• The Cal State Bakersfield men's soccer team went undefeated over the first two matches of Big West play this week.
• The Roadrunners continue their great start to the season, earning seven results in their first nine matches.
• Over the team's last 15 road games, CSUB has an impressive record of 7-3-5.
• Connor Mautino made the case for his second Big West Offensive Player of the Week honor this week, tallying nine points on four goals and one assist.
• CSUB will continue Big West play next week with a pair of home contests:
  • Oct. 9 – vs. #22 UC Santa Barbara
  • Oct. 12 – vs. CSUN

CSUB 3, Sacramento State 0

• The `Runners opened Big West play with an emphatic victory over Sacramento State.
• Senior forward Connor Mautino got CSUB on the scoreboard early with a 14th-minute goal.
• Taking their 1-0 advantage to halftime, the `Runners needed less than five minutes to score in the second period.
  • Mautino netted his second goal of the game in the 50th minute.
• In the 79th minute, Mautino completed the hat trick, beating the keeper for his third goal of the contest.
  • Bakersfield’s leading scorer netted his sixth goal of the season and became just the second `Runner in CSUB’s Division I history to record a hat trick (Gyasi Zardes).
• Goalkeeper Zenden Hart tallied three saves while orchestrating Bakersfield’s second shutout of the season.
• Defender Shammai Camara tallied two assists on the match, setting Mautino up on each of his last two goals.

CSUB 2, Cal State Fullerton 2

• CSUB held a pair of leads on the road against defending Big West Champion Cal State Fullerton, but the potent Titans rallied both times to force a draw on their home field.
• The `Runners jumped out to a quick lead on a goal in the sixth minute by Connor Mautino.
• Cal State Fullerton answered right back less than 10 minutes later, equalizing the score at 1-1.
• Bakersfield regained the lead in the 76th minute thanks to a 3/4-field punt from goalkeeper Zenden Hart, which was flicked on by Mautino, passed to the middle by Rashaad Ogun, and finished by Joey Velasquez.
• Velasquez registered his third goal in the last four matches.
• CSUB's excitement for the go-ahead goal was deflated by another quick response from the Titans, who notched their second equalizer of the night with seven minutes left on the clock.
• The `Runners were outshot 26-5 on the night, but Bakersfield made the most of its opportunities in the battle.
• Zenden Hart proved to be clutch once again, making four saves against Fullerton.

• Schedule & Links
• Tickets Link

• The Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners played a rigorous non-conference schedule to be ready for Big West play:
• Opened the season against the San Diego State Aztecs in front of 1,966 fans.
• Faced off against #17-ranked Texas, where goalkeeper Hollee Hercik reset CSUB’s Division I record with 15 saves in a Bakersfield match against Texas.
• Senior Karen Flores leads the team in goals with 4 total.
• Bakersfield native Gia Valenti scored her first goal as a Roadrunner on Senior Night.
• Miah Thomas scored her first collegiate goal and game-winner against UC Davis.
• Hollee Hercik tops Jordan Bertram and is now third in CSUB's all-time rankings for career saves at 200 and counting.

CSUB 3, UC San Diego 0

• The `Runners run past the Tritons on Big West home opener night, winning easily 3-0.
• Runners Anela Nigito, Sara Ybarra, and Solei Moton each contributed a goal.
• With three saves and a clean sheet, Hollee Hercik surpassed Jordan Bertram and is now third in CSUB's all-time rankings for career saves at 200 and counting. Surpassing Bertram's 197 3rd place record.

CSUB 1, UC Riverside 1

• The `Runners battled out a gritty game against UC Riverside.
• Holle Hercik drew a red card in the first half, which resulted in the `Runners only being allowed to play with 10 players on the field for the remainder of the match.
• After being down in the first half 1-0, junior Sara Ybarra netted the game-tying goal to help the runners stay unbeaten for the weekend.
• Schedule & Links
• Tickets Link

• The Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners had a stellar weekend on the road, winning both of their conference games and starting the season with a 3-1 overall Big West record.
• Sophomore Sydney Dunning was a standout, averaging 4.13 kills per set and playing a crucial role in the team’s success.
• Freshman Learden Lee and graduate student Kat Georgiadis also made significant contributions.
• Lee recorded a .400 hitting percentage, averaging 2.25 kills per set, while Georgiadis totaled 50 digs, averaging 6.25 digs per set.
• Together, their performances helped solidify the `Runners' strong start to the season.

CSUB 3, Cal State Fullerton 1

• The Cal State Bakersfield volleyball team launched their conference season with an impressive 3-1 victory on the road against Cal State Fullerton.
• After a challenging start that saw them drop a tightly contested first set, the `Runners regrouped and displayed remarkable determination to dominate the subsequent sets.
• Sydney Dunning shone as a key player, leading the charge with 18 kills and a hitting percentage of .273.
• Druegan Davis also stepped up, notching a season-high 14 kills at an outstanding .478 hitting percentage. Her knack for finding gaps in the Fullerton defense was instrumental in turning the tide in Bakersfield's favor.
• The `Runners took control in the second set, racing ahead to build a commanding lead of up to 11 points. This strong performance not only boosted their confidence but also set a positive tone for the remainder of the match.
• On the defensive side, Georgiadis had a standout game, racking up 30 digs that were crucial in keeping rallies alive and disrupting Fullerton's offensive efforts. Her relentless presence on the backline provided stability and allowed the team to seize offensive opportunities, leading to this significant victory.

CSUB 3, UC Irvine 1

• Set 1 featured 12 tied scores, including at 25-25, but Bakersfield battled through to seal the win, 27-25.
• Sydney Dunning (4 kills) and Samia Bhakta (3 kills) led the offensive effort in the first frame.
• Bakersfield trailed early in Set 2, but a 6-1 run gave the `Runners their first lead at 15-14 and CSUB never looked back on the way to a 25-19 win.
• The `Runners tallied six service aces in the second set alone and had nine in the match at that point.
• CSUB let a late lead slip in the third set, giving up the final four points as UCI extended the match with a 25-23 win.
• Unfazed by the stumble, Bakersfield surged through the fourth set, building up a 21-12 advantage on the way to a 25-18 victory to win the match.
• The `Runners tallied 16 aces on Saturday night, the most in CSUB’s Division I history in a 4-set match.
• Vivianna Samaniego led the way with four aces while Dunning and Bhakta both added three.
• Dunning (15 kills, 14 digs) and setter Nene Hawkins (20 assists, 10 digs) each tallied double-doubles against UCI.
• Bhakta went off for nine kills on .500 hitting while adding the three aces, three digs, and four blogs.
• Paige Dugan added eight kills and 10 digs in a strong effort.
• Georgiadis recorded 20 digs, a 5.0 dig per set average, while chipping in seven assists and two aces for the `Runners.
• As a team, Bakersfield recorded 74 digs, slowing down the Anteater offense enough to give CSUB the victory.
• Schedule & Links
• Tickets Link

• After taking a month off to focus on training, the Cal State Bakersfield women’s cross country team travelled down to Southern California for the Master’s Invitational on Saturday morning.
• The Central Park course in Santa Clarita was the first time the Roadrunners raced in the 6k distance this season.
• The Roadrunners finished 15th out of 22 as a team with a total of 409 points.
• Newcomer Rain Gomez had another outstanding performance as she entered the top 10 CSUB all-time list, despite the warm weather she ran a 23:20 and finished 35th overall.
• Gomez holds the #10 spot on the all-time list after leading the charge for CSUB, becoming the first Bakersfield athlete to cross the line for the second straight race.
• Freshman Crystal Torrecillas had a promising finish as she finished second on the team with a time 24:18.
• Neyda Martinez clocked in a 24:32, good third on the team.
• Junior Valerie Garcia had an enormous personal best as ran over two and a half minutes faster than her previous PB. Her time of 25:00 was good for fourth for the `Runners.
• Jayden Reyes-Sarmiento rounded up the top five for Bakersfield.
• CSUB returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 19, at the Bronco Invitational in Sunnyvale, Calif.
• Schedule & Links