FULLERTON, Calif.--- The Cal State Fullerton women's volleyball program has brought in five student-athletes who will bring their talents to Cal State Fullerton starting with the upcoming 2018-19 season, head coach Ashley Preston announced on Thursday.
Tatiana Toleafoa, Makena Ala'ilima-Daley, Ashleigh Atsaros, Neena Dimas and Nicole Shuhandler hope to serve as great ambassadors for Fullerton on and off the court, as the Titans look to continue their climb toward the top of the Big West.
"I am so excited to start announcing the 2018 class," said Preston. "These young women will be great additions to our team giving height, strength and physicality. They are all good students who aspire to accomplish great things during their time here at Cal State Fullerton."
Let's meet the new Titans.
Neena Dimas | LB | 5'4" | Stockton, Calif. (Lincoln HS)
Neena Dimas makes the trek to Cal State Fullerton from Lincoln High School in Stockton California, where she played four years of varsity volleyball.
Dimas made her impact felt from the very beginning, as she was named her team's most valuable defensive player as a freshman. She earned that same status again as a sophomore, while she was also named an all-league honorable mention.
Dimas earned a spot on the all-league second team her junior season, but really exploded her senior year, as she was named second-team all-area and totaled 432 digs, 21 assists and 32 aces. She was also named to the principal's honor roll all four years.
We get things started with a libero from Lincoln HS in Stockton, California. She accumulated 432 digs and 32 aces while being named second team all-area her senior season...ladies and gentlemen, welcome Neena Dimas to the Titan family!#TusksUp pic.twitter.com/LFO5XGXAHf
— Titan Volleyball (@FullertonVB) May 17, 2018
Get to know Neena Dimas...
Favorites
Volleyball Player: Nicole Davis
Sports Venue: AT&T Park
Athlete: Buster Posey
Musical Artist: The Maine
Movie: Twitter
Restaurant: El Señor Frog
Athletic Team: San Francisco Giants
Volleball Venue: Lincoln High School Gym
Movies: Big Hero 6, Brother Bear and Lilo & Stitch
Book: Game of Thrones
Actor/Actress: Kit Harrington
Food: Donuts
Ashleigh Atsaros | MB | 6'1" |Huntington Beach, Calif. (Golden West Community College)
A local Southern California talent, Ashleigh Atsaros makes her way to Cal State Fullerton from Golden West Community College. Before her two-year stint at Golden West, she also racked up three years of varsity experience at Huntington Beach High School.
While at Golden West, Atsaros earned all-conference honors for both beach and indoor volleyball her freshman year. Her sophomore season, she posted a .384 hitting percentage and landed on the all-conference first team. In high school she led the Oilers to back-to-back league titles her junior and senior year, while she was named to the principal's honor roll all four years of high school
She helped lead Huntington Beach HS to two league titles during her time there and then took her talents to Golden West where she was named first team all-conference her sophomore year. Now we'll see what she can do here at Fullerton. Ashleigh Atsaros, welcome to the fam! pic.twitter.com/VcFekpX79K
— Titan Volleyball (@FullertonVB) May 17, 2018
Get to know Ashleigh Atsaros...
Favorites
Volleyball Player: Melody Nua
Sports Venue: Sports Authority Field
Athlete: Von Miller
Musical Artist: J. Cole and Bruno Mars
Restaurants: Open Sesame
Athletic Team: Denver Broncos
Volleyball Venue: ESPN Sports Center in Florida
Movie: Spy and Snatched
Book: The Help
Actor/Actress: Leonardo DiCaprio
Food: Tomatos and Watermelon
Nicole Shuhandler | MB | 6'2" | Scottsdale, Ariz. (Notre Dame Prep)
From the desert to Southern California, Nicole Shuhandler comes to Cal State Fullerton from Notre Dame Preparatory in Scottsdale, Arizona. Shuhandler spent two years at Notre Dame, accumulating 269 kills her junior season to go along with a .333 hitting percentage, 136 blocks and 27 assists.
She also racked up nearly 200 kills her senior season for the saints.
From the desert �� to SoCal ��, welcome our newest middle blocker out of Notre Dame Prep! Nicole Shuhandler, we're lucky to have you!#TusksUp pic.twitter.com/mptYbcgNGw
— Titan Volleyball (@FullertonVB) May 17, 2018
Get to know Nicole Shuhandler...
Favorites
Volleyball Player: Kerri Walsh
Athlete: Larry Fitzgerald
Musical Artist: Thomas Rhett
Restaurants: Flower Child
Athletic Team: Minnisota Vikings
Movie: Girls Trip
Food: Chicken
Tatiana Toleafoa | OH | 5'6" | Union City, Calif. (James Logan HS)
Tatiana Toleafoa comes to Cal State Fullerton from James Logan High School in Union City, California. She was a four-year letterwinner for the Colts and earned first team all-league honors all four years. She was named the team's offensive player of the year both her freshman and sophomore seasons.
She was also named team MVP both her junior and senior years. She also earned 2017 Scholar Athlete of the Year distinction, while averaging over five kills per set both her senior and junior seasons.
She racked up over 1,200 (!) kills her junior and senior seasons at James Logan HS. She also earned all-league honors all four seasons. We can't wait to see what she does in Titan Gym! Tatiana Toleafoa, welcome to the squad ��#TusksUp pic.twitter.com/H1af1B9env
— Titan Volleyball (@FullertonVB) May 17, 2018
Get to know Tatiana Toleafoa….
Favorites
Volleyball Player: Lynda Nguyen
Athlete: My Dad
Restaurant: In-N-Out
Athletics Team: Seattle Seahawks
Book: Twilight Series
Food: Cheeseburgers
Makena Ala'ilima-Daley | OH | 6'2" | Leavenworth, WA. (Cascade HS)
Makena Ala'ilima-Daley comes to Cal State Fullerton from Cascade High School in Leavenworth, Washington. She was a four-year letterwinner for the Kodiaks. She wasted no time becoming a star at the high school level, as she averaged 12 kills per match her freshman season, while claiming all-conference nods. During her sophomore campaign, she upped her kills average to 14.5 per match, claiming all-league honors once again and being named the team's MVP.
Her junior season, Ala'ilima-Daley was able to print her name in the history books, as she recorded a school-record 15 aces in a match. She eventually led the league in kills that season and found herself on the 2017 Ulta Ankle JVA Watch List. In addition to her volleyball success, she also was a two-year varsity basketball player.
The Wenatcheee, Washington native not only got it done on the court, but she dominated in the classroom as well. She was named the school's Honors Society President, the FCCLA Vice President and earned honor roll distinction all four seasons.
Last but certainly not least. She killed it on the court and in the classroom at Cascade HS. From Washington �� California, please help is welcome Makena Ala'ilima-Daley to the Titan Family! #TusksUp pic.twitter.com/8FZ3oIpfej
— Titan Volleyball (@FullertonVB) May 17, 2018
Get to know Makena Ala'ilima_Daley....
Favorites
Volleyball Player: Cassie Strickland
Sports Venue: Century Link Field
Athlete: Marcus Mariota
Musical Artist: John Mayor
Website: Netflix
Restaurants: Olive Garden, Spring Lotus
Athletic Team: Dallas Cowboys
Volleyball Venue: WIAA State-Sun Dome
Movie: The Blind Side
Book: The Fault in our Stars
Actor/Actress: Blake Lively
Food: Chicken Fried Rice
SUPPORT THE TITANS!
Fans can purchase tickets for various Cal State Fullerton athletic events by visiting FullertonTitans.com/Tickets. The Athletic Ticket Office can also be contacted by phone at 657-278-2783 or by email at athletictixs@fullerton.edu. The Ticket Office is located at the Titan House off of Gymnasium Drive at the eastern end of the Intramural Fields and is open from 10 am – 4 pm PT, Monday – Friday.
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Fans can keep up with the latest in Titan Athletics by following us on Facebook (Facebook/FullertonTitans), Twitter (@FullertonTitans) Instagram (FullertonTitans) and Snapchat (FullertonTitans). In addition, the volleyball team has established its own Twitter (@FullertonVB) and Instagram accounts (Titans_VB).