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Fall 2021 Recap Collage

Otters Complete Most Successful Fall Season Of NCAA Era

Fall sports teams lay foundation for bright future

December 09, 2021

By: Kevin Gilmore (@OtterKevin)
SEASIDE, Calif. — As we head into the winter holiday season, Cal State Monterey Bay fans already can look back on what was objectively the most successful fall sports season in Otter Athletics history. The records of the teams and the success of individual student–athletes for the 2021 soccer, volleyball and cross country teams set the table for a promising 2022 and beyond.

For the first time in program history, all three Otter "team" sports (volleyball, men's and women's soccer) finished with winning records in the same season, with volleyball going 13–9 and men's and women's soccer going 7–4–6 and 7–5–5 respectively. The women's cross country team capped the historic level of team success by finishing 13th at the NCAA West Regional, its best finish ever at the event.

"We said throughout last spring and summer that we felt positioned for success upon our return this fall. Our student-athletes and coaches proved to be motivated and well prepared for the challenge of competition after 18 months away," says CSUMB Director of Athletics Kirby Garry (@kirbygarry). It was so exciting to see us compete at a high level with the best teams in the CCAA," he continues. "I believe our competitive success this fall serves as added motivation for our programs to continue the work necessary to compete for CCAA and NCAA postseason opportunities next fall."

Let's begin our look back at the Fall, 2021 CSUMB sports season with Otter Volleyball.

VOLLEYBALL (13–9 overall)
2021 was a year of transition for the Otter Volleyball program. For the first time since 2015, a new—yet familiar—face took over the helm as CSUMB alum Courtney Materazzi (Liberal Arts, 2008) returned to The Kelp Bed, for the first time since earning All–CCAA honors as an outside hitter in 2007. All Materazzi did was take a lineup featuring four first–time starters, navigate a schedule that included four COVID–induced CCAA forfeits, and still finish with the fourth–highest winning percentage in program history.

"We really embodied growth this season: from the challenges presented by our opponents, Covid protocols and results," says Materazzi.  "I'm very grateful to the team for their blind trust in myself and each other and looking forward to us carrying the momentum from this season into spring training."

Leading the way for the Otters on the court was Gonzaga University transfer Abby Knapp (biology), who led the team in points (264.5), kills (233) and blocks (55) while setting a CSUMB record with a .350 attack percentage. She earned All–CCAA recognition for her efforts.

Joining Knapp on the All–CCAA team were middle blocker Mollin Helfrich (business administration) and Jenna Tobin (business administration). Helfrich earned the award for the first time while Tobin picked up her third All–CCAA nod despite missing more than half of the season due to a knee injury.

MEN'S SOCCER (7–4–6 overall)
It took Head Coach Graeme Jaap just two seasons to do something no coach had done in the previous 22 seasons of CSUMB men's soccer: post consecutive winning seasons. But that's just what the Otters have done under Jaap, following up his first year record of 9–6–2 with a 7–4–6 campaign in 2021.

After losing three All–CCAA players from the 2019 squad—including Academic All–American® Walmer Martinez (SBS, 2020) who went to play in FIFA World Cup qualifying for El Salvador—things had the potential to go sideways for the Otters in 2021. But Jaap had built a strong core and was able to add enough pieces to contend for a postseason berth right up to the final day of the season.

CSUMB went toe–to–toe with some of the nation's top teams, highlighted by a late season tie with No. 8 ranked Cal State L.A. at the Otter Sports Complex on Oct. 24. The Otters finished the season an impressive 3–1–3 against teams that reached the postseason in 2021, a strong indicator that big things are in store for the team in 2022.

"We were really glad to get back onto the field for 2021 after COVID and we're excited about working with the guys in the spring to build on the fall," says Jaap. "Overall, we were disappointed not to make the conference tournament for our amazing senior class. We are, however, really excited about the group we have moving forward and we are looking to build on last season and make the tournament in 2022."

Leading the way in 2021 was senior midfielder Adrian Rebollar (mathematics), one of several local players to star for the Otters under Jaap. Rebollar capped his collegiate career by finishing No. 5 on the Otter career scoring (46 points) and assists (14) lists while earning All–CCAA recognition for the third consecutive season.

Rebollar was one of a record–tying four Otters to earn All–CCAA honors in 2021. Joining him on the team were seniors Pedro Hernandez (kinesiology) and Adrian Ortiz (kinesiology) as well as sophomore Colin O'Mahony (biology).

O'Mahony and Hernandez earned accolades for their work in the classroom as well as each was named to the Academic All–District VIII team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). They were two of only three players from CCAA schools to earn the award. They advanced to the Academic All–America® ballot. That team will be announced Dec. 9.

WOMEN'S SOCCER (7–5–5 overall)
Otter women's soccer continues to reach new heights under Head Coach Laura VanWart in 2021. The Otters have improved in each of their four seasons under her leadership. One could say that ascendency culminated in the team's best record since 2002—which, technically it did—but that would imply that the Otters have reached their peak. Clearly, that is not the case.

CSUMB's biggest win of the season unquestionably was a 2–1 overtime victory against No. 13 ranked Sonoma State at the Otter Sports Complex on Oct. 17. That wasn't CSUMB's only big result however, as the Otters finished 5–2–1 against teams that qualified for the postseason, including wins over the top three teams in the CCAA standings.

"Our program is proud of the strides we made this season, winning some big games, receiving some individual honors, and earning multiple weeks of regional rankings," says VanWart. "We are disappointed at our performance in our final games, and will use that regret to push us moving forward. With the talent we are returning, we expect to compete for championships next season."

Sophomore Mitsy Ramirez (humanities and communication) led a record five Otters on the All–CCAA team in 2021 when she was named the CCAA's Newcomer of the Year. Joining Ramirez were forwards Sierra Levy (kinesiology) and Brenda Uribe (kinesiology), midfielder Jasmine Safarians (kinesiology) and defender May Richardson (kinesiology).


WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY / MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
The Otter cross country teams entered the 2021 postseason with a full head of steam after sweeping CCAA Runner of the Week honors to close the regular season. Junior Nathan Garcia (psychology) and freshman Natalie Harper (liberal studies) became the first Otter duo to sweep the award since CSUMB joined the CCAA for the 2004 season.

Garcia went on to lead the Otter men at the CCAA Championship for the third consecutive season with a 28th place finish while Harper teamed with junior Brooke Roy (kinesiology) to lead the women to a seventh place finish, their best in 16 appearances at the meet.

"I am impressed that women stayed together during the COVID challenge with the entire group of student–athletes riding it out. It paid off as the team placed it's highest to date at the NCAA West Regionals," says Rhines. "They are developing into a power in our very competitive conference. They will only get more experienced and in turn stronger next season and beyond."

Led by harper and Roy, the women stepped up again two weeks later at the NCAA West Regional Championship, this time helping the Otters to a 13th–place finish, their best ever at an NCAA Championship meet.

That's where disaster struck for the men, however, when an injury forced Garcia to bow out before the 10K men's race reached the halfway point. Without their leader, the Otter men finished 21st amongst the 26 teams represented at the meet.

"The men's team is growing and 're-growing' into a legitimate force in the CCAA," says Rhines. "The long break between the 2019 and 2021 seasons was a challenge met with staying power as we lost no 'to be' freshman coming in the fall of 2020 because of the Covid lockdown. We will lose no student-athletes in 2022 which will allow further development of a younger team."

In the classroom, Roy added another feather to her academic cap when she was named the CCAA Championship Elite 13 Award winner. The award is given annually to the competitor with the highest GPA at each of the CCAA's 13 championships. It marked the third consecutive CCAA Championship meet in which an Otter earned the award. Current Otter junior Hannah Marin (kinesiology) earned the honor in 2019 while Logan Phillips one the award for the men's team in 2018.




 
GO OTTERS!



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