This is the first of two feature stories about Cal State Fullerton's 2019 Big West Conference Scholar Athletes. An article about Tanner Bibee will appear next week.
By Bill Sheehan
Savahna Costello, a Cal State Fullerton junior from Riverside, has always had a passion to succeed.
As a 7-year-old, she failed in a tryout for her older sister Kyana's 12-and-under girls volleyball team and took it hard.
"Savahna was third-grader and smaller than the other girls," said Bruce Bartholomew, who was the Lake Matthews Club's coach. "She was wearing these big eyeglasses, and a tear formed in her eye and rolled down her cheek. Looking back, I felt just awful about it."
When Costello got home, she burst into tears. Bartholomew soon received a phone call from her father. "I told him that she might get frustrated if she wasn't playing," said Bartholomew. "But he asked if she could at least practice with the team and shag balls. I had one spot left on the roster and gave it to her."
"Savahna is such a fighter and competitor. She got on the court in the second game and played quite a bit that season, competing against fifth- and sixth-graders," he said. "At tournaments, she would bang her serves over the net. People were standing around saying, 'Watch this little girl serve.' "
She still has that strong inner drive. The 5-foot-6 libero had a career season for the Titan women's volleyball team last fall, leading the conference in digs per set and earning All-Big West Honorable Mention.
Costello and Titan baseball pitcher Tanner Bibee were named the school's 2019 Big West Conference Scholar Athletes of the Year. Each Big West school selects its two recipients. A March ceremony to honor the two was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
"I was really grateful just to be considered," said Costello, a mathematics major with a 3.7 grade point average. "To be recognized in both academics and athletics – it shows that the hard work paid off."
Cal State Fullerton's Savanha Costello strikes a selfie pose in her Riverside backyard. With the campus closed, she is staying busy at home with her online classes and fitness routine.
A surreal moment after waking up
The 20-year-old recalled how she learned about her achievement. "One morning I couldn't sleep, so I checked my emails about 7 a.m. I didn't know if I had read that right. It was surreal. I jumped out of bed and called and woke everyone up."
Her father, Frank, praised Savahna for her work ethic. "I'm just extremely proud she has been honored. She is just a hard worker with a lot of perseverance who wants to succeed."
"She might not be the most gifted athlete, but she strives to improve every day. She is committed without regret and moves forward constantly. And she has enjoyed inspiring others to do better," he said.
A valedictorian at La Sierra High School in Riverside, Costello has earned Dean's List status in her first five semesters at Fullerton and is a two-time Big West Commissioner's Honor Roll selection. As an undeclared freshman, Costello was advised by then-Mathematics Department chair Martin Bonsangue to become a math major.
"I have known Savahna for several years. She is an outstanding student and a wonderful person," said Bonsangue, who taught Costello last fall in his Introduction to Proofs class. "She worked about as hard as a person could work, often writing multiple drafts of difficult proofs, which she would submit for my review and suggestions."
Costello is keen on the basic principles of mathematics. "I love that it doesn't change. Unlike other subjects that are opinion-based, there is only one correct answer. And there are tons of ways to get to that one answer," said Costello, who has a fondness for calculus.
"Professor Bonsangue was very encouraging and advised me in the right direction," said Costello, who will become the first college graduate in her family when she receives her degree. "I'm not genetically engineered for math, so I have put in so much work in the super-challenging classes."
Bonsangue sees parallels between Costello's classroom and on-court activities. "I went to one of her games last fall and this was clear: The Titans were a better team when Savahna was on the floor. Her aggressive play on defense and encouraging comments to her teammates spurred them on to be better players individually and as a team. I saw that same spark in the Proofs class – it was a better class session with Savahna there."
Coach praises her leadership qualities
Ashley Preston couldn't agree more. The fifth-year Titans head coach said Costello makes team members better on and off the court.
"Savahna has earned the respect of her teammates 10-fold by taking the lead in practices and games," said Preston. "She was chosen as a team leader this spring and serves as a liaison
between the coaches and the players. She is a good listener and is able to answers many of her teammates' questions."
Costello is a libero (pronounced le-bah-ro), a defensive specialist who can take the position of any backcourt player but cannot block or return the ball when it is higher than the net. Only one libero – an Italian word meaning "free" – is allowed on the court and must wear a contrasting jersey color.
Liberos are known for doing the team's dirty work, often diving to the floor to dig an opponent's spike and passing the ball to the setter. Quickness and consistency are highly valued attributes.
Costello, who was a walk-on, said she felt overwhelmed as a freshman. "I came with all these nerves. The speed of the game is 100 times faster when you get to college, and I felt like I couldn't keep up."
Still, she led the 2017 team with 345 digs and 3.63 digs per set and had a team-high 25 service aces. As a sophomore, she again was the team leader in digs (321, 3.61 per set) and was second in aces with 20. But during those two years, the Titans were 5-24 and 6-24 with just one Big West victory.
After the 2018 season, she resolved not only to improve her skills but to help the Titans turn things around. And Costello got off to an auspicious start in 2019 when she was given a scholarship.
"Suddenly, I had a new mentality and was more grateful for the opportunity. I told myself, 'A million people would like to be in my shoes,' " she said. "I fell in love with the sport again. I played more freely. If I had a bad practice, I shook it off. That makes a world of difference as an athlete."
Titan volleyball program gets a makeover
At the same time, Preston decided to recalibrate the program. She hired Nicole Polster, Nicky Cannon and Spencer Fournell as assistant coaches, recruited outside hitter Julia Crawford from Lakewood and began to rebuild the team from the ground up.
Costello's bond with Preston has strengthened. "We bumped heads a little bit in the beginning with different viewpoints. The program's culture has shifted, and Coach Preston is the biggest contributor to that shift. Our relationship is phenomenal now, and she is always there for me."
"I want a libero who is calm and steady, and Savahna exemplified that during last spring's workouts," said Preston. "She became more vocal, talking to people in the back court and owning it for herself. She studied film. And she asked how she could help a setter, a hitter and a middle play better."
In September, the Titans won the Windy City Collegiate Volleyball Invitational, with Costello being named the tournament MVP. She also was the UC Riverside Classic All-Tournament Libero as Fullerton wrapped up an 8-3 non-conference record.
The Titans stumbled to a 0-4 start in Big West play before having a breakthrough win at UC Irvine in mid-October, which snapped a 22-match conference losing streak. The team went on to win three more Big West matches and finished 12-15 overall, doubling its win total from the previous season. Its .444 winning percentage was the best showing for the program since 2012.
"We had a positive mindset all season. When we won at Irvine, our attitude was, 'That's a start. Now let's see how many more conference games we can win,' " said Costello.
Preston was named the 2019 Big West Co-Coach of the Year, sharing honors with Hawaii's Robyn Ah Mow. Crawford earned spots on the All-Big West First Team and All-Freshman Team. And Costello received conference Honorable Mention status.
Big West's best in digs per set
Costello had a monster season, averaging a conference-best 5.31 digs per set that ranked 13th in the nation. Her 531 total digs were the sixth most in Titan single-season history and she ranks sixth in career digs with 1197. She also was second on the team in assists (93) and tied for second in service aces (15) that season.
She was invited to try out for the USA Women's National Team and was among 47 liberos competing for roster spots in February. And although she didn't secure a place on the team, it was an unforgettable three days in Colorado Springs, Colo.
"I was stressed at first, but it was so much fun on the second and third day. I was playing free. It was the best experience I've ever had volleyball-wise, being in the gym with all these amazing athletes," said Costello, who gained greater insight into the importance of team chemistry and staying in the moment.
As the Titans began workouts in March, Costello and fellow junior Alicia Dennis mused about how these would be their final springtime sessions at Fullerton. Then in the middle of practice on March 12, the coaches announced that all Fullerton sports had been stopped because of the Covid-19 outbreak, which had been declared a pandemic the previous day.
While aware of the growing crisis, most players were stunned by the abrupt news, Costello said. "Our jaws just dropped." Later that day, a youth volleyball club she had been coaching was shut down. "Everything in my life was being cancelled," she said.
Taking online classes and staying fit
With the campus closed, she has stayed busy at home with her online classes and fitness routine. She runs and lift weights. "I like to do yoga and Pilates, which are beneficial for both the body and the mind." And with no access to a volleyball net, she is limited to ball control drills and hitting a ball off a fence.
The coaches remain in contact, holding weekly team and wellness zoom conferences. And Costello has been studying films. "I'm watching old games, picking up on my own habits and other teams' habits – people that I know I'll play in the conference," she said.
For Costello, there is no other sport like volleyball. "There is always a point scored at the end of every rally, so you're never waiting for something to happen. Great plays happen frequently. It's just a game that keeps your attention really easily."
Her older sisters Lena and Kyana both competed in the volleyball, and a young Costello worked with them on passing, hitting and digging. She played on the Lake Matthews Club in Riverside for three years before switching to the Corona-based Mavericks Volleyball Club. She and Fullerton teammate Tyler Fezzey played together on Mavericks for seven years.
At La Sierra High School, Costello was reunited with Bartholomew, her first club coach. Kyana, who is two years older, was the La Sierra libero. Costello wore No. 01 at La Sierra before switching to No. 1 at Fullerton. "My sister Kyana wore numbers 10 and I wanted to flip that."
A four-year starter, Costello spent the majority of her time playing outside hitter. "She is such a great athlete. Even at her height, she had the skills to become a spectacular hitter and led the league in kills as a senior," said Bartholomew of Costello, who helped propel the team to the CIF 3A semifinals as a junior.
She was an All-River League selection four times as well as the league's Defensive MVP as a junior and its MVP as a senior. Costello earned La Sierra team MVP honors in her final three years.
"She set the standard for how hard we would work in practice each day," Bartholomew said. "Her attitude was, 'We're going to have fun but work hard and get better.' Younger players would look up to her and want to improve."
"It tickles me that she was named a Scholar Athlete. I'm a math teacher and she took my class as a freshman. I could throw really challenging stuff at her. She had the same attitude in the classroom as she did on the court."
The two remain close and Costello will occasionally lunch with Bartholomew and his wife. "He was very encouraging and not super-intense. He didn't get angry with you. You wanted to work hard for him," she said.
As a senior at La Sierra High School in Riverside, Savahna Costello was the school and River League MVP and led the league in kills.
A walk-on seeking a challenge
Fullerton's Preston followed Costello's career at Mavericks and La Sierra and encouraged her to join Fullerton as a walk-on. "I had some out-of-state options, but I quickly realized that I didn't want to leave my family," said Costello. "I wanted that challenge of improving the team and being part of that change."
Her parents, Frank and Diana, enjoy attending Titan games. Frank works for a vending machine company and her mother manages a maxillofacial prosthodontics office in Orange. In addition to her two sisters, she has a younger brother, Trystan.
She earned an Outstanding Service Award at La Sierra High for promoting Breast Cancer Awareness Month and working on other campaigns. At Fullerton, she has participated in several community projects that have supported youth organizations and the homeless.
Costello, who also enjoys the paddleball sport pickleball, coached at Mavericks for one year before the club disbanded. For the last two years, she has coached a 14-and-under team for ACT Volleyball in Yorba Linda.
After earning her mathematics degree, Costello would like a chance to play professionally overseas before eventually continuing her education. She aims to get a credential and teach math and coach volleyball at a public high school before eventually earning a master's degree in education.
Fezzey, her longtime teammate, is graduating from Fullerton this spring. She will attend the University of West Florida in Pensacola, where she will work on an MBA and play on the school's volleyball team.
"Savahna has always had very good techniques and been a really hard worker. "She has a lot of confidence and has never been afraid to direct both the front and back rows" said Fezzey, who competed in 2016 for an under-17 USA team at the European Global Challenge in Croatia. "She's going to do great next season."
"She is just a nice person and is always ready to do something for people. When we have a birthday, she will decorate the player's locker and bake something."
Fezzey and Costello hugged and cried in late November in San Luis Obispo after the Titans' final game of the season, which marked the end of their on-court connection. "It was hard for us to talk. We were always there for each other. It was very emotional for both of us," said Fezzey.
As the Covid-19 crisis continues, Costello can only speculate whether volleyball season will be held this autumn. "I'm a little nervous that maybe I won't get to play this fall. But I'm not nervous that I will never get to play. We could end up playing in the spring or whenever. I'm not scared that it won't happen."