The CSUN men’s volleyball team is in the midst of their best season since their famed 2010 campaign, when they made the program’s second-ever appearance in the NCAA men’s volleyball tournament and finished with a 23-10 record. Currently, the Matadors are 18-8 overall and 3-5 in the Big West.
One of the main reasons why the Matadors have re-emerged back on the national scene is the standout play of their opposite hitter, Jalen Phillips. The redshirt sophomore had a breakout season last year, being named to the 2024 All-Big West Freshman Team and selected as a Freshman All-American for his efforts.
This season, Phillips elevated his play to a new level, spurring the Matadors to reach their highest win total since 2010.
Recently named as the Big West Offensive Player of the Week for the third time this year, Phillips has been the engine that keeps the team’s offense moving. He is no stranger to weekly recognitions, earning conference freshman of the week four times last season.
CSUN coach Theo Edwards commended his star player for stepping up as a leader on the court for CSUN.
“First of all, [Phillips’s] been that guy all year for us. In addition to that, he rises up in moments. He loves the competition, he loves to compete and he doesn’t have a lot of fear. We’re super proud of him,” Edwards said.
Phillips said the team’s chemistry and play is rooted in a strong belief in one another.
“It’s just believing in them and then believing in myself,” Phillips said. “I know they have my back, so I’m gonna do things that’ll support them as well.”
After getting elevated to head coach in 2022, Edwards has made it a point of emphasis to instill a sense of trust among the players and coaching staff.
“I think trust is a big deal. As a coach, you spend every single day trying to get the trust of your players. I feel like if you don’t set the tone with that, it’s difficult for them to trust you,” Edwards said.
According to Edwards, it is important to have faith in the team to persevere through difficult challenges. He added that everything ultimately begins and ends with how the coaching staff helps players.
As a result of the culture cultivated by Edwards, the Matadors have seen an increase in their win total since 2022. CSUN had 12 wins his first season at the helm, 13 wins during his second season and have now broken through for 18 wins with two games left in the season.
The effort from Edwards and the coaching staff to connect with his players on a deeper level has not gone unnoticed. After CSUN’s five-set win over UC San Diego on April 10, Phillips said the team’s mentality is what kept them afloat in a tight win.
”A big thing our team preaches is staying calm and staying together, so I just trusted that these guys would have my back no matter what I did on the court. I had some really bad errors down the stretch, but they all had my back and picked me up after all of them,” Phillips said.
Phillips lauded his head coach for the way he’s led the team through their success .
“He’s a great coach. Does a lot of great things – he’s leading us really well,” Phillips added.
Phillips and the Matadors look to head into the Big West Championship on a high note as they end their season with a two-game series vs. UC Irvine this week. CSUN will travel down the Golden State Freeway to take on the Anteaters on Thursday, April 17 at 6 p.m.
