Beach Volleyball Falls to Top-Seed Cal Poly in Big West Semifinal Match

SANTA MONICA, Calif. – The CSUN Beach Volleyball team defeated Cal State Bakersfield in an elimination match before falling to top-seed Cal Poly in the semifinals of the 2025 Big West Beach Volleyball Championship on Friday at the Ocean Park Beach Courts.

With their sixth victory over the Roadrunners this season, the Matadors set a new program record with won their 18th match of the season. After the defeat to the championship runners-up Mustangs in the afternoon, CSUN finishes the season with an 18-17 overall record.

CSUN 3, CSUB 1

CSUN’s Tia Mendiola and Julia Bazylevych opened the scoring with a straight-set (21-12, 21-16) win over Paola Caten and Sarah Martin in the No. 2 pair. The Matadors went up 2-0 when Maleya Miles and Layla Cederlind earned a 21-19, 21-11 victory over Olivia Ostler and Vianna Garcia on the No. 4 court. Bakersfield’s Ella Erteltova and Vivi Kaelin cut the CSUN lead in half with a 21-18, 21-12 win over Tasha Mae and Kinley Lindhardt on the No. 1 court before Sophia Jarosz and Haley Coggins clinched the Matador win when a 21-17, 21-19 sweep over Olivia Silacci-Jensen and Brooklyn Thomas on the No. 5 court gave CSUN its third win. Dylan Hall and Hannah Heflin dropped the opening set to Katey Milne and Alla Ensign before capturing set two, 21-19. The CSUN pair was up 2-1 when the Matadors’ clinched the dual win, so the No. 3 pair was abandoned.

CAL POLY 3, CSUN 0

Looking to advance past the semifinal round for the first time since 2019,  the Matadors dropped three straight pairs to the Mustangs to see their season come to an end. Cal Poly’s Logan Walter and Izzy Martinez defeated Mendiola and Bazylevych, 21-13, 21-7 in the No. 2 pair to open the scoring. The Mustangs’ Piper Ferch and Erin Inskeep then swept Mae and Lindhardt, 21-18, 21-15 on the No. 1 court to put Cal Poly up 2-0. The Mustangs then clinched a berth in the championship match when Quinn Perry and Lindsey Sparks swept Hall and Heflin at No. 3, 21-18, 21-14.

The final two pairs did not finish after Cal Poly clinched as Miles and Cederlind were in set two against Ella Connor and Madi Nichols (21-13, 20-17) while Jarosz and Coggins were also in set two with Abbey Reinard and Elise Lenehan on the N0. 5 court (21-13, 16-17) when the pair was abandoned. 

CSUN 3, CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD 1

#1. Ella Erteltova/Vivi Kaelin (CSUB) def. Tasha Mae/Kinley Lindhardt (CSUN), 21-18, 21-12

#2. Tia Mendiola/Julia Bazylevych (CSUN) def. Paola Caten/Sarah Martin (CSUB), 21-12, 21-16

#3. Katey Milne/Ella Ensign (CSUB) vs. Dylan Hall/Hannah Heflin (CSUN), 21-16, 19-21, 2-1 (DNF)

#4. Maleya Miles/Layla Cederlind (CSUN) def. Olivia Ostler/Vianna Garcia (CSUB), 21-19, 21-11

#5. Sophia Jarosz/Haley Coggins (CSUN) def. Olivia Silacci-Jensen/Brooklyn Thomas (CSUB), 21-17, 21-19

CAL POLY 3, CSUN 0

#1. Piper Ferch/Erin Inskeep (CP) def. Tasha Mae/Kinley Lindhardt (CSUN), 21-18, 21-15

#2. Logan Walter/Izzy Martinez (CP) def. Tia Mendiola/Julia Bazylevych (CSUN), 21-13, 21-7

#3. Quinn Perry/Lindsey Sparks (CP) def. Dylan Hall/Hannah Heflin (CSUN), 21-18, 21-14

#4. Ella Connor/Madi Nichols (CP) vs. Maleya Miles/Layla Cederlind (CSUN), 21-13, 20-17 (DNF)

#5. Abbey Reinard/Elise Lenehan (CP) vs.. Sophia Jarosz/Haley Coggins (CSUN), 21-13, 16-17 (DNF)

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