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SAN BERNARDINO - The All-CCAA volleyball teams and major award winners have been revealed, with the
2019 CCAA Volleyball Tournament beginning with a full day of quarterfinal action Thursday inside Coussoulis Arena in San Bernardino.
Cal State San Bernardino star Alexis Cardoza is again the CCAA Player of the Year. The junior outside hitter out of Chino Hills leads the league and ranks third nationally in both kills (4.55) and points (5.21) per set, adding 3.13 digs and 0.51 blocks per set to go along with 29 service aces. Cardoza, a unanimous first-team All-American in 2018, is the league’s first repeat selection for its top award since fellow Coyote Samantha Middleborn in 2010 and 2011, though Sonoma State’s Caylie Seitz was a more recent two-timer in 2013 and 2015.
Leilia To’omalatai gives Cal State San Bernardino a second major individual award winner as the CCAA Libero of the Year. The junior Arcadia product leads the Coyotes with her 287 total digs and 3.68 digs per set. To’omalatai has appeared in all 78 frames, and is third on the squad with her 24 service aces. She has made just 15 reception errors in 362 total attempts, for a .959 percentage.
UC San Diego newcomer Isabela Dobra is the CCAA Setter of the Year. The native of Bucharest, Romania, excelled at Tyler (Texas) Junior College the last two years. Dobra made her Triton debut in the CCAA opener at Cal State East Bay on Sept. 20 after missing the first eight matches, and has started all 17 contests since, averaging 9.70 assists and 2.70 digs per set while serving 22 aces.
Another first-year Triton, Trinity Castaneda has earned CCAA Newcomer of the Year distinction. Out of Indio, the outside hitter spent the 2018 season at the University of Hawai’i as a freshman. Castaneda has played in all 25 matches, starting 22 and averaging 2.40 kills and 2.66 points per set, with 38 blocks. She and Dobra have helped guide UC San Diego back to the postseason after a one-year absence.
The CCAA Freshman of the Year is Cal Poly Pomona rookie Jazminn Parrish. The outside hitter from Bellflower has appeared in all 24 matches, starting 15. Parrish paced the Broncos in sets played (90), kills (303), kills per set (3.37), points (317.5) and points per set (3.53), while averaging 1.34 digs per set.
Kim Cherniss is the CCAA Coach of the Year for a record eighth time and first since 2013, after leading Cal State San Bernardino to the league’s regular-season banner. At 24-0 thus far in her 29th campaign, the Coyotes are one of just two unbeatens remaining in Division II women’s volleyball, alongside Nebraska-Kearney (30-0), heading into conference tournaments. Cherniss’ charges have posted an aggregate set score of 72-6 on the season. They have yet to even get taken to five sets.
Nine schools are represented on the All-CCAA first and second teams. Cardoza, senior teammate Sascha Dominique, Cal State LA junior Karla Santos and Stanislaus State senior Sierra Adams are the four repeat first-teamers, with Santos now three-for-three in first-team selections as a collegian. Chico State senior middle Kim Wright is back on the first team for a second time after an initial selection as a redshirt freshman in 2016. She made the second team a season ago.
Cal State LA leads the way with a trio of All-CCAA first-teamers. Cal State San Bernardino, UC San Diego and San Francisco State all have two apiece, while Chico State, Sonoma State and Stanislaus State each take up one spot.
Joining Adams, Cardoza, Castaneda, Dominique, Santos and Wright on this year’s All-CCAA First Team are Julia Azevedo and Daisy Crenshaw of Cal State LA, Bailey Johnson and Drew Morris of San Francisco State, UC San Diego senior middle Jessica Rieble, and Sonoma State senior outside Tate Battistini.
The six individual awards, as well as the All-CCAA selections, were solely voted on by the CCAA’s 13 head coaches.
All seven matches of the 2019 CCAA Volleyball Tournament featuring the entirety of the first team, can be
streamed free on the CCAA Network online, or via AppleTV or Roku streaming device. The winner of Saturday night’s title tilt, which has a first serve of 7 p.m., will once again earn the league’s automatic entry into the NCAA Championship. Host Cal State San Bernardino has advanced to all four finals, and is the three-time reigning champion.
Interactive bracket >>>
| 2019 CCAA Volleyball All-Conference Team |
| Player of the Year: |
Alexis Cardoza, Cal State San Bernardino |
| Libero of the Year: |
Leilia To’omalatai, Cal State San Bernardino |
| Setter of the Year: |
Isabela Dobra, UC San Diego |
| Newcomer of the Year: |
Trinity Castaneda, UC San Diego |
| Freshman of the Year: |
Jazminn Parrish, Cal Poly Pomona |
| Coach of the Year: |
Kim Cherniss, Cal State San Bernardino |
| All-CCAA First Team |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
School |
Hometown |
| Sierra Adams |
Sr. |
RS |
Stanislaus State |
Silverdale, Wash. |
| Julia Azevedo |
Gr. |
RS |
Cal State LA |
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Tate Battistini |
Sr. |
OH |
Sonoma State |
Angwin |
| Alexis Cardoza |
Jr. |
OH |
Cal State San Bernardino |
Chino Hills |
| Trinity Castaneda |
So. |
OH |
UC San Diego |
Indio |
| Daisy Crenshaw |
Jr. |
MB |
Cal State LA |
Los Angeles |
| Sascha Dominique |
Sr. |
MB |
Cal State San Bernardino |
Redlands |
| Bailey Johnson |
Sr. |
MB |
San Francisco State |
Orlando, Fla. |
| Drew Morris |
Jr. |
OH |
San Francisco State |
Temecula |
| Jessica Rieble |
Sr. |
MB |
UC San Diego |
Pleasanton |
| Karla Santos |
Jr. |
OH |
Cal State LA |
Manati, Puerto Rico |
| Kim Wright |
Sr. |
MH |
Chico State |
San Diego |
| All-CCAA Second Team |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
School |
Hometown |
| Olive Aguilar |
Sr. |
OH |
Cal State San Marcos |
Lake Forest |
| Trinity Barr |
Fr. |
MB |
San Francisco State |
Woodland |
| Grecia Cordero-Barr |
Jr. |
L |
Cal State San Marcos |
Chula Vista |
| Stephanie Doak |
Sr. |
OH |
Cal State San Bernardino |
San Diego |
| Isabela Dobra |
Jr. |
S |
UC San Diego |
Bucharest, Romania |
| Makaela Keeve |
Jr. |
MH |
Chico State |
San Rafael |
| Leilia To’omalatai |
Jr. |
L |
Cal State San Bernardino |
Arcadia |
| Jazminn Parrish |
Fr. |
OH |
Cal Poly Pomona |
Bellflower |
| Jenn Trephan |
Fr. |
S |
Sonoma State |
Thousand Oaks |
| Emily Vander Weide |
Fr. |
OH |
Cal State San Marcos |
Turlock |
| Jordon Wilson |
Sr. |
MB |
Stanislaus State |
Rialto |
| Kira Zimmerman |
So. |
S |
Cal Poly Pomona |
Redondo Beach |
| Honorable Mention |
| Taylor Benitez-Fanslow (CSUDH), Rylee Brown (CSUDH), Kara Green (CSUEB), Jessica Haynie (SFSU), Krista Hernandez (STAN), Payton Jensen (SFSU), Rachel Klopfer (STAN), Lenox Loving (HSU), Mehana Ma’a (CSUSB), Alejandra Negron (CSULA), Maddy Newcombe (CSUSM), Brooke Ono (CHICO), Ashleigh Phelps (SSU), Kiana Richardson (SSU), Mickayla Sherman (CSULA), Jeshmarie Suarez (CSULA), Jenna Tobin (CSUMB). |