ATHLETICS NEWSLETTER

MAY 2024   //   View online

By Kyle Jorrey

For Purple Reign

Roll credits on another school year, one the purple and gold faithful won’t soon forget.

For all the attention Cal Lutheran has received recently for rolling out the red carpet to professional athletes, it’s the student-athletes who stole the show in ’23-’24. National championship victories by both men’s volleyball and women’s soccer in a span of five months have sparked a renewed sense of fandom... and swagger.  

Niani Jones

First-year, Track & Field

In her first-ever appearance in the SCIAC Championships, the Rialto, Calif. native narrowly missed a spot on the podium, taking fourth with a long jump of 17 feet, 11 inches, a personal best and the seventh-furthest leap by a woman in university history. Jones also placed eighth in the triple jump. She ended 2024 with two top-10 finishes (seventh in triple jump, ninth in long jump) at May’s Occidental Invite. Said Coach Brett Halvaks of his star freshman: “The future is very bright for her.”

Blake Wink

Graduate student, Baseball

The Kingsmen’s talented No. 2 hitter spent more time on the basepaths this season than chalk. The fifth-year senior, who transferred from Fresno State last year, made the most of his final year of eligibility, leading the club in batting average (.382), hits (63), doubles (18) and runs scored (46). He finished the year strong, going 3-for-4 with a double and home run in CLU’s 7-0 victory in the first round of NCAA Division III regionals. Wink (Yorba Linda, Calif.) is studying to get his MBA.. 

Jordan Cooper

Senior, Volleyball

The Simi Valley, Calif. native simply refused to let the Kingsmen lose this postseason. Cooper recorded a season-high 24 kills in CLU’s five-set, come-from-behind thriller over defending champ Stevens Institute in the semifinals and delivered the game-winning ace. Though he ceded the limelight to fellow outside hitter Michael Stahl in the title match, the two-time All-American still registered several key plays going head-to-head with former high school rival, Vassar star setter Jacob Kim. Cooper’s 394 kills this season are the most ever by a Cal Lutheran player.

After five water polo coaching changes in four years, players rejoiced at the March announcement that interim head coach Tim Settem would take the helm permanently. Said senior Justin Boals (Newport Beach, Calif.): “It’s been nothing but positives.” Settem took over the program in January after seven years with Villanova Prep in Ojai. The veteran coach―he’s been involved in the sport for 30 years―has guided teams at all levels both internationally and stateside, including stints with Pepperdine, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, UC Santa Barbara and Ventura College.

He told Purple Reign that after establishing trust with players, they responded with max effort. “They loved still coming to practice. They loved still competing. They wanted to keep going,” he said. After a promising end to the women’s season that saw the team go 6-4 over its last 10 games, the Ventura native is looking forward to a summer at home with his 9-month-old baby girl and his wife, an accomplished water polo player in her own right and current collegiate referee. 

Here are some questions to get know the new face of CLU water polo:

Q: Where’s the most interesting place your coaching journey has taken you?

A: Croatia. I’m a water polo junkie, so getting to visit a country where water polo is a nationally revered and celebrated sport was amazing.

Q: Your go-to Ventura County beach is…?

A: C-Street in Ventura or Rincon to surf. To just relax and enjoy time and throw the ball to my dog is Bates Beach (just around the corner from Rincon).

Q: Favorite listen on your drive to work

A: 95.5 KLOS (rock station)

Q: The best thing about having a newborn is…?

A: EVERYTHING! She makes every day better and “if” I have a bad day or game, that feeling quickly goes away when I see her smile. Also, just watching as she learns something new every day. It’s awesome.

Q: Favorite pro team to root for

A: The Dodgers or when it comes to water polo, it’s a toss-up between Pro Recco and JUG Dubrovnik.

Q: When you’re not coaching, what is your go-to thing to do to relax/blow off steam?

A: It generally has to be something active. I lift, swim, ride my bike, or go surf.

Q: What was the best thing about growing up in Ventura County?

A: It’s one of the most beautiful places in the world. The weather is incomparable, and in general, people are nice and laid back. I enjoy the slower pace, but not so slow.

Q: Most memorable sporting event you’ve ever attended

A: 2004 Olympic Games in Athens…such an amazing experience.

Q: One thing you learned about Australia while coaching there you didn’t know before?

A: Well, I have family there so I did have a little bit of knowledge before going… but the most amazing thing was how well everyone treated each other, no matter what you do for a living.  

Q: Steak or sushi?

A: Both

Q: Coffee or tea?

A: Coffee

Q: Leg day…or arm day?

A: Bahaha…I like and hate both equally.

Q: Speedos or board shorts?

A: Speedos in the pool and boardies the rest of the day

Q: Monthly subscription you absolutely couldn’t live without

A: Don’t have one.

Q: More challenging…teaching or coaching?

A: I will coach any day and every day over teaching… however, as a coach I am very much still a teacher.

Q: Most inspirational book you’ve ever read

A: “Why we Swim” by Bonnie Tsu is a great read and resonated with me as a water person.

A new pro team is calling Cal Lutheran home, and this one, students, faculty and fans get to watch compete on campus.

The recently minted Ventura County FC, a feeder club for Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Galaxy, has signed a two-year deal to play home matches at CLU’s William Rolland Stadium, which holds 2,000 people. VCFC won its debut match in Thousand Oaks on Sunday, defeating Real Monarchs from Herriman, Utah 2-0, in front of a raucous crowd.

Formerly known as LA Galaxy II, VCFC is part of MLS’ NEXT Pro League. Launched in 2022, the league comprises 27 reserve sides of MLS clubs and two independent franchises. Players who are successful have a shot at earning a spot on major league rosters.

The rebranding is an effort to enrich soccer involvement in Ventura County by the Galaxy in partnership with Oak Sports Holding, an ownership group that includes Galaxy legend and former USA men’s soccer great Cobi Jones. A graduate of Westlake High School in Thousand Oaks, Jones said he hopes the club will help nurture local talent while offering top-tier entertainment.

The club’s next match at William Rolland is set for 7 p.m. Sunday, May 31st against the Tacoma Defiance.   The club is offering complimentary tickets to all Cal Lutheran students, faculty, staff, alumni and families! 

Use discount code: ombee

Even on the cusp of finals week, four CLU water polo players found time to serve at a very special surf camp.

Justin Boals, Bo DuBois, Zane Hermann and Brody Swarm trekked to C Street Beach in Ventura at sunrise on April 27th to volunteer as water safety support for nonprofit FLOW Surf Academy, which according to its website, “uses the transformational power of surfing to help individuals who need it most.”

The players learned about the opportunity from Hermann’s girlfriend and lept at the chance to give back. Said Boals, a senior from Newport Beach: “It’s something we definitely want to do again. It was such a great experience.”

Founded in 2020 in Newbury Park, Calif., FLOW (For the Love Of Waves) offers free surf lessons to at-risk and underprivileged youth and those with special needs.

“We just made sure everyone was stoked, and safe,” said Boals, who is taking advantage of an extra year of eligibility due to COVID to return next fall as a fifth-year senior. “We got to really give back, and that’s a big priority for the water polo program.”

“I feel like we are all blessed to play a sport here on campus, we’re all blessed to be in California, we’ve very blessed to be with each other and truly enjoy the ocean, and I think it’d be selfish not to share that with other people,” Boals added.

Vassar College players are still waking up in cold sweats thinking of the red-bearded dynamo. The junior outside hitter from the San Fernando Valley dominated the action in the national championship match, tallying a game-high 23 kills en route to winning tournament MVP. Every time All-American setter Taylor Marks needed a big point, he turned to the 6-foot-5 Stahl, who beat the Brewers from every possible angle. Stahl, who transferred to CLU from Moorpark College last spring after almost retiring from the sport, said he would definitely be back in purple and gold for his senior campaign: “I’ll be back at CLU. No question. We want another one.”

Ventura County natives Nadia Collins (Simi Valley) and Olivia Vargas (Fillmore) represented “The 805” with pride in 2024. The Regals’ top offensive weapons recorded a combined 69 hits and 28 runs. In addition to their exploits at the plate, both were stalwarts on defense, Collins in the outfield and Vargas in the infield. Vargas (junior) and Collins (sophomore) are expected back in purple and gold next year along with junior pitching sensation Alshlyn Flinchum (12-6, 2.50 ERA) and freshman masher Jessica Waters (8 HRs). Flinchum and Collins were both named to the Division III All-Region Team.

A roller coaster season ended in sweet success for two of CLU’s top women’s tennis stars. Mina Ahmadi (Tiburon, Calif.) and Carmen Bufkin (Haslet, Texas) captured the Division III Invitational doubles title at the vaunted Ojai Tournament in late April. The juniors etched their own piece of history at the 125-year-old contest, winning their final match in straight sets (6-4, 6-2) against Occidental College. Though it wasn’t enough to earn Bufkin a second straight invite to the NCAA tournament, she made program history by becoming the first Regal to earn first team All-SCIAC honors for the third time. 

Anna Poulin (Portland, Oregon) and Jot Singh (Jalandhar, Punjab, India) led their respective teams in the SCIAC Golf Championships at Los Serranos Country Club in Chino Hills. Singh, a junior, and Poulin, a freshman, shot 6-over-par, good enough for ninth overall. The Regal’s performance was especially impressive as she improved with each round, recording a 77, 73 and 72 in successive days. Poulin was named SCIAC Newcomer of the Year and Jot first team All-SCIAC.

Men’s volleyball team celebrates in Iowa after receiving the DIII championship trophy.
Click to view

Men’s basketball coach Russell White praises his seniors, who were part of the program’s most successful stretch in recent memory. This past year the team went 23-5 (15-1 in conference) and earned a berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament. Click to view

Official NCAA Division III account shares photos of men’s volleyball team. Click to view

The most celebrated distance runner in CLU history, Melissa Skiba-Avila (Class of 2015) is taking on a new challenge: motherhood. The university’s record-holder in the 800, 1,500, 3,000 and 5,000 meter, she just welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Lila. “She has the sweetest personality,” Skiba-Avila said of her daughter. The Regal great is married to David Avila, whom she met while both were competing on the CLU cross-country team. The couple married in 2021 and now makes their home in nearby Simi Valley, where Melissa is an elementary school teacher. For several years they worked as co-head track coaches at La Reina High School in Thousand Oaks. “I still keep up with CLU sports through the news,” she said. “I am so proud of the student-athletes who have earned national titles since my time competing. It just goes to show what a wonderful athletics community we have.”

Purple Reign is the official newsletter of Cal Lutheran Athletics.

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