The California State University Northridge Athletics department announced that the CSUN Matadors Women’s Volleyball team will start their 2026 Big West Conference season with consecutive away matches on the Central Coast. The Matadors face the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos on Friday, September 25, at 7 p.m. PT in The Thunderdome, Goleta, California, and then take on the Cal Poly Mustangs on Saturday, September 26, at 4 p.m. PT at the Mott Athletics Center in San Luis Obispo, California.
CSUN enters Big West play with a 4-6 overall record following non-conference action. Historically, the Matadors hold a 24-15 record in conference openers and stand at 11-13 in Big West openers since 2001. However, UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly hold leads in the series against CSUN, with UCSB leading 51-10 and Cal Poly leading 44-29 all-time.
The Matadors lead the Big West in multiple defensive categories, holding the top marks in opponent hitting percentage (.159), digs per set (15.29), and blocks per set (3.09) — ranking fifth nationally in blocks per set. Senior middle blockers Iye Okolo and Tatiana Turgeon lead the conference in blocks per set, ranking first and second respectively. Senior libero Paige Sentes is second in the Big West in digs per set, averaging 4.44, and continues to make significant contributions on defense.
Sentes is also approaching a major career milestone. With 1,378 career digs, she is second on CSUN’s all-time digs list, needing 78 more digs to surpass Cindy Ortiz’s record of 1,456. Sentes already exceeded several former program leaders during the season and stands poised to break the long-standing record. Meanwhile, senior setter Katie Kolar has recorded 2,009 career assists, ranking eighth in school history, and has compiled four double-doubles this season.
Following the Central Coast matches, CSUN will return home to host Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton on October 2 and 3, respectively, as they continue conference play under head coach Aquiles Montoya.
CSB Take
The 2026 Big West opener offers an opportunity for the CSUN Matadors Women’s Volleyball team to build momentum, particularly with senior libero Paige Sentes closing in on a historic career digs record. Their defensive strength, reflected in leading conference and national statistics for blocks and digs, will be critical against tough opponents with strong historical series leads. Although their 4-6 start indicates early challenges, the experienced senior leadership and solid defensive foundation position CSUN to be competitive in the Big West race as the season unfolds.
Source: Original report
