WATCH | EYEBRONCO: Sand Volleyball vs. San Jose State
Click here: Where is Main Beach In Santa Cruz?
Santa Clara's sand volleyball team, ranked No. 15 nationally, will host the Santa Cruz Duals March 28-29 in Santa Cruz, Calif. at Main Beach. Also playing in the two-day tournament with the Broncos will be USF, Cal, No. 1 Hawaii, Cal Poly and CSU Bakersfield. In the latest poll CSU Bakersfield received votes.
The schedule for Saturday at the Santa Cruz Duals begins at 9 am. Pairs tournament play will begin at 9 am on Sunday (1s, 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s). Both the schedules are located at the top of this release.
Taking a couple weeks off from practice and competition for final exams, Santa Clara's sand team will return to the Mission campus on Wednesday and practice twice on Thursday. The team will practice in Santa Cruz on Friday to get ready for the weekend's matches.
SCU Broncos (SCU) sat down with Bronco associate head coach Aaron Mansfield (AM) to talk about this week's competition.
SCU: The team's last match was March 5 (4-1 win vs. San Jose State). What are some of the advantages of having a couple weeks off for dead week and finals?
AM: Rest. Our team has been working extremely hard, in the sand, weight room and classroom and they need some time to recharge the battery. They will come back motivated to get back in the sand and compete in a tough tournament in Santa Cruz.
SCU: The team has a few days for spring break before returning to the sand courts on Wednesday. What are some of the things you asked them to work on while they were away?
AM: Some went home while others went on vacations, but all are expected to continue their Sparta programs. They all have access through their APP on their phones to their workouts, so they can workout remotely and stay on task with their strength and conditioning.
SCU: You will practice twice on Thursday and then head to Santa Cruz to practice on Friday. Will it help you to practice on Friday at Santa Cruz? Does it make a difference to know the courts?
AM: The type of sand varies from beach to beach. Some sand is deeper and harder to move in (Santa Cruz) while other sand is more compact and easier to move in (Los Gatos) It is always advantageous to get familiar with the surroundings of where you compete, and Santa Cruz is no different. The sand is deeper, the surroundings are different, the wind comes from various directions, and only a couple of our players have competed there in the past. Practicing there will allow us to be more comfortable with our preparation and routine come Saturday.
SCU: This weekend you have a number of really good teams coming in, including No. 1 Hawaii. What are you looking forward to in these matches?
AM: We open up with pool play vs. Cal Poly. They are our main focus at this point. We then compete against Cal, who continues to improve as the season goes along. This tournament has six strong teams and it will be a battle in pool play first and foremost. If we are fortunate enough to win those duals and Hawaii finishes top in their pool, then we will have an opportunity to play them in the finals. If we get a chance to play a team as highly ranked as Hawaii, it will be a great test to see where we are against the best in the country.
SCU: You have played with the same five pairs at both your competitions to start the season. Do you plan to continue to play with those pairs this weekend as well?
AM: We plan on keeping our pairs the same at this point. The teams have done a great job in gaining a better understanding of what their partner needs for the team to be successful. While it's still a work in progress, all the teams have made great strides and continue to find ways to communicate more effectively with each other. All the teams have a clear idea of the specific things they need to continue to work on to elevate their game and overall give their team the best chance to win.
SCU: What can fans expect in watching sand matches down in Santa Cruz? What is special about playing down there?
AM: This is the first time collegian volleyball will be contested at Main Beach in Santa Cruz. This beach has a rich history in beach volleyball, hosting its first volleyball event in 1960. There have been AVP and FIVB tournaments held there as well. Main beach has 16 courts situated in between the Santa Cruz beach Boardwalk and the Santa Cruz Pier. We are really excited to compete down there!
