Since its inception, CSUSM’s volleyball program has been through many cycles of players, fans, and competition. The one constant? Coach Andrea Leonard. Named the program’s first head coach in 2011, Leonard has worked hard to develop CSUSM’s brand of volleyball she describes as “scrappy, determined, and intentional”.
“We really wanted to have a solid foundation based on the student-athlete experience to develop high character individuals,” Leonard said. In the time since, it has shown as the respect for the program has gone beyond the CSUSM campus. “I’ve got hall of fame coaches, legends…saying how respected we are.”
A crucial part of that image and culture is team leadership. Coach Leonard stays connected to the team through positive communication with her team captains. One of them is middle blocker, Isabelle Bakken.
Bakken began playing volleyball at a young age landing at San Diego Mesa College during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I developed a lot as a player, but my end goal was to keep playing after San Diego Mesa and it [CSUSM] just ended up being a great fit for me,” Bakken said.
For many, the student-athlete experience is often misunderstood. CSUSM athletes train, study, and work hard to achieve their goals. For Bakken, managing time, avoiding procrastination, and having a supportive coaching staff are vital in finding success.
“She [Leonard] really cares about all of us as players but also as people. She makes sure we’re good before volleyball. If we’re not having the best day or if something in our life is not going as planned, she cares about that before she cares about us being volleyball players which I really love about her,” Bakken said.
One visit to a CSUSM volleyball match makes this clear. Players are on their feet cheering and clapping throughout entire matches, retaining a positive and competitive spirit even in the toughest situations.
“These are like 16 of my best friends…It’s hard to come into a college program and meld in with the rest of the girls. I feel like our leadership has done a good job building our team chemistry,” Bakken said.
At the time of writing, The Cougars stand with a conference record of 2-8, but the numbers don’t always tell the whole story. The level of competition is fierce with the conference producing two national champions in the last five years. Despite the early challenges, Coach Leonard promotes a learning mindset, encouraging the team to consider how they can improve from tough experiences.
Postseason aspirations remain alive and well. Coach Leonard and the Cougars are pushing to reach the conference tournament that consists of the top six teams in the conference. Stringing together some wins will be challenging, but the final stretch of the season always brings surprises.
“We have a lot of wins in our program, especially this season. You just don’t see them a lot, but we know what they are, and that’s where we get our confidence,” Leonard said.
And for an organization that has been setting up student-athletes for success for over ten years, it’s hard to disagree.