IRVINE, Calif. – The school year has begun and the start of a new PacWest volleyball season is quickly approaching.
Coaches from across the conference picked the Concordia Golden Eagles fifth in the PacWest preseason poll.
This season marks a new era for women’s volleyball in Irvine, as Concordia graduate Eryn Leja-Martin is just recently came on board as the program’s new head coachThe former head coach of Saint Katherine earned her master’s degree in coaching and sports administration from Concordia and takes over from Olympian Paula Weishoff. who retired at the beginning of the summer.
The Golden Eagles are coming off a 14-14 season with over a dozen returning players. Second Team All-PacWest selection Kennedy Farley and setters Kawehi Chang are the only seniors in this year’s squad. Middle blockers Caitlin Jarrell was also Second Team All-PacWest last season and led the Golden Eagles in blocks. Farley and Jarrell are on the conference’s preseason watch list, which you can find HERE
CUI also welcomes seven newcomers to the court. Five of them are from other states and three are from Arizona: Maycee Mercado, Delaney Gregg, Jadyn Orava.
Macy Scheer joins the group as a setter from Golden, Colorado and Eleanor Brislen is an outside hitter from Omaha, Nebraska. Jordan VanderVeen comes from Manteca, California, while Libero Summer Pederson comes from the Santa Cruz area.
The first home game will be against Colorado Christian at 7 p.m. on Thursday, September 5. It is the first day of the three-day tournament called the Golden Eagle Invitational, which features four CUI home games. Alaska Fairbanks and Cal State Dominguez Hills will play the first game of the tournament at 4 p.m., just before CUI takes the field for the first time with its new leader and coaching staff.
CLICK HERE for the full CUI Women’s Volleyball Team schedule
CLICK HERE for the full PacWest women’s volleyball preview
