Garcia Sits Out as CSUN Loses Season Opener

Senior Anna Garcia, who usually plays outside hitter for the Cal State Northridge women’s volleyball team, found herself in an unusual position Friday--on the bench.

Garcia was ineligible for CSUN’s season-opening match at home against USC because she failed to complete a sociology class last spring. She said she will fulfill the class requirements in time to restore her eligibility Tuesday.

Northridge could have used Garcia against USC, which posted a 15-10, 15-2, 15-4 win.

Coach Chuck Erbe’s team, which is ranked seventh in NCAA Division I this season by Volleyball Monthly magazine, was 2-32 last season, landing at the bottom of the Pacific 10 standings. Despite USC’s losing record, Northridge Coach Walt Ker expected nothing but a tough match.

He got just that.

“We like to play as many good teams as we can in September,” Ker said. “USC had the best recruiting year of any team anywhere.”

A spirited Northridge squad started out strong in front of an enthusiastic crowd, but after staying close in the first game, CSUN fell behind 9-1 in the second game and USC went on to breeze through the last two games.

“I thought Karen Langston played really well,” Ker said of the defensive specialist who started for Garcia. “Our biggest weakness was our passing. Nobody passed really well.”

Despite his team’s lopsided win, Erbe was impressed with Northridge, the four-time defending California Collegiate Athletic Assn., champion.

“They came out really high and emotional in the first game,” Erbe said. “In the second game they were a little intimidated.

“We just have better athletes, that was obvious. I have a lot more depth.”

Ker purposely scheduled his team’s first match against a Division I team to prepare Northridge for its seventh straight assault on the NCAA Division II Final Four.

The Lady Matadors have finished second in the nation the past three seasons.

“If the girls learned just one thing tonight, then it was worthwhile,” he said.

Northridge travels to Westmont tonight a nonconference match at 7.