Skip To Main Content

CSU Monterey Bay Athletics

Skip to Navigation

Scoreboard desktop

Schedule

All Events
2021 Volleyball Seniors on Senior Night
Brent Dundore-Arias - CSUMB
2
Cal St. San Marcos CSSM 12-12,9-9 CCAA
3
Winner Cal St. Monterey Bay CSMB 13-9,7-7 CCAA
Cal St. San Marcos CSSM
12-12,9-9 CCAA
2
Final
3
Cal St. Monterey Bay CSMB
13-9,7-7 CCAA
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 5 F
Cal St. San Marcos CSSM 25 25 24 20 10 (2)
Cal St. Monterey Bay CSMB 23 16 26 25 15 (3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | Kevin Gilmore (@OtterKevin)

Senior Night Spectacular As Otters Rally To Win In Five

CSUMB trailed 0–2 before thundering back to beat San Marcos in 2021 finale

SEASIDE, Calif. — While COVID robbed the Cal State Monterey Bay volleyball team of a chance to compete in the postseason, it couldn't stop the Otters from going out with a bang as they rallied from 0–2 down to beat Cal State San Marcos 23–25, 16–25, 26–24, 25–20, 15–10 on Senior night in The Kelp Bed.

CSUMB finished its first season under Courtney Materazzi at 13–9 overall. Perhaps none of those 13 wins were as sweet as Saturday's epic comeback over CCAA Tournament–bound San Marcos.

The Otters led 22–21 before San Marcos held on to win the first set. The Cougars were in complete control in the second and appeared to take a stranglehold on the match with the convincing win.

It looked dicey when the Cougars pulled even at 24–24 in the third, but Abby Knapp (Atwater HS/Gonzaga) played the hero with a kill to earn set point before teaming with freshman Kea Veenendaal Boulder (Colo./Fairview HS) to block Stephanie Adams for the win.

CSUMB drew level in the match when it pulled away midway through the fourth set for a relatively comfortable win to set up the winner–take–all fifth. Another Knapp kill and combo block — this time with Mollin Helfrich (Pinole/Salesian Prep) — broke a 2–2 tie in the fifth and the Otter never looked back.

Knapp led all attackers with 15 kills in her final collegiate match. Juniors Kaylie Honberger (Rocklin/Whitney HS) and Lauren Reeves (Atascadero/Templeton HS) added 10 kills apiece. Sam Chavez (Sacramento/St. Francis HS) anchored the back row with a match–high 24 digs.
 

THE MATCH WAS OVER WHEN… Kaylie Honberger's 10th kill of the night set up the only match point the Otters would need.

SO LONG, FAREWELL, AUF WIEDERSEHEN, GOOD NIGHT… Otters fans said goodbye to four seniors who played their final collegiate matches Saturday night: Alexa Blunt, Abby Knapp, Jenna Tobin and Sophia Torres. Knapp and Torres actually have another year of eligibility remaining but are graduating and moving on from collegiate volleyball.

JENNA'S BACK… The largest cheer on a night of cheering came when senior Jenna Tobin returned to the court for the first time since injuring her knee in a win at Cal State East Bay on Sept. 18. She played in the second set and earned a serve attempt and reception.

WHAT A DEBUT PERFORMANCE… The Otters put the finishing touches on a 13–9 season with Saturday's win over San Marcos, making Courtney Materazzi the first coach in CSUMB volleyball history to post a winning record in her debutante season.

KNAPP'S A HIT… Although she played just one season in an Otter uniform, Abby Knapp ended her brief CSUMB career by breaking CSUMB record for attack percentage in a season. She hit .409 Saturday (15–4–27) to raise her final total to .347. That broke the previous record of .333 by Samantha Brennan in 2017. She is the only pin hitter in Otter history to hit .300 in a season.

CHAVEZ JOINS 20–20 CLUB… Junior libero Sam Chavez recorded 20+ digs in a match for the second consecutive night when she totaled a match–high 24 in the win over San Marcos. It's the first time in her career she has accomplished that feat. It's the first time and Otter did so since Ashlynne Armstrong did it in three consecutive matches from Oct. 5–12, 2018.

THE GOOD HANDS PEOPLE… Sophia Torres passed the final 29 assists of her collegiate career in Saturday's win over San Marcos to finish No. 6 in Otter history with 1,262 assists. Aly Fullbright, meanwhile, became just the 14th player in Otter history to pass 300+ assists, ending the season with 319 career helpers.

LEADERS OF THE RAFT… POINTS: Abby Knapp 17.5; KILLS: Abby Knapp 15; BLOCKS: Mollin Helfrich 5; ACES: Sam Chavez/Mollin Helfrich/Sophia Torres 2; DIGS: Sam Chavez 24.

THE LAST WORD… "Resilient, gritty and fighting to the end: What a fitting finish for our amazing seniors. Soph, Alexa, Abby and Jenna…thank you!." — CSUMB Head Coach Courtney Materazzi

THEY'VE GOT NEXT… Saturday's match put a lid on the 2021 Otter Volleyball season.


 
GO OTTERS!


 
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Sam Chavez

#6 Sam Chavez

DS
5' 5"
Junior
Aly Fullbright

#4 Aly Fullbright

S
5' 9"
Junior
Mollin Helfrich

#5 Mollin Helfrich

MB
5' 10"
Junior
Kaylie Honberger

#10 Kaylie Honberger

OH
5' 10"
Junior
Abby Knapp

#9 Abby Knapp

OH
6' 2"
Junior
Lauren Reeves

#22 Lauren Reeves

OH
5' 10"
Junior
Jenna Tobin

#7 Jenna Tobin

OH
5' 11"
Senior
Sophia Torres

#17 Sophia Torres

S
5' 8"
Senior
Kea Veenendaal

#14 Kea Veenendaal

MB
6' 1"
Sophomore
Alexa Blunt

#12 Alexa Blunt

DS
5' 5"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Sam Chavez

#6 Sam Chavez

5' 5"
Junior
DS
Aly Fullbright

#4 Aly Fullbright

5' 9"
Junior
S
Mollin Helfrich

#5 Mollin Helfrich

5' 10"
Junior
MB
Kaylie Honberger

#10 Kaylie Honberger

5' 10"
Junior
OH
Abby Knapp

#9 Abby Knapp

6' 2"
Junior
OH
Lauren Reeves

#22 Lauren Reeves

5' 10"
Junior
OH
Jenna Tobin

#7 Jenna Tobin

5' 11"
Senior
OH
Sophia Torres

#17 Sophia Torres

5' 8"
Senior
S
Kea Veenendaal

#14 Kea Veenendaal

6' 1"
Sophomore
MB
Alexa Blunt

#12 Alexa Blunt

5' 5"
Senior
DS