For the past 18 seasons in a row, the Coyotes have made it to the CCAA playoffs.
Last season and in 11 other seasons before, the Coyotes were crowned the CCAA champions under the leadership of head coach Kim Cherniss.
In addition to the 12 CCAA championships, the Coyotes and Cherniss have won six NCAA West Region titles.
In game one of the CCAA playoffs, the Coyotes took on the Otters of Cal State Monterey Bay in the quarterfinals.
Set one (25-15) started with back and forth scoring, but the Coyotes broke away when the score was 9-5.
They scored four in a row before allowing two points, then scored another three to take a 16-7 lead.
The Coyotes would go on to take the set on an Otter attack error.
Set two (26-24) saw the Otters score three before allowing the Coyotes to score their first point.
The Otters took a 14-6 lead before the Coyotes would jump back into the game and score five in a row.
The Coyotes earned the win on three straight kills by Lauren Nicholson.
The third and final set (25-11) went much more smoothly than the first two. The Coyotes quickly took a 22-5 lead, eventually winning on another kill by Nicholson.
The win earned them a spot in the semifinals, where the Coyotes took on the Cal State East Bay Pioneers.
The Coyotes led for the majority of set one (29-27) until the Pioneers knotted the set up at 18.
The teams traded points past the required 25 until East Bay got the two-point lead they needed to get the win.
Set two (25-15) went smoother for the Coyotes as they took an early 16-10 lead. They earned the win after scoring four straight against the Pioneers.
Set three (25-22) started heavily in favor of the Coyotes as they led 17-11, but East Bay was not ready to quit. They knotted the score at 18, but it did not last long.
CSUSB retook the lead, scoring three in a row and soon after, won the set, giving them a 2-1 lead over East Bay.
The Coyotes and Pioneers were neck and neck for most of set four (25-23). However, the Coyotes allowed East Bay to score four in a row, which would ultimately be their undoing in the set.
The fifth and final set (15-12) started off in favor of the Coyotes, as they led 12-6. East Bay bounced back, scoring five straight before the Coyotes would close it out.
The nail-biting win pushed them to the finals, where they played against the Chico Wildcats.
The Coyotes and Wildcats battled it out in last year’s CCAA finals, going through the maximum five sets before the Coyotes took the title.
In set one (25-18) of this year’s finals, the Wildcats took charge early on, leading 16-8 at one point. The Coyotes fought hard to get back into the set, but would only score 18 points.
Set two (25-20) got off to a good start for the Coyotes, but the teams began trading points. However, they broke away from Chico right when they needed to, earning the win on a kill by Alexis Cardoza, evening up the score at one set apiece.
Set three (25-20) was evenly matched throughout up to a 16-16 tie. The Coyotes took off from there, scoring six in a row to break away from Chico.
They would go on to win the set on a kill by Hailey Jackson.
Set four (25-21) would be the last one the Coyotes would need compared to the five from last year.
It started off in favor of Chico as they scored three straight, but the Coyotes were able to bounce back, eventually tying the game at 13.
CSUSB and Chico tied the set again at 17 before the Coyotes would take the lead for good, earning the win.
The win gave the Coyotes their thirteenth CCAA title and their first back-to-back championship since the early 2000’s.
They now move on to the NCAA West Regionals, which begins on Nov. 30. The regionals will take place at Cal Baptist.
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