Cal State LA Volleyball opened the 2025 season with a strong statement, finishing 3-1 at the Hawaii Challenge, beating previously ranked No. 9 Chaminade. Along with early wins, the Golden Eagles’ strong showing brought home individual recognition, with outside hitter Samarah DaCoud attaining All-Tournament Team honors, and team captain Ayjah Landers earning MVP.
For Head Coach Juan Figueroa, what stood out most in Hawaii wasn’t just the scores, but the way his young squad fought back under pressure.
“Just the resilience, you know, like coming back from being down 0-2 in those games, I thought it was pretty special and good for the team’s morale and confidence,” Figueroa said. “The grit that we showed, I thought, was really good for the team. Being as young as we are, you know, we needed that.”
The Golden Eagles’ skill was tested immediately in two five-set matches on the first day alone. This included the reverse sweep over Chaminade. For DaCoud, who finished the tournament with 60 kills and 69.5 points, along with the team-high eight aces, that opening win set the tone.
“Chaminade is a really good team, with really good pieces,” DaCoud said. “To reverse sweep them was huge. People don’t know how hard it is to reverse sweep a good team. I was extremely proud of our team for being persistent and not giving up.”
DaCoud stepped into whatever role her teammates needed, and credited her versatility as central to her performance.
“If I’m behind the service line, I know they need me to get the opponents out of the system,” DaCoud said. “If the other team is serving, I know my setters need me to get them a pass. So whatever is required of me, I look to focus on,”
For Landers, Hawaii represented a personal victory and a team milestone. She finished the tournament with 67 kills and 81 points in 18 sets, including a career-high 28 kills in a five-set battle against Hawaii Pacific. These incredible stats landed her an MVP award that carries deeper meaning after a journey filled with injury and setbacks.
“It felt amazing returning back to the team, but I have to give a lot of credit to God, my teammates, and the coaches,” Landers said. “This year I told myself that nothing is going to get in the way of my success… I’ve been working on the mental aspect of the game, and I knew this year getting the captain role was going to push me to get out of my own head and play, not just for me, but for my teammates.”
Landers has overcome a lot during her journey, and Figueroa said she is an inspiration to the program.
“[Ayjah] has gone through a lot… She’s had surgery, she was academically ineligible for a semester, she was off the team for a while,” Figueroa said. “For her to come back in shape and as hungry as she is is extremely remarkable. I am very proud of her.”
Landers herself acknowledged the setbacks and credited her hard work, along with the support of those around her.
“I’ve had a long and hard journey here at Cal State LA,” she said. “From surgery to ineligibility, there were many times I thought I wouldn’t even make it to where I’m at now. I’m extremely grateful to be in this position and for my teammates and coaches.”
Both Landers and DaCoud emphasized the chemistry between them as key factors in the squad’s early success.
“Ayjah and I are always looking to help each other be the best version of ourselves,” DaCoud said. “We look to develop one another every day in practice or in games, constantly being each other’s reassurance and ultimately looking to help our team win.”
Now, the Golden Eagles look ahead to the Cal State LA invitational, where three nationally ranked teams, No. 14 Simon Fraser, No. 18 Colorado Mesa, and No. 19 Cal Poly Pomona, will be competing. Figueroa insists his squad prepares for every opponent the same.
“Rankings are just a number next to a name,” Figueroa said. “People are just kind of guessing who’s going to be good… We prepare for everybody the same way.”
Cal State LA was unranked to start the season and picked to finish fourth in the conference. For Landers, the bigger picture is clear.
“We love being the underdogs, just because it makes winning that much better,” she said.
With the momentum from Hawaii and two star players leading the way, the Golden Eagles now turn their focus to proving just how far they can soar in 2025.
