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The Cal State Northridge men’s volleyball
team spent the 2008 season leaving its mark in the record books.
The Matadors finished off their best season in over a decade with a 23-7 record,
a five-win improvement from an 18-15 campaign in 2007. The 23 wins ties a school record and CSUN’s 17-5 showing in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation
(MPSF) is a program-best. They took third in the final MPSF standings.
“We had some really fantastic seniors-- two in particular-- that really led this team, Travis Bluemling and Isaac Kneubuhl,” said head coach Jeff Campbell. “Really their leadership was fantastic. We also had great volleyball players.
Having some great players and great leadership really helped define the team and work for a common goal…It was definitely a good year.”
Their season ended on April 24 at the hands of Brigham Young University in the MPSF semifinals. CSUN was the No. 3 seed in the tournament, while BYU was the No. 2 seed. The Cougars were the only team to defeat the Matadors more than once this season, beating them twice in MPSF play and then ousting them from the playoffs.
The Matadors ran off 14 straight wins from Feb. 8 through March 28. In the midst of that run, CSUN earned a national No. 1 ranking, a feat that Campbell believes is a first for any athletic team at CSUN. The top ranking came the week of March 17 and was short-lived, only a week long.
The team finished the year ranked fifth, which was ahead of traditional volleyball
powerhouses like UCLA (No. 6) and Hawaii (No. 13), and finished three spots better than UC Irvine, the 2007 national champion.
While the team netted some program firsts, some individual Matador players were recognized nationally for their play too.
The team had three All-Americans, tied for the second most of any team in the country this season. That group included
redshirt freshman Cody Loe, a Chatsworth High graduate who was not only named a American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Second Team All-American, but the middle blocker was also the AVCA Newcomer of the Year, given to the top newcomer in the country.
“It’s an honor we’ve never had here at Northridge,”
Campbell said. “He’s just a fantastic player. He’s big, he’s strong, he’s physical, and he really came through in some big matches for us.”
Junior Eric Vance was a First Team All-America selection, the first for CSUN volleyball since 2003 when Doug English and Joe Nargi were given that honor.
Vance is one of five First Team All-Americans in school history. The outside hitter led his team with 459 kills and was in the top-10 nationally in kills, points, and aces.
Kneubuhl was awarded Second Team All-American honors. The fifth-year senior from Hawaii finished his collegiate career in the top-10 in program history in attacks, digs, and aces.
Campbell only loses two starters for next year’s team, Kneubuhl and Bluemling.
But, the holes will be tough to fill.
Bluemling was the team’s setter, a position that is essentially the quarterback on the volleyball court.
As Campbell said, setter presents a question mark for his team next season. But with the core group coming back, the Matadors will look to build on a record-breaking 2008 season.
Track and Field
The men’s and women’s track and field teams at CSUN hosted the Big West Outdoor Championship on May 16-17 and came out with a strong showing on both sides.
The women took their third straight team title and them men finished in second
place behind Long Beach State.
Sherrina Lofton picked up four first place finishes on the day for the Matadors,
running a leg in the 4 x 100 relay with Shaleisha Mitchell, Tara Prier and Shelese Ruffin to win in a time of 45.00. Lofton posted career-bests to win the 100 (11.60) and 200 meters (23.50). She capped off her impressive day by running the anchor leg of the 4 x 400 relay with Prier, Ruffin, and Desirae Gonder. The team’s time of 3:37.95, the fastest in the conference this season and also a NCAA Regional qualifying time.
For the men, Alex Butler (17.80 meters) and Derek Cooper (17.42 meters) placed first and second, respectively, in the shot putt. Cooper also took first in the discus with a throw of 54.56 meters. Thomas Ross won his second straight conference title in the 110 hurdles with a time of 13.77.
The men’s track and field team has placed first or second in the Big West each of the last six years.
Up next for CSUN is the NCAA West Regionals
May 30-31, which will take place at the Matador Track and Field Complex.
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**Caption Picture 1
Courtesy of the CSUN Athletic Department - Cody Loe (5), a middle blocker for the Cal State Northridge volleyball team, was named national Newcomer of the Year on April 28. Loe is a Chatsworth High graduate who was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s Newcomer of the Year and was also a second-team All-American for CSUN.
**Caption Picture 2
Courtesy of the CSUN Athletic Department -
Eric Vance, first team All-American for CSUN’s men’s volleyball team for the 2008
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