IRVINE, Calif. – The Golden Eagles women's volleyball team is off to a great start to the 2025 season, going 3-0 at the Golden Eagle Classic and earning PacWest Team of the Week honors. Under the leadership of head coach Eryn Leja-Martin, the Green and Gold are quickly proving they're a force to be reckoned with.

CUI opened the tournament with a dominant 3-0 sweep of Western Oregon (25-21, 25-13, 25-14). In their second match, the Golden Eagles fought hard to come out on top against Cal State Dominguez Hills in four sets (25-14, 25-9, 21-25, 25-16). To end the tournament, the girls dug deep for a gritty 3-0 victory over Texas Woman's University (26-24, 25-23, 25-15), completing the weekend undefeated. 

The Golden Eagles were dominant the whole weekend. The team totaled 114 kills on 311 total attacks, while limiting opponents to 77 kills and a .018 hitting percentage. Offensively, Emma Wegleitner led the charge with 36 kills, and added 27 digs, finishing with a team-high of 43.0 points. Kayden Croy added 22 kills and 16 digs, finishing with 27.0 points. Caitlin Jarrell and Delaney Gregg were both standout performers with 12 total blocks each. Jarrell had 16 kills, hitting .324, and Gregg added on 13 kills with a .393 hitting percentage. Nevada Knowles led the offense with 84 assists, and added 13 kills, hitting an impressive .480. 

Defensively, the Green and Gold held strong with 150 total digs, led by setter Nevada Knowles, racking up 30 across the tournament. Ally Scheidle also added 28 digs to keep the Golden Eagles in the game. The team added 25.5 total blocks, outblocking their opponents 25.5 to 15. 

With momentum on their side and key players stepping up early, the Golden Eagles look to challenge teams throughout the season. 

NEXT UP:

The Golden Eagles will be in Nampa, Idaho, at the Hampton Inn Nighthawks Tournament, taking on Westminster at 10:30 AM (11:30 AM Local MT) and Colorado School of Mines at 3:30 PM (4:30 PM Local MT) on Friday, September 12.