New Cal State San Marcos Volleyball Killing the Competition

Many of the nation's colleges have a long history in athletics. Others have to make one.

The latter includes my alma mater, California State University San Marcos, part of the state system and so obscure that its newly minted coaches joke that people don't know where it is. CSUSM has now begun to field some major athletic programs, including men's and women's basketball, and women's volleyball. My colleague, Lisa Siegfried, recently visited the volleyball team and here's what she uncovered about their strong start.

There’s a brand new volleyball team at CSUSM. They’re led by junior Nichole May, team captain and Libero extraordinaire, and freshman outside hitter Taylor DeGraaf. At the helm is head coach Andrea Leonard. With a current record of 19-6, they’re proving that a first-year program can also be a first-rate one.

They’ve come a long way from where they started.

Two previous coaches were secured and subsequently left before the season even began. The last-minute savior of the program, Leonard didn’t even have time to learn her players’ names or positions before walking into the first team practice.

Flash forward to the first match, and the NAIA hadn’t had time to clear all the players for competition. This group of unknowns was stuck out on the court with some of its best players absent, the rest of them scrambling to cover unfamiliar positions.

The university they play for doesn’t even have a gym large enough to practice jump serves, let alone host a match. They have to play home games at the local Escondido High School.

And they’re very young—on a roster of 16 players, 10 are freshmen. They have no seniors.

But you’d never guess any of that when you look at them. They’re ranked first in their conference and 15th in the Coaches’ Top 25 poll. How does a program with beginnings like these become one of the major teams to beat in their first season?

Ask Leonard that question, and she’ll say there are a lot of factors, but first and foremost, it’s all about leadership.

“I’ve been coaching long enough to know if you don’t have good leadership, in the locker room or on the floor, you’re going to have problems.”

No sweat there; she can’t say enough about the skills of her team captain.

It’s not just about the way May plays; it’s also her demeanor and maturity. “Choosing a team captain is about experience and ability to communicate both with the team and the staff. She takes care of a lot of things that I don’t even know are going on. She’s a great leader in everything that she does.”

May believes that part of the team's success comes from the integrity of her teammates. “If one of us makes a mistake, we apologize to the whole team. We’re very up front with each other. We have a good mix of very nice people and very blunt people. We’ve had no drama this season.”

Leonard also boasts happily about DeGraaf. She was one of those unlucky players sidelined in the first match. That was kind of okay with her, as she was just happy to be there at all. She got started in the recruiting process late and never thought she’d get to play on a college team. Now she’s one of the Cougars' top assets, Leonard’s “money player—the one you go to when you need to get out of situations.”

DeGraaf thinks the team’s strong record comes from the fact that they are exactly what a team should be. “I think in any group there’s always cliques, and I feel like we don’t really have that on this team at all. We’re all really close, we’re all friends, we all hang out outside of the gym. In order to play together we need to be a team all the time, on and off the court, and I think that’s helping us be successful.”

Assistant coach Andrew Bennett, who relocated from the East Coast to work alongside Leonard, feels there may be something special at work in this inaugural season.

“All the stars aligned for this team. [Andrea and I] came in last minute, and we walked into the gym and we had no idea who these people are. All of a sudden the team just started really playing great together, and all of a sudden it turns into this year. We’re ranked 15th in the country. I’ve never heard of that happening, in any sport.”

Both coaches and players are also quick to acknowledge the support and enthusiasm of the “Blue Crew,” their loyal CSUSM student fan base. They’re loud, excited, and flood the stands at every home game. This team is humbled by the Blue Crew’s dedication, and it makes them play that much better.

Given the level of success the lady Cougars have already had this season, it stands to reason that a lot of uncommitted high school seniors and junior college players looking to transfer are going to have their eyes on CSU San Marcos. But how is that going to work when Leonard could potentially have her entire team back next year?

Rest assured that she is looking to expand the roster. And she’s not necessarily looking for the player with the best stats.

“Just because someone can jump out of the gym and crack a ball doesn’t mean they are going to be on this team or involved in this program. It’s going to take that whole person.

“Some of these players got overlooked by a lot of coaches. And I’m the beneficiary of that. I think I want kids like that, who have something to prove and know who they are, and are willing to commit to a program that’s on the rise and know they’re going to get treated fairly.”

Another requirement: A desire to give back to the volleyball community. On top of excelling in their sport and keeping on top of their academics, every member of the CSUSM volleyball team coaches for one of the local clubs. Leonard is all about family and community, and she’s looking to build her team based on those principles.

Her team doesn't mind. More players mean more internal competition for playing time. It pushes each and every one of them to improve steadily and be consistent. They all want to be one of the six on the court, but they want to earn the right to be there.

As the season draws near its end, the Cougars have a lofty but attainable goal in mind. For now, their focus is to work through the slump of fatigue that everyone hits around this time. They aim to continue improving at every practice and every match, as they have been all year.

There’s essentially one week left in the regular season, consisting of three home matches and five away. It’s not too late to keep at least one eye, preferably two, on this team. The NAIA Championships are not far off, and, as a first year team, they may go in as the underdogs—but their short history suggests they won’t go out that way.

In addition to women's volleyball, Cal State San Marcos is fielding its first basketball teams in the 2011-2012 season. Men's basketball tips off November 2 in an exhibition against San Diego State. For more information on the CSUSM athletic programs, you can visit the official CSUSM athletic website.