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CesarBenattiNE002
Nick Ellis

Beach Volleyball

`Runner Beach Volleyball Season Opens This Weekend

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – After harsh weather canceled the originally-scheduled start of the 2023 beach volleyball season, CSU Bakersfield is anxious to get the newest campaign underway this weekend. The Roadrunners used the extra week to tidy up their final preparations as seventh-year Head Coach Cesar Benatti is ready to lead his team toward their ultimate goal of winning a Big West crown.
 
Quotes from Head Coach Cesar Benatti
  • "I feel very very good about this upcoming season! The team has been training super hard. We have a good mix of experience and new players who complement each other very well. We have been working on some new systems that will create new technical and tactical options for us, and we are in the process of getting them consistent."
  • "The fact that we didn't have games last weekend was bad in a sense, like throwing a cold water bucket on our heads, but it also gave us the opportunity to train more. Since one of core values is positivity, we prefer to see through the second perspective."
  • "The fact that our returners were so involved with the team the last three years is very beneficial for us. Hana, Hayley, and Paige along with Megan, Emma B., and Sophia H. know exactly what this program is all about, and they do a great job living our core values every day."
  • "The players who came in this year have a large amount of experience playing beach and will definitely help to put our program in a higher level. They are completely adapted already, and are making a difference."
  • "The competition this weekend is very balanced. The teams that we will play have already started their season and are doing good. All of them are in a similar situation as us, growing, investing, and transitioning to a beach-only dynamic. It will be an interesting first challenge for us."
This Week's Schedule
  • Tournament hosted by CSUN in Northridge, Calif.
  • Friday, Mar. 3
    • vs. Westcliff, 11 a.m. (PT)
    • vs. Cal State LA, 3 p.m. (PT)
  • Saturday, Mar. 4
    • at CSUN, 10 a.m. (PT)
    • vs. Boise State, 12 p.m. (PT)
Notables
  • Bakersfield's vision for becoming one of the top programs in the country came to fruition at the start of last season when Benatti's squad was ranked in the AVCA Top 20 for two straight weeks.
  • The 2022 edition of the `Runners featured plenty of veteran leaders, seven of whom graduated. Among those were the program's all-time wins leaders, Cameron Solberg and Milica Vukobrat, Bakersfield's No. 1 pair for the last three seasons.
  • Originally exclusively utilizing the student-athletes from the CSUB indoor volleyball, the `Runner beach roster now features eight women who were recruited to play beach volleyball only.
Returners
  • Bakersfield will look to the trio of Hana Makonova, Hayley McCluskey, and Paige Calvin to provide veteran leadership. Makonova is a two-time All-Big West honoree and joins McCluskey as a five-year `Runner.
  • Sophomores Sophia Hladyniuk and Megan Gilbert also return plenty of experience from their first competitive seasons. Hladyniuk paired with Makonova as Bakersfield's No. 2 pair in 2022 on the way to an All-Conference nod.
  • Redshirt freshman Emma Bubelis showed tremendous growth in the past year.
Newcomers
  • Bakersfield will benefit from the experience of a pair of graduate transfers in Sophia Brandstetter and Emma Erteltova. Both came to CSUB from Florida International University and will play out their final year of eligibility as `Runners.
  • Two more transfers, Pearl Moore (UAB) and Alanna Shields (Orange Coast College) both add to CSUB's stable of newcomers with plenty of experience in the sand.
  • The `Runners also welcomed a pair of international freshmen in Alyson Cooper (Canada) and Isabella Almeida (Brazil) to the mix.
  • Laure De Pra, another graduate transfer, will see her first action in the sand this year after playing four years of indoor volleyball, most recently at Louisiana Tech.
~GoRunners.com~
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Players Mentioned

Cameron Solberg

#3 Cameron Solberg

5' 8"
Junior
Milica Vukobrat

#25 Milica Vukobrat

6' 0"
Junior
Emma Bubelis

#2 Emma Bubelis

5' 10"
Redshirt Freshman
Paige Calvin

#3 Paige Calvin

5' 7"
Senior
Megan Gilbert

#11 Megan Gilbert

5' 11"
Redshirt Sophomore
Sophia Hladyniuk

#13 Sophia Hladyniuk

5' 10"
Sophomore
Hana Makonova

#22 Hana Makonova

5' 10"
Senior
Hayley McCluskey

#14 Hayley McCluskey

6' 0"
Senior
Isabella Almeida

#8 Isabella Almeida

5' 9"
Freshman
Sophia Brandstetter

#10 Sophia Brandstetter

5' 11"
Graduate Student
Alyson Cooper

#4 Alyson Cooper

5' 11"
Freshman
Pearl Moore

#21 Pearl Moore

5' 8"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Cameron Solberg

#3 Cameron Solberg

5' 8"
Junior
Milica Vukobrat

#25 Milica Vukobrat

6' 0"
Junior
Emma Bubelis

#2 Emma Bubelis

5' 10"
Redshirt Freshman
Paige Calvin

#3 Paige Calvin

5' 7"
Senior
Megan Gilbert

#11 Megan Gilbert

5' 11"
Redshirt Sophomore
Sophia Hladyniuk

#13 Sophia Hladyniuk

5' 10"
Sophomore
Hana Makonova

#22 Hana Makonova

5' 10"
Senior
Hayley McCluskey

#14 Hayley McCluskey

6' 0"
Senior
Isabella Almeida

#8 Isabella Almeida

5' 9"
Freshman
Sophia Brandstetter

#10 Sophia Brandstetter

5' 11"
Graduate Student
Alyson Cooper

#4 Alyson Cooper

5' 11"
Freshman
Pearl Moore

#21 Pearl Moore

5' 8"
Junior
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