Schedule

 

2011 Preview

Women’s Volleyball Opens 2011 Campaign in Porterville

SAN LUIS OBISPO (August 30, 2011)—Cuesta volleyball has historically been a State powerhouse, but after winning three State Championships and winning 15 conference titles in their first twenty years, the Cougars spent their third decade as a perennial also-ran with only one conference title and one state tournament appearance. The Cougars won two Western State Conference titles and reached the playoffs in each of their first three seasons of the program’s fourth decade, but fell to .500 the past two seasons. This season, the program’s 36th, the Cougars expect to force their way back into the post-season with four returning starters and a bevy of talented freshmen. Coach Roche Nystrom (19th year/ 245-159), who is the program’s longest serving and winningest coach, returns a total of six sophomores and adds six more freshmen. Nystrom noted, “We are going to rely on our ball control, defense, and our serving, as well as Tess.” She was referring to 2010 All Western State Conference Outside Hitter Tess Gilkey (Hanford HS), who led the Cougars in kills (217) and aces (25) as a freshman. Nystrom says, “Our motto this year is Tess and finesse.” Nystrom and her Cougars will chase their third Western State Conference title of the past six years beginning this week.

The Cougars begin their season this Wednesday in Porterville. The match against the Pirates begins at 6 PM.

Overview

Setter- Setters Ashlan Cate (Cambria) and Ensley Allmon (Bakersfield) are the MVPs of the past two Cuesta teams and they are both back on the team this season. This year the Cougars expect Allmon to continue with the bulk of the setting duties and running the offense, while Cate will take her leadership and ball control to the back line. Nystrom said, “Ensley will run the offense and Ashlan will run the defense,” she added, “Ensley has shown a lot of confidence and came back in great shape and ready to play. She is locked in.” In 2010, Allmon was named to the All-Western State Conference First Team and led the Cougars with a .320 hitting percentage, while dishing out 602 assists- the 6th best total in school history. Freshman Taylor Saenz (Fairfield) will also work in as a setter as she learns from a pair of masters. Saenz adds size and strength to the position and will also hit on the outside. The Cougars depth and experience at setter will provide stability as the team grooms their young hitters.

Defensive Specialist- 2009 All Western State Conference Second Team selection Ashlan Cate (Cambria) led the Cougars with 19 service aces and was third on the team with 112 digs, while sharing Team MVP honors with the departed Mackenzie Sullivan. Cate redshirted during the 2010 season and began the transition to Libero for her sophomore campaign. Nystrom says, “Ashlan sets a tone with her maturity and composure. She is a leader.” Cate, who’s brother Quentin Cate was the 2008 State Baseball Player of the Year for Cuesta, is aggressive, hard working and smart. She should excel in her new role. Freshmen Kaitlyn Henderson (Lemoore HS) and Danielle Aguirre (Napa HS) join Cate to complete a stellar backrow. Henderson was a three-time all-West Yosemite League choice for Lemoore HS and was named to the all-Kings County Team as a senior. Nystrom says, “Kaitlyn is a very quick, very good athlete. She is focused and reads the game well.” She notes that both Henderson and Aguirre bring exceptional ball control to the Cuesta defense and adds, “Danielle also has a very tough serve.” Due to inexperience and a lack of height at the net, the trio of Cate, Henderson and Aguirre’s ability to dig and get balls to Allmon will be a major factor in the team’s success.

Outside Hitters- Nystrom says of 2010 All Western State Conference Second Team Outside Hitter Tess Gilkey (Hanford HS), “She has to have some broad shoulders. Tess will carry the team this year.” Gilkey played a major roll for the team as a freshman and should be up to the task as a sophomore. She led the Cougars with 217 kills (16th best all time) and 25 service aces, while also finishing second on the team in digs (155) and third in blocks (39). The Cougars also return 2010 All-WSC Honorable Mention selection Kristin Urias (SLO HS). Urias brings experience and steady play to the Cougars offense. Nystrom describes her play, “She is a whip of a player. She is so fast and flies around the court.” In 2010 Urias was third on the team with 140 kills. The Cougars can also use Lauren Chatman (Fairfield), Kaitlyn Henderson (Lemoore HS) and, Taylor Saenz (Fairfield) on the outside, but are hoping that Monica Strickler (Modesto HS) and Dylan Marchetti (Catheys Valley) will be able to handle the job. Nystrom says of Strickler, “She has good ball control, but needs consistency.” And of Marchetti, a multi-sport high school star, she adds, “She is still raw, but she will hit.”

Middle Blockers- In 2010 Cuesta opponents had to hit against a wall of middle blockers, but this year the front line has less depth and size. Sophomore Monica Reyes (Coarsegold) returns for her sophomore season and joins College of the Redwoods transfer Bekah Kemp (Eureka HS) to provide experience at the net. Reyes played in only 11 matches as a freshman, but will fill a bigger role this season. After Kemp moved to San Luis Obispo, she spent her redshirt year in the training room, as a student trainer, however she also spent practice time working her way into the Cougars’ system and will be an important part of the Cougars net game this season. The Cougars will also use freshman Lauren Chatman (Fairfield) in the middle. Chatman was a two-time all-league selection at Rodriguez HS in Fairfield and Nystrom says, “She has quick hops. She is working on her consistency, but she is a gamer.” The Cougars give up size at the net, so the work of this group will be crucial.

Roster

 

Stats

2011 Stats

Game Notes

WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

Moorpark 3, Cuesta 0
1 2 3
MPK 26 25 25
Cue 24 21 20
kills-
MPK: Karissa Flack 18, Brooke Mataele 12
Cue: Tess Gilkey 15,
digs-
MPK: Jasmine Sagisi 18, Michelle Tanaka 17, Jessica Soprano 12
Cue: Monica Strickler 21, Tess Gilkey 11, Kristin Urias 11
assists-
MPK: Jessica Soprano 25
Cue: Ashlan Cate 33

Notes- Cuesta took on #10 Moorpark and lost in three despite putting 65 points on the board. The Raiders, who are undefeated in Western State Conference play moved one step closer to a WSC crown in the playoffs, but the Cougars made them pay for every point. Coach Roche Nystrom said, "I like the fight we have in us. We give a good battle." Moorpark jumped out to a 20-12 lead in Game 1, but the Cougars battled back to tie the game at 22-22 and again at 24-24 before the Raiders closed out the win. In Game 2 Cuesta held a tenuous lead at 16-13, but Moorpark rallied for the next six points and held on for a 25-21 win. The Raiders used the momentum of their two game lead and looked like they would steamroll the Cougars in the finale. The Raiders pounded their way to a 20-13 lead, but Cuesta kept working and kept digging until the final ball hit the floor with the score 25-20. The Cougars are now 10-8 overall and 6-4 in WSC play. Moorpark improved to 11-0 in the WSC and 19-3 on the season.

Next- Cuesta plays at Ventura next Tuesday and wraps up the regular season on Thursday at home against Mission. Both matches begin at 7 PM.

CUESTA VOLLEYBALL

Cuesta 3, Allan Hancock 0
1 2 3
AHC 18 20 13
Cue 25 25 25
kills-
AHC: Mallory Pina 6
Cue: Tess Gilkey 16, Monica Reyes 5
digs-
AHC: Jenna Hilliard 12, Mallory Pina 12
Cue: Monica Strickler 17, Kristin Urias 12
assists-
AHC: Jenna Hilliard 17
Cue: Ashlan Cate 31
service aces-
AHC: Jenna Hilliard 2, Cameron Lizaraga 2
Cue: Monica Strickler 2

Notes- The Cougars and Bulldogs came together tonight in a gymnasium awash in pink to raise awareness and funds for the Dig Pink Foundation. Both teams wore pink to show their support, but the to rivals put it all aside when the whistle blew. The Cougars opened a 10-3 lead to open the match only to have the Bulldogs battle back and forced Cuesta Coach Roche Nystrom to call time out with the score 20-17. Nystrom's plan worked and the Cougars won five of the next six points to win 25-18. In Game 2, Allan Hancock's Jessica Feliz served first and continued to serve until the Bulldogs led 7-0. Another Nystrom time out go the Cougars back on track and they tied the game at seven. The two teams traded the lead of the pivotal game until 13-13, when the Cougars broke free and went on a 7-1 run. The Bulldogs closed the gap to 22-20, but could not get any closer and Cuesta took a commanding 2-0 lead in the match. Cuesta wrapped up the sweep in Game 3 with a convincing 25-13 win. 2010 All-WSC Second Team Outside Hitter Tess Gilkey led both teams with 16 kills, which also marked the 19th consecutive game, dating back to 2010, she has been the Cougars kill leader. Cuesta's 2010 Team MVP and All-WSC First Team Setter Ensley Allmon sat out the game with an injury and may not return before the end of the regular season. The Cougars turned to 2009 All-WSC Setter Ashlan Cate, who redshirted in 2010 and has been the Cougars libero this season, to resume her role as the team's setter and run the offense in Allmon's stead. Cate dished out 31 assists on the night. The Cougars are 9-6 on the year and improved to 5-2 in the Western State Conference.

Next- The Cougars are on the road next week with matches at Oxnard (Wed) and Santa Barbara (Fri)

 

Santa Barbara 3, Cuesta 1
1 2 3 4
SBCC 17 25 25 25
Cue 25 21 20 18
kills-
SBCC: Emily Banas 13, Bianca Castro 11, Heidi Van Den Oever 8
Cue : Tess Gilkey 14, Kristin Urias 9
digs-
SBCC: Emily Banas 15
Cue : Ashlan Cate 14

Notes- The Cuesta Cougars jumped out early against #25 Santa Barbara, but eventually gave way to their conference rival. The Cougars dominated Game 1 with a 25-17 win, but the Vaqueros climbed back into the match and evened everything with a 25-21 win. In Game 3 it appeared the Cougars were back on track with a quick 6-1 lead, however a key time out by the Vaqueros helped them slow the Cuesta onslaught and their adjustments helped them tie the game 10-10. The two teams battled the rest of the way until SBCC won five of the last six points for a 25-20 win and control of the match. The Vaqueros closed out the match with a 25-18 win in Game 4. Cuesta Coach Roche Nystrom said, "We served well, we passed well, we play to our strengths, but sometimes we are outgunned. We can still beat these teams, but we cannot have any lulls." Cuesta "lulls" in Games 2 and 3 allowed the Vaqueros to take advantage of their many offensive weapons and take control of the match. The Cougars are 6-5 on the season and tonight was their first Western State Conference loss, they are 2-1 against the loop. Their next match is on Wednesday, October 19th at Moorpark.

 

Pierce 3, Cuesta 0
1 2 3
LAP 25 25 25
Cue 21 14 8
kills-
LAP : NA
Cue : Tess Gilkey 8
digs-
LAP : NA
Cue : Ashlan Cate 7
assists-
LAP : NA
Cue : Ensley Allmon 13
blocks-
LAP : NA
Cue : Monica Reyes 2

Notes-
Cuesta faced 2010 defending State Champion, and currently top-ranked, Pierce in a inter-division Western State Conference match. The Cougars fell back to .500 to 4-4 and will begin their Western State Conference schedule on Tuesday at Allan Hancock (7 PM). Coach Roche Nystrom said, "They served some tough balls, I was proud of our passing. We played tough and played our game. Our ball control was good, but we were outgunned."

 

.

Quick Facts/Nystrom Record

Head Coach Roche Nystrom
Record/Years 234-148 / 18th year
Assistant Jeremy Douglas (2nd)
Office Phone (805) 546-3100 x 2713
Email:rnystrom@cuesta.edu
2009 Record 8-13
2009 WSC Record/ Finish 5-5/3rd
Sports Information Director: Pete Schuler (805) 546-3211
Athletic Trainer:Jaison Wardrop, Anthony Geiger (805) 546-3225
Athletic Director: Bob Mariucci (805) 546-3100 ext.2709

The Nystrom Record
	Overall			Conference		Playoffs
Year	win	loss	pct	win	loss	place	win	loss	state
1985*	24	4	857	17	1	1st	4	2	1st
1986*	24	2	923	13	1	1st	6	1	1st
1987*	18	6	750	16	2	2nd	0	1	----
1988*	22	6	786	16	2	1st	0	1	----
1989*	26	4	867	18	0	1st	2	2	5th
1990*	22	7	759	16	2	1st	1	1	----
1991*	19	8	704	15	3	2nd	3	2	5th
1992*	20	4	833	18	0	1st	1	1	----
1993	23	4	852	17	1	1st	3	2	5th
1994	15	5	750	13	1	1st	1	1	-----
1995	17	5	773	12	2	1st	1	1	-----
1996	9	11	450	8	6	3rd	-----	-----	-----
1997	10	10	500	6	8	4th	-----	-----	-----
1998	14	7	667	11	3	1st	1	1	-----
1999	19	6	760	13	3	3rd	3	2	5th
2000	16	7	696	10	6	3rd	1	1	-----
2001	13	11	542	9	5	3rd	0	1	-----
2002	18	7	720	11	3	2nd	1	1	-----
2003	8	14	364	6	8	3rd	-----	-----	-----
2004	13	10	565	8	6	3rd	0	1	-----
2005	3	17	150	2	8	5th	-----	-----	-----
2006	16	6	727	7	1	1st	1	1	-----
2007	20	4	833	8	0	1st	1	1	-----
2008	12	11	522	5	5	3rd	-----	-----	-----
2009	8	13	667	5	5	3rd
Total	234	148	626	151	71	6	13	13	0
Western State Conference Coach of the Year 1994, 2002, 2006, 2007 * Assistant Coach

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