Open 2022 Season

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The 2022 beach volleyball season is just days away from kicking off as the CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners are putting final preparations together to open the year. Heading into his sixth year as the Head Coach of the `Runners, Cesar Benatti has his team primed for another run toward their ultimate goal of winning a Big West Conference title.

"I've never felt better about starting the season, to be honest," Benatti said ahead of this weekend's season-opening action. "I feel that our team has grown so much these last few seasons and matured to a point that we wanted from the beginning. Now that we have key players training all year round and a staff just focused on them, we can perform better and better."

Benatti has led the CSUB program to new heights and big victories in his time in Bakersfield, but until recently he was not able to put 100 percent of his focus on the beach squad. Prior to the announcement this past December, Benatti split his time between leading the CSUB beach volleyball team and helping the `Runner indoor volleyball squad as an assistant coach. With Benatti and his new, beach-only assistant coach Briannah Mariner completely focused on the `Runners in the sand, Bakersfield looks to make a mark on the year with a large group of veterans returning in 2022.

"Emily Hansen and Mapuhola Sekona are hard to replace," Benatti said of two of his top performers who graduated a year ago. "But I feel that we have a great depth with three of our pairs having played together for at least one season, which gives us a great deal of consistency. We have many great leaders on the team as well."

Benatti specifically mentioned Cameron Solberg, Milica Vukobrat, Hayley McCluskey, Paige Calvin, and Brooke Boiseau as the veterans he will look to lead his squad: "They give us a strong backbone that will hold the team to a high standard. The other players have experience playing the game and the freshman class is very good."

Bakersfield welcomes a number of talented rookies to the beach roster and Benatti has already enjoyed seen a pair of young `Runners rising to the occasion: "Sophia Hladyniuk and Megan Gilbert will make a big impact right away. Sophia is very strong and a great hitter who will partner with Hana Makonova, who is one of our top players. Megan is a great ball control player who brings a lot of energy to the team."

CSUB's first test of the season will come at home this weekend when the `Runners host the Barnes Beach Complex `Runner Invite. Bakersfield will play three matches over two days, Feb. 25-26, taking on Vanguard, Pacific, and Pepperdine at the Barnes Beach Volleyball Complex at the Student Rec Center.

"Starting strong is very important for me and there is no better way than playing at home, Benatti said. "All three matches are super competitive and playing teams like Pacific and Pepperdine right away gives us a good idea of where our team is and where it can go. I'm confident we will have a great season."

Fans are welcomed back to the Barnes Beach Complex this Spring and, as always, admission to CSUB's beach volleyball matches is free. Social distancing is recommended and when that is not possible, fans should wear face masks. CSUB Athletics' General Fan Attendance Policies are always in effect.

~GoRunners.com~

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Players Mentioned

#2 Brooke Boiseau: 6' 1"; Sophomore

#13 Emily Hansen: 5' 10"; Sophomore

#10 Briannah Mariner: 5' 10"; Senior

#3 Cameron Solberg: 5' 8"; Freshman

#22 Hana Makonova: 5' 10"; Freshman

#23 Hayley McCluskey: 6' 0"; Freshman

#25 Milica Vukobrat: 6' 0"; Freshman

Mapuhola Sekona: 5' 9"; Senior

#15 Megan Gilbert: 5' 11"; Redshirt Freshman

#13 Paige Calvin: 5' 7"; Junior

#11 Sophia Hladyniuk: 5' 10"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#2 Brooke Boiseau
: 6' 1"; Sophomore

#13 Emily Hansen
: 5' 10"; Sophomore

#10 Briannah Mariner
: 5' 10"; Senior

#3 Cameron Solberg
: 5' 8"; Freshman

#22 Hana Makonova
: 5' 10"; Freshman

#23 Hayley McCluskey
: 6' 0"; Freshman

#25 Milica Vukobrat
: 6' 0"; Freshman

Mapuhola Sekona
: 5' 9"; Senior

#15 Megan Gilbert
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Freshman

#13 Paige Calvin
: 5' 7"; Junior

#11 Sophia Hladyniuk
: 5' 10"; Freshman

California State University at Bakersfield Athletics

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CSUB Beach Volleyball Set to Open 2022 Season

Players Mentioned

#2 Brooke Boiseau

#13 Emily Hansen

#10 Briannah Mariner

#3 Cameron Solberg

#22 Hana Makonova

#23 Hayley McCluskey

#25 Milica Vukobrat

Mapuhola Sekona

#15 Megan Gilbert

#13 Paige Calvin

#11 Sophia Hladyniuk

Players Mentioned

#2 Brooke Boiseau

#13 Emily Hansen

#10 Briannah Mariner

#3 Cameron Solberg

#22 Hana Makonova

#23 Hayley McCluskey

#25 Milica Vukobrat

Mapuhola Sekona

#15 Megan Gilbert

#13 Paige Calvin

#11 Sophia Hladyniuk