College Update: McAleenan tackling success on Saturdays

The following are updates on local athletes at the collegiate level.

Ryan McAleenan (St. Francis High, 2012) University of Nevada Las Vegas football junior: A brilliant performance by McAleenan was turned in at the right time, as the Runnin’ Rebels put a halt to a three-game losing skid with a 30-27 overtime victory against Fresno State on Oct. 10.

McAleenan posted a team-high 11 tackles, as the linebacker continued his impressive debut season at UNLV after transferring from College of the Canyons. McAleenan’s tackles tally was also a season-high for the former St. Francis All-Area and All-Mission League player, as his previous season-best was seven on Sept. 27 at San Diego State.

With playing time in all seven games, McAleenan has 30 tackles, which is fourth-best on the team.

Up next on the docket for UNLV (2-5), which also boasts St. Francis alums Patrick Carroll (offensive lineman) and Jared Lebowitz (quarterback), is a game at Utah State on Saturday.

Olivia Leyva (La Cañada High, 2014) Cal Lutheran soccer freshman: Leyva is one of just five Regals to have started all 16 of her team’s matches, as the former Spartan hasn’t missed a beat transitioning from an All-CIF season at La Cañada in the spring on the softball diamond to this fall at Cal Lutheran.

Leyva, an All-CIF and All-Area selection after leading La Cañada to its first CIF championship match in girls’ soccer last winter, scored her first collegiate goal Oct. 11 in a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference match against Claremont-Mudd Scripps. The Regals won, 3-1, with Leyva scoring the first goal of the game on a free kick from 20 yards out.

The Regals brought a seven-game winning streak into Wednesday’s SCIAC match at Pomona-Pitzer and have gone 8-0-1 over their last nine to build a 10-4-2 overall record and 7-2-1 SCIAC mark. Leyva and the backline have keyed a defense that’s tallied a 1.07 goals-against average and produced five starts.

Sarah Teegarden (Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, 2013) Wake Forest soccer sophomore: Teegarden tallied her first goal of the season and second of her NCAA career to forge an Atlantic Coast Conference tie for her team on Oct. 4 against Clemson, 1-1.

Teegarden, an ACC All-Freshman team selection last season, has played in all 14 matches for Wake Forest. The Deacons are 4-8-2, 2-4-1 in conference and snapped a five-match winless streak Saturday with a 1-0 win at Virginia Tech.

Wake Forest is back in conference action Thursday against visiting Boston College.

Claire Kostelnik (Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, 2013) St. Mary’s College of Maryland soccer sophomore: A mainstay in the St. Mary’s starting lineup since she began her days in college, Kostelnik, a midfielder, scored her first collegiate goal Sept. 13 in a 3-0 win over Methodist.

Kostelnik has started in all of the games she’s played in this season, missing just two games during the team’s 6-5-2 run. Kostelnik, her team’s rookie of the year last season, a second-team all-conference and conference all-academic team pick, and St. Mary’s were 4-2 in the Capital Athletic Conference heading into Wednesday’s match at home against York (Penn.).

Camille Coffey (Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, 2011) Fairfield volleyball senior: In another example of her longevity and talent, Coffey hit another career touchstone recently when she tallied her 1,000th dig at Fairfield.

A two-time Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference All-Academic team and three-time MAAC honor roll member, Coffey became the 14th player in school history to reach the 1,000-dig plateau on Oct. 12 in a 3-1 win against Saint Peter’s.

“One-thousand digs is a great accomplishment,” Stags Coach Todd Kress told the school’s website. “The entire team is happy for Camille on such an accomplishment.”

Coffey had a match-high 21 digs to go along with four assists in the contest.

The win was the third in a row for the Stags, who are 10-10, 6-4 in conference. It was also part of the resume that earned Coffey the honor of MAAC Libero of the Week. In a pair of wins, including one over the previously undefeated Rider, Coffey posted identical 21-dig and four-assist efforts. She also had just one receiving error in 69 opportunities (.986 %).

Coffey is averaging 4.75 digs per set, as she’s tallied a team-high 318 over 67 sets.

The Stags have a two-match conference homestand on the horizon, with Rider on Saturday and Saint Peter’s on Sunday.

Jeff Quezada (St. Francis High, 2014) UC Santa Barbara soccer freshman: The former All-Area selection for the Golden Knights has quickly made a place for himself in the Gauchos’ lineup.

Heading into Wednesday’s match with Sacramento State, Quezada had played in 13 of his team’s 14 matches, earning six starts.

Quezada is a defender for a UCSB squad that was 6-6-1 and 2-2-1 in the Big West Conference going into Wednesday. The defense has allowed 21 goals in 13 games.