OTD Graphic: 1st VBall Game Sept. 22, 1996

OTD (SEPT. 22, 1996): Otter Athletics Is Born With A Victory

September 22, 2020 | By: By Kevin Gilmore (@OtterKevin)

The Otters are recognized for a win in their first–ever intercollegiate event

As part of our ongoing "On This Day" series, OtterAthletics.com takes a look back at the first–ever intercollegiate athletics even in CSUMB history, a five–set victory over visiting Life Bible College. All of CSUMB's great student–athletes and coaches, victories and championships won, awards and degrees earned can trace their roots back to this seminal moment.

Below is an excerpt from the original game story by Mary Barker of the Monterey Herald. It's fun to note some of the anachronism's in the story. A few examples:

Otter Athletics began life as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the Cal–Pac Conference.
CSUMB's original colors were green and gold.
The Kelp Bed was known as the Wellness and Activity Center (as a part of Fort Ord, it was known originally as the Faith Fitness Center).
Volleyball "games" (the term "sets" wouldn't become part of the NCAA lexicon for almost a decade) were played to 15 points instead of 25.
Rally scoring was used in the fifth set only.

Here's an excerpt from the original story…

SEASIDE, Calif. - With about 100 or so supportive feet–stomping, green–and–gold streamers providing the necessary Wellness and Activity Center decoration, and California State University at Monterey Bay President Peter Smith — a former Princeton cheerleader — shouting encouragement from the stands, the CSUMB volleyball team turned the school's first–ever competitive athletic event into a victory.

A 12–15, 15–13, 15–1, 9–15, 17–15 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics , California Pacific Conference Triumph over the visiting Lady Warriors of Life Bible College in San Dimas.

"It couldn't have been more exciting," said Otters' coach Denise Castro, whose team battled back from a 14–11 deficit in the fifth game, which was conducted with rally scoring where a point is scored on every serve.

The final blow to the Warrior bid came when CSUMB's Brittany Ulrickson and Colby Campbell combined to block a Warrior overset and the ball fell to the floor.

"It felt great having the opportunity to make history, as they say," said Kristi Hewlett, whose dinks — one left-handed and one right — gave the Otters the final points in their other two game victories. "It's great having this opportunity. And it was my dream to play college ball."

And it has been part of Smith's vision to have athletics at the going-on-2-year-old university.

"What's great about this is it signals there's a life on this campus," said Smith, adorned in a black Otters T-short that was presented to him before the match. That was just after he arrived five minutes late from his nearby home via bicycle after fighting what he called a "30-mile-an-hour" headwind. "It's an important day for us. I wouldn't miss this for all the tea in China."

GO OTTERS!