SF State athletics returns to normalcy this season

How did the five teams that completed their seasons fare in their first full semester back?

Dec 10, 2022

This semester marked the first time since March 2020 that SF State athletics were able to play a schedule much like those before the pandemic.

Fans were able to return to games without masks or other guidelines and players were able to return to their typical routine.

“We’re proud to be back in full swing this season and have fans back in the stands,” SF State Associate Athletic Director Brandon Davis wrote in an email to Xpress. “Now we look forward to watching the progress of our three winter teams, and spring will be here before you know it.”

The women’s volleyball team had its fourth straight winning season. They followed up a 22-5 season in 2021 with a 14-11 finish this year. 11 of the 15 girls on the roster were underclassmen this season and will continue to grow as players at SF State. The Gators play in one of the toughest volleyball conferences in volleyball, as three of the teams are ranked nationally in the top 25.

SF State Women’s Volleyball middle blocker Chloe Henning blocks an upcoming ball during practice in Don Nasser Family Plaza on Oct. 4, 2022. (Abraham Fuentes / Golden Gate Xpress) (Abraham Fuentes)

Despite losing a tie-breaker for the final spot in the tournament, head coach Matt Hoffman was pleased with the team’s performance this year and is optimistic about the future.

“We went through a lot of big games, close games and gained a lot of experience from that,” Hoffman said. “We got all the experience that I wanted to get out of this year. I just want us playing against as many tough teams as possible. I’d rather be playing in tough matches with great competition than playing in a conference where it’s not as competitive.”

Players gained several awards through the tough competition this year. Four Gators received CCAA All-Conference honors. Tamiya Wilson earned Conference Freshman of the Year, was named to the first team and made the All-West Region second team. Kimberly DeBoer earned Conference Setter of the Year and was also named to the first team.

It was the first time since 2012 that two Gators had earned major awards for volleyball. Brianna DeBoer and Alhana Velasquez were honorable mentions for the All-Conference team. In addition, the DeBoer sisters and Velasquez earned spots on the Academic All-District team along with Chloe Henning.

The men’s soccer team finished with a 4-7-6 record. The team had a program record six ties as their season came down to several close games and tough competition. They also faced three conference opponents who were ranked top 25 nationally.

Gustavo Ferrari and Julio Gonzalez Ponce were listed as honorable mentions for the CCAA All-Conference team. Andres Alfaro and Justin Wolfe made the Academic All-District team.

“Women’s soccer was derailed by injuries and used 15 different starting lineups,” Davis said.

SF State Women’s Soccer midfielder Julia Hagedorn dribbles the ball against Cal State East Bay at Pioneer Stadium in Hayward, CA on Sept. 2, 2022. (Jesus Arriaga for Golden Gate Xpress) (Jesus Arriaga)

“But both soccer teams combined for eight student-athletes named to the CSC Academic All-District Teams.”

The women’s soccer team went 4-9-5 on the season. Samantha Shim earned All-Conference honorable mention. Six Gators made the Academic All-District team: Julia Hagedorn, Carly Ortega, Brynn Reyes, Kylie Schneider, AJ Tanner and Sydney Yuen.

Both the men’s and women’s cross country teams competed in the NCAA Division II West Region championships. The men’s team finished 11th out of 26 teams in regionals and seventh out of eight teams in the CCAA tournament. The women’s team finished 24th in regionals and placed 10th out of the 11 teams in the CCAA tournament.

The men’s and women’s basketball teams are both 4-5 after starting the season 4-2. They will be playing until March if they make it to the playoffs.

Vince Inglima, head coach of the men’s basketball team, believes the team has gotten away from some key elements but is happy with the development of some of the freshmen.

SF State wrestler Laith Gilmore competes during a match against Colorado Mesa on Nov. 12, 2022. (Courtesy of Vanden Harris)

“We’ve grown a lot and learned a lot,” Inglima said. We know the path we need to take, so that’s the goal of the early season. We’ve got to execute on our game plan and our style of play and hopefully the results will start going our way.”

The men’s wrestling team is currently 3-4 on the season. Assistant coach Anthony Mancini is impressed and proud of the way the team has started the season after a brutal 1-9 campaign in 2021.

“Our guys really dedicated themselves, made some great improvements in their overall lifestyle and approach,” Mancini said. “And I think we’re really seeing the benefits so far. We’re very proud of the group of athletes that we’re putting out every week.”

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About the Contributors

Jack Davies, Sports Editor

Jack Davies (he/him) is a journalism major in his final year of school. He is minoring in international business. He loves to watch sports and write about them, but also has an interest in potentially traveling the world as a salesman. He grew up in Napa Valley, California, and moved to the East Coast when he was 11 years old. He started his college career at Santa Barbara City College, where he wrote for The Channels publication as a sports writer. In his free time, he likes to play sports, explore the Bay Area, hang out with friends, listen to music, play video games and watch TV. After graduating, he wants to write for a sports publication and travel the world.

Miguel Francesco Carrion, Visuals Editor

Miguel Francesco Carrion (he/him) is a fifth-year photojournalism major and Asian American studies minor. While he claims to be a country-singing, Bronco riding cowboy in another universe, he is currently serving as the visuals editor for the Golden Gate Xpress. Outside of school, he works as a freelance photographer and videographer, and his work has appeared in BBC North America, The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Positively Filipino Magazine and The Filipino Channel. When not working, you can find him at The Pub or in the back of his friends’ cars belting Zach Bryan lyrics out of tune.

Abraham Fuentes, Staff Photographer

Abraham Fuentes (he/him) is a photojournalism major with a minor in political science at SF State. He is the photo editor for Xpress Magazine. He is a Sonoma County, California native and lives in Santa Rosa, California. Abraham loves to take photos with his film camera; his favorite film stocks are Kodak 400TX and Cinestill 800t. He hopes to tell stories through photography.

Jesus Arriaga, Staff Photographer

Jesus Arriaga (he/him) is a staff photographer for Golden Gate Xpress. He is majoring in journalism with a concentration in photojournalism and minoring in German. He was born in Garden Grove, CA. He currently lives in San Francisco. He occasionally freelances for Mission Local based in the Mission District. During his free time, Jesus enjoys jogging, singing karaoke, and watching films in German.

Jesus Arriaga (él) es fotógrafo para Golden Gate Xpress. Estudia Periodismo con una concentración en Fotoperiodismo y especialización en Alemán. Nació en Garden Grove, California y actualmente vive en San Francisco. Ocasionalmente trabaja por cuenta propia para Mission Local, un periodico basado en el Distrito de la Misión. En su tiempo libre, a Jesus le gusta correr, cantar karaoke, y ver películas alemanes.