The air in the Big West Conference was thick with tension on the final day of the 2025 regular season, a Saturday showdown that felt more like a playoff prelude than a mere wrap-up. Sweeps turned into thrillers, upsets flipped the script, and by the time the dust settled, the bracket for the Hawaiian Islands-presented Outrigger Big West Women’s Volleyball Championship was etched in stone. Hosted at the freshly rebranded LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid in Long Beach, California, from November 26 to 29, this year’s tournament promises fireworks—especially for California State University, Northridge (CSUN), making their postseason debut as the No. 5 seed. With a gritty 17-12 overall record and 10-8 in conference play, the Matadors are the underdogs no one wants to overlook, riding a wave of momentum into a bracket stacked with heavy hitters.
What made the final day so electrifying? Picture this: UC Davis, the regular-season juggernauts who clinched their first-ever outright Big West title with a blistering 16-2 league mark, stumbled twice—first to Cal Poly in a grudge match, then to host Long Beach State in a four-set nail-biter that handed the Aggies their only conference losses of the year. Meanwhile, UC Irvine pulled off a stunner by sweeping Cal Poly, catapulting the Anteaters into the No. 6 spot and leaving Hawaii on the outside looking in after a heartbreaking 3-1 defeat to the Beach. For CSUN, it was a quieter close: a clean 3-0 sweep over Cal State Fullerton to cap their home slate, but the real story is how they clawed their way into the dance for the first time since joining the conference. This isn’t just a bracket—it’s a battlefield where history hangs in the balance, with the winner punching a ticket to the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship.
CSUN’s Rollercoaster Ride: From Underdogs to Postseason Contenders
For the Matadors, the 2025 season has been a testament to resilience, the kind that turns question marks into exclamation points. Head coach Russ Martin, in his third year at the helm, preached patience early on as CSUN navigated a brutal non-conference slate that included early bruises against powerhouses like Idaho State in a five-set opener they ultimately reversed into a win. But once Big West play kicked off, the Matadors found their groove, blending youthful fire with veteran savvy to rack up those 10 conference victories.
At the heart of CSUN’s surge is sophomore outside hitter Hayley Ogden, a Bakersfield native who’s emerged as one of the conference’s most efficient killers. Ogden’s .343 hitting percentage ranks fourth in the Big West, and she’s poured in 216 kills across 104 sets—a stat line that screams consistency in a league full of streaky scorers. Her standout week came late in the season, where she unleashed 28 kills over two matches, hitting an eye-popping .490 clip on 49 swings. Against UC Irvine, Ogden dropped a career-high 17 kills on .500 hitting in a reverse-sweep upset that kept CSUN’s postseason hopes flickering. Then, in the Fullerton finale, she added 11 more on .474 efficiency, proving she’s not just a volume scorer but a clutch finisher.
But Ogden isn’t a one-woman show. The setting duo of juniors Katie Kolar and Jan Marie Duhaylungsod has been the engine room, each notching double-doubles in key battles like the five-set heartbreaker against Cal Poly on November 1. Kolar’s 26 assists and 11 digs in that match highlighted her poise under pressure, while Duhaylungsod’s steady hand has distributed 20-plus assists in half a dozen outings. Defensively, libero Paige Sentes has been a digging machine, her quick reflexes turning would-be kills into second chances. And don’t sleep on freshman Hailey Brockway, whose timely kills—like the dagger that gave CSUN a 22-20 edge in a tight set against Long Beach State—have sparked rallies when the momentum teetered.
CSUN’s path wasn’t flawless. They split series with most top foes, dropping both to UC Santa Barbara (including a Halloween night sweep at home) and stretching UC Davis to five sets in a pair of epics. Losses to Hawaii and Cal Poly stung, but each one felt like a lesson in grit. By season’s end, the Matadors had won four of their last six, including that UCI thriller, positioning them as the bracket’s wildcard. “We’ve grown into a team that doesn’t back down,” Martin said post-Fullerton, his words carrying the weight of a program on the cusp. For a squad that started 7-7 in league play, earning that No. 5 seed via tiebreakers feels like vindication—and a launchpad.
Final Day Drama: Twists That Redrew the Map
Saturday, November 22, wasn’t just the end of the regular season; it was a conference-wide chess match where every point carried postseason freight. All six seeds were locked except the final participant, and the intrigue spanned from Irvine’s Bren Events Center to Oahu’s Stan Sheriff Center. UC Davis entered as the frontrunners but exited with bruises: a straight-sets upset at the hands of UC Irvine (their second win over a top seed that week), followed by that 3-1 defeat to Long Beach State. The Aggies’ 20-6 ledger still nets them the top seed and a semifinal bye, but those losses humanized a team that had steamrolled the league with 16 wins.
Cal Poly, the defending regular-season champs, saw their eight-match win streak snapped in brutal fashion—a sweep by UCI that dropped the Mustangs to 23-7 overall and locked them at No. 2. It was a defensive masterclass from the Anteaters, who held Cal Poly to a season-low .125 hitting percentage while racking up 61 digs. For the Mustangs, it was a wake-up call; their offense, led by Chloe Leluge’s .374 clip and Charlotte Kelly’s 15-kill bombs, will need to rediscover rhythm in the Pyramid.
The real fireworks lit up in Long Beach, where the host Beach (21-8, 14-4) hosted Hawaii in a do-or-die clash for the final spot. Long Beach State, already No. 3-bound, delivered a 3-1 statement, their balanced attack—fueled by freshman phenom Logan King’s 3.86 kills per set on .407 hitting—sealing Hawaii’s fate at 12-17 overall. The loss ousted the Rainbow Wahine, who had clawed back into contention with home wins over CSUN and Bakersfield, thanks to Bri Gunderson’s block party (13 total on the week) and setter Adrianna Arquette’s double-doubles. But in the end, UCI’s head-to-head edge over Hawaii (from an earlier win) prevailed, slotting the Anteaters at No. 6 despite their 13-17 record.
UC Santa Barbara rounded out the top four with a flawless five-match win streak, their .778 conference mark tying Long Beach and Cal Poly but earning the edge via tiebreakers. Layanna Green’s league-leading .425 hitting percentage has been the Gauchos’ secret sauce, her 235 kills on just 50 errors a nightmare for blockers. All four top seeds eclipsed 20 wins—a rarity in the 21st century, happening only three times before (2000, 2009, 2023)—underscoring the depth that makes this bracket a minefield.
Bracket Breakdown: CSUN’s Path to Upset Glory
The six-team single-elimination format kicks off Wednesday with two first-round tilts, giving way to Friday semifinals and a Saturday championship at 5 p.m. All games stream on ESPN+, with Rob Espero, Hailey Harward, and Chloë Clark on the call—a broadcast team primed for the drama.
Opening the action at 3 p.m.: No. 4 UC Santa Barbara vs. No. 5 CSUN. This is personal. The Gauchos swept the Matadors twice this year, including that eerie Halloween shutout in Northridge, but CSUN’s five-set wars with top teams suggest they can hang. Ogden vs. Green pits two hitting machines in a battle for net supremacy, while UCSB’s freshman standout Gabi Martinez (recent Big West Freshman of the Week) could test CSUN’s back row. If the Matadors channel their UCI reverse sweep, they could steal this in four and face Davis in the semis—a rematch of those epic five-setters.
The nightcap at 6 p.m. pits No. 3 Long Beach State against No. 6 UC Irvine, a rematch of the Anteaters’ signature upset over Cal Poly. LBSU’s home crowd and setter Madi Maxwell’s wizardry (10.29 assists per set) give them the edge, but UCI’s Sydnee Rowe (.324 hitting) and that upset pedigree make it a toss-up. The winner draws Cal Poly in the other semi, where the Mustangs’ block wall (led by Annabelle Thalken’s 1.57 per set) awaits.
Semis on Friday: Davis (with Ally Chandler’s .382 efficiency and Jade Light’s double-doubles) vs. the UCSB/CSUN victor at 3 p.m., followed by Cal Poly vs. the LBSU/UCI survivor at 6 p.m. The Aggies are the favorites, but their final-day slip-ups hint at vulnerability. Cal Poly’s experience (last year’s runners-up) clashes with Long Beach’s hosting mojo. Then, Saturday’s final crowns a new kingpin—Hawaii took the first two tournaments, so this is wide open for an NCAA auto-bid.
Stars Aligned: The Players Poised to Shine
Beyond the seeds, it’s the individuals who’ll etch their names in Big West lore. For CSUN, Ogden’s poise echoes the conference’s top performers: UCSB’s Green, a junior wall at the net; Davis’ Chandler, whose 210 kills belie her efficiency; Cal Poly’s Leluge, with double-digit kills in 20 matches; and LBSU’s King, the fresh-faced killer who’s already snagged Offensive Player of the Week honors. UCI’s Rowe brings underdog fire, while Davis setter Mia Starr (11.14 assists per set) orchestrates like a maestro.
These athletes aren’t just stats—they’re stories. Ogden, a sophomore stepping into stardom after a quiet freshman year, embodies CSUN’s rebuild. Light, Davis’ offensive engine, averaged 4.43 kills last week en route to back-to-back POW nods. In a tournament this tight, one ace or block could swing a set, and these women are built for the moment.
Legacy on the Line: Why This Matters
The Big West Championship isn’t just hardware; it’s a gateway. The winner joins the NCAA fray, where upsets are the norm—last year, a mid-major stole headlines in the tourney’s early rounds. For Davis, it’s a storybook sendoff in their final Big West season before realignment. For CSUN, it’s validation after years in the shadows. UCSB returns from a one-year absence hungry; Cal Poly seeks redemption; Long Beach thrives on Pyramid magic; UCI crashes the party.
As Thanksgiving looms, the Pyramid beckons with packed stands and palpable energy. Tickets are flying—grab yours at BigWest.org/wvbtix. This bracket, born from Saturday’s chaos, isn’t predictable; it’s electric. And with CSUN in the mix, expect the Matadors to swing for the fences. In volleyball, as in life, the best stories come from the brink. Let’s see who writes the next chapter.