FALL 2011-Volleyball Home Opener

-Soccer Season Update

-Full Scoreboard

CSUSM Volleyball Off to Flying StartCougars debut at home, in the national rankings

When starting a new program, it’s impossible to know what to expect.

After a year of preparation, Cal State San Marcos volleyball finally hit the court in August, beginning its first season of competition. Just a month in, and fans now have an idea of what’s coming.

A lot of wins.

For a new program, it’s hard to imagine a more promising start. Thrown right into the fire, the team began its season with four consecutive tournaments where it faced a number of the best teams in the NAIA, oftentimes in the same day. It would have been easy for the team to be buried before it played its first home game.

But Coach Andrea Leonard’s squad not only kept its head above water, it thrived on the competition. The squad posted an exceptional 4-4 mark against NAIA top-25 teams, including an upset win over then-#1 Fresno Pacific. CSUSM finished up its gauntlet of early-season matches with a sparkling 13-5 record.

Then came the first home game. Playing off-campus at Escondido High School, it was

unclear what kind of reception the team would be greeted with in its first home match.

All concerns were quickly put to rest. Students came out in force to support the squad, packing Escondido’s gym and creating a raucous atmosphere that was unlike anything CSUSM has ever seen, with the North County Times reporting a crowd of over 1,500 in attendence. On the court, the Cougars lived up to their billing, rolling San Diego Christian in three games much to the delight of the fans.

Now 16-5 and ranked #17 in the nation, Coach Leonard’s Cougars still have plenty of matches remaining. The next major test will be on October 6th when the team hosts #3-ranked Concordia University, a team that has already beaten CSUSM in straight sets.

A win in that match would certainly propel the Cougars even higher in the standings, but it will take a monumental effort - both from the team itself and the fans who support them.

Ways to follow your CSUSM Cougars

Website: www.csusmcougars.comTwitter: www.twitter.com/csusmcougarsFacebook: Search Facebook for “CSUSM Cougars”

Hard to believe another school year has begun! This fall has been especially exciting with the start of the new women’s volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball programs hitting the floor.

While volleyball is in its first year, you would not know it by watching them play. At the time of this writing

the team is already ranked #17 in the country (NAIA) and moving up the rankings rapidly. It was wonderful to see a packed house at Escondido High School for our first home volleyball match – the student body was great!

Even though they haven’t started competition yet, it is also exciting to see men’s and women’s basketball already practicing in preparation for their inaugural seasons. Games will be played at Mira Costa College and season tickets may be purchased at www.csusmcougarsports.com/tickets. It will be an interesting winter for CSUSM athletics.

Not to be outdone by the new sports, we are having an unbelievable fall season. Women’s cross country is ranked #2, men’s cross country #6, and women’s soccer #7! It is amazing the success our coaches and student-athletes are achieving. I keep thinking the teams cannot get any better from one semester to the next, yet they keep breaking records left and right.

The only way this success can be maintained, especially as we move up to NCAA Division II, is through the generation of external resources. Whether it is through buying season tickets, advertising, participating in one of our fund raising events or making a gift to the Cougar Athletic Club, your support will help Cougar athletics continue to meet its goal of maintaining academic and athletic excellence. If you are not currently involved in one or more of the above manners I encourage you to give us a call to become a part of CSUSM athletics. We need your support and participation .

Thank you. Go Cougars!

Tom SeitzDirector of Athletics

by Kyle Trembley; photo by Aaron Jaffe

Message from the Athletic Director

Men’s SoccerOverall: 6-5-1

8/27 Ashford 0-1 L 8/30 @Biola 0-1 L 9/3 @Azusa Pacific 0-2 L 9/5 @Westmont 4-2 W 9/8 @Point Loma 2-1 W 9/10 @Cal Tech 5-0 W 9/13 Hope International 1-0 W9/17 Fresno Pacific 2-1 W 9/21 Concordia (CA) 0-1 L 9/24 @Master’s 0-0 T 9/27 San Diego Christian 4-2 W 10/1 Bethesda 1-2 L

Women’s SoccerOverall: 9-1-1, Ranked #7

8/27 Point Park 4-0 W 8/30 @Biola 1-0 W 9/2 @Fresno Pacific 1-0 W 9/4 U. of La Verne 2-0 W 9/8 @Point Loma 0-0 T 9/10 @Whittier 3-0 W 9/11 U. of Texas-Brownsville 2-1 W 9/21 Concordia (CA) 0-1 L 9/24 @Master’s 1-0 W 9/27 San Diego Christian 2-0 W 10/1 Bethesda 11-0 W

VolleyballOverall: 16-5, Ranked #17

Cougar Classic (Azusa Pacific) 8/18 Holy Names 3-0 W 8/18 Eastern Oregon 3-2 W 8/19 Oklahoma Baptist 2-3 L 8/19 The Master’s 1-3 L 8/20 Northwest 3-0 W

8/24 @Concordia (CA) 0-3 L

Biola Holiday Inn Summer Slam 8/26 Lewis-Clarke State 3-2 W 8/26 Southern Oregon 3-1 W 8/27 William Jessup 3-0 W 8/27 Westmont 3-0 W Concordia Labor Day Festival 9/2 Fresno Pacific 3-1 W 9/2 Point Loma 0-3 L 9/3 San Diego Christian 3-0 W 9/3 Biola 0-3 L

Seaside Classic (Point Loma 9/9 The Master’s 3-2 W 9/9 Vanguard 3-1 W 9/10 Embry-Riddle 3-0 W 9/10 McKendree 3-0 W

9/13 San Diego Christian 3-0 W 9/24 @Merced 3-0 W 9/28 @Chapman 3-1 W

10/6 #3 Concordia - 7:00 PM - Escondido HS

www.csusmcougars.comFor the most up-to-date news and results for all your Cougar teams

Thank you to our sponsors:

Cougar Soccer in Mid-Season Form

As we move into October, both the men and women’s soccer teams have now faced and overcome several challenges and are beginning to prepare themselves for postseason play.

The CSUSM women’s soccer team is currently 9-1-1, and ranked 7th in the NAIA, the highest in program history. Much of this success is due to All-American Goalkeeper Kaycee Gunion and a new-look rock solid defense that returned only one starter, yet has held their opponents scoreless in 9 of their 11 games, allowing only 2 goals. Having already beaten #12 ranked Masters 1-0 on the road, the Cougars look forward to facing off against many more tough opponents in the A.I.I. Tournament and at Nationals.

The Men’s team has been resilient in rebounding from a rough 0-3 start to its current 6-5-1 record, including a tie against #12 Masters. The Cougars have seen some precocious play from a pair of freshmen: Forward Eric Lopez has a team-high 6 goals, and playmaker Alex Brunsell (2 goals, 3 assists) has become a weapon with precise passing and accurate free kicks. The Cougars have positioned themselves to likely qualify for the A.I.I. tournament and are poised to make a deep run.

Cougar Scramble Golf TournamentThe fourth annual Cal State San Marcos Cougar Scramble Golf Tournament will take place on November 8th at prestigious The Crosby in Rancho Santa Fe! The tournament is not only a great time for its participants, but a crucial fundraiser for Student-Athlete scholarships! Information for participants and sponsors can be found online at www.csusmcougars.com/cougarscramble.

Women’s XCRanked #2, two-time defending NAIA National Champion

9/10 @ UC Irvine Invitational-Team: 4th place/16 teams; Individual: Suzanne Cornwell (9th)

9/17 @ UC Riverside Invitational -Team: 1st place/19 teams; Individual: Suzanne Cornwell (1st)

10/1 @ Pomona Pitzer Invitational -Team: 1st place/15 teams; Individual: Suzanne Cornwell (2nd)

Quick Summary: The CSUSM women’s cross-country team is off to a strong start in defense of their back-to-back NAIA National Cham-pionships. While Azusa Pacific has overtaken CSUSM for the top spot in the rankings, Coach Steve Scott’s squad is building towards being in peak form for November’s National Championships.

Men’s XCRanked #6

9/10 @ UC Irvine Invitational-Team: 1st place/13 teams; Individual: Dan Lyon (3rd)

9/17 @ UC Riverside Invitational -Team: 3rd place/25 teams; Individual: Western Nelson (8th)

10/1 @ Pomona Pitzer Invitational -Team: 1st place/13 teams; Individual: Western Nelson (3rd)

Quick Summary: Cougar men’s cross-country is looking the strongest it has in years and if off to a great start to the 2011 season. Led by 2010 All-American Western Nelson and returning All-American Dan Lyon, the squad has won two of its first three meets and is in position to compete for a national title.

Women’s Golf9/26 - 9/27 @ Grand Canyon Fall Invitational-Team: 8th place/16 teams; Individual: Lisa Copeland (T4th)

Quick Summary: Coach Cindy Naval’s women’s golf team has begun its fall season in preparation for the spring, and is looking good with Lisa Copeland turning in an excellent performance in the team’s first tournament.

Men’s Golf9/26 - 9/27 @ CA State Intercollegiate-Team: 1st place (8 teams); Individual: Steven Gouirand (3rd)

Quick Summary: Coach Greg Hutton’s revamped men’s golf team got off to an incredible start to the fall season at the CA State Intercol-legiate. Playing with a 5-member team that featured 4 new faces, the Cougars overcame a 12-shot deficit entering the final round to win the tournament ahead of Cal Baptist and Master’s College. The 2011-2012 season is shaping up to be a banner year for CSUSM men’s golf!

Photo by Aaron Jaffe

JOIN THE BLUE CREW! With the start of volleyball and basketball at CSUSM, the Blue Crew will be the athletic student support group at all home games. Commit to attending half of the home games and you can become a member! Contact Ashton Harvey (harve026@cougars.csusm.edu) or Jason Gonzales (gonza258@cougars.csusm.edu) for more information, or pick up a sign-up sheet at the Athletic Department in The Clarke!