CSC Sports Information
CHADRON, Neb. – Coming off their first postseason appearance in 20 years, the Chadron State volleyball program will open their 2024 season this weekend with four matches in Southern California at the San Diego Invite.
CSC’s first serve of the season will be Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m. (MT) at Point Loma. The Eagles will play a pair of matches Friday on the campus of Cal State San Marcos, facing Vanguard, another California school, at 10 a.m. and Simon Fraser, the NCAA’s only Canadian institution, at 5:30 p.m.
Chadron will then face Cal State San Marcos on Saturday at 10 a.m. in Point Loma’s gym, making it officially the third-straight neutral site game of the weekend for the Eagles.
Matches can be streamed via pay-per-view. The two matches at Point Loma can be streamed on the PacWest network, while the matches at CSUSM are available with a FloSports subscription. Fans can also follow the game via live stats for all matches.
Looking Back
Chadron State volleyball enjoyed its most successful season in 20 years in 2023. The Eagles finished 15-12 with an 8-6 RMAC record – the program’s highest win total since going 17-11 in 2003 – and finished in sixth place in the conference standings to advance to the RMAC Tournament for the first time since that 2003 season.
The Eagles had a memorable win over Colorado School of Mines to open conference play, coming back from two sets down to beat the Orediggers for the first time since 2007.
Chadron State fell to third-seeded Regis in the first round of the RMAC tournament, as the Rangers swept the Eagles 25-13, 25-19, 25-18.
The Roster
Chadron’s attack will look a little different in 2024, as the Eagles lose their top two kill leaders from a season ago in Lexi Hurtado and Mayson Fago.
Junior Bella Adams and senior Aiyana Fujiyama lead CSC’s returners after both started all 27 of Chadron’s matches last season. Adams, a Pueblo, Colorado native, finished with 208 kills while hitting .276 and led the team with 96 blocks. Fujiyama, a senior from Hawaii, was second behind Adams with 76 blocks and had the team’s top hitting percentage a season ago at .291.
Libero Alondra Hernandez, a senior from Provo, Utah, returns after leading the team with 432 digs and 39 aces. Setter Kendyl Kirkwood is also back for her senior season after racking up 795 assists in 2023. Sophomores Avery Lacy (196 digs, 29 aces) and Kally Kirkwood (122 kills) will look to build on promising freshman campaigns.
The Eagles have added two freshmen and two transfers to the roster for 2024. Junior outside hitter Alejandra Briseno, who hails from Jalisco, Mexico, joins CSC after a stint at Hutchinson Community College.
CSC has also added a graduate student setter in Sofia Langer, who has played at Lewis-Clark State, Central Wyoming College and Division I Norfolk State across her collegiate career.
Chadron’s two freshmen are outside hitter Mataya Ward, out of Belle Fourche, South Dakota, and right side Danika Hassel, a Bayard High School graduate.