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LOS ANGELES - For the sixth time in eight CCAA Volleyball Tournaments, Cal State San Bernardino is coming away as the champions. The top-seeded Coyotes overcame a tough battle on a hostile road court to defeat No. 2 seed Cal State LA 25-19, 18-25, 25-22 and 26-24. (Nov. 18)
 
Tournament MVP Marlee Nunley led the Yotes to victory with 28 assists, 13 digs, and three blocks. Four CSUSB student-athletes had at least six kills, led by Jenna Patton with 10. Ashley Robinson added eight, and Trinity Sheridan chipped in with seven. Shira Lahav led all student-athletes with 23 digs. Taryn King put down six kills on only eight swings while adding seven blocks (two solo).
 
The solo blocks were one of the keys for CSUSB in such a tight match where every point was hard-earned. The Coyotes came up with six solo blocks to just one for the Golden Eagles (16-14 in assisted blocks). Patton had three, King had two, and Nunley had one.
 
Even when Cal State San Bernardino did get the block, it made it very tough for Cal State LA to find any open space. The Yotes forced the Golden Eagles into 35 hitting errors and 14 service errors. That helped CSUSB overcome a minus-20 in the kills category.
 
Emily Elliott led Cal State LA with 29 kills, finishing just one short of a career-high. She completed the tournament averaging 6.71 kills over seven sets. Iane Henke added her second double-double of the tourney with 10 kills and 20 digs. Ashley Dittmann chipped in with eight kills, and Haley Roundtree led the Golden Eagles with a .357 hitting percentage (seven kills, two errors).
 
After splitting the first two sets, the third set was up for grabs as the teams were tied at 21-21. An ace by Henke put CSLA up 22-21, but a kill by King and three consecutive attacking errors by Cal State LA allowed CSUSB to win the set on a 4-0 run (25-22).
 
The match looked like it might go to a fifth set after Cal State LA went up 24-22 in the fourth seton a setting error, but the Yotes had different ideas. Three straight attacking errors by the Golden Eagles put them up 25-24. Jenna Patton then hammered down a kill to win the set and seal the tournament title for Cal State San Bernardino.
 
Patton was named to the all-tournament team along with her teammates Taryn King, Shira Lahav, Trinity Sheridan, and MVP Marlee Nunley. Haley Roundtree, Iane Henke, and Emily Elliott each earned all-tournament honors for Cal State LA.
 
Win the win, Cal State San Bernardino earned the CCAA's automatic bid to the NCAA West Regional on Nov. 30. Cal State LA, along with a few other CCAA teams, are expected to receive at-large bids. All teams will learn their postseason fate during the NCAA Selection Show on Monday, Nov. 20 at 4:30 p.m. The Selection Show can be watched at NCAA.com.