The Hawk Athletics program was approved for the construction of a beach volleyball facility on campus that is set to break ground on Nov. 1, according to a Hawk Athletics News Release on Oct. 3.
The facility brings the addition of a men’s swim team and women’s beach volleyball to the athletic program’s roster of collegiate sports, said Dean of Kinesiology, Health and Athletics and Athletic Director Collin Pregliasco. He said the facility is estimated to cost about $1.3 million for the construction of six fenced-off, high quality beach volleyball courts with sport lighting and premium sand.
“This will be a hub for the community,” Pregliasco said. “We’re already getting calls for rentals.”
Women’s volleyball head coach Kari Nahlen said the facility is going to be a great addition to the superb athletic facilities currently at Cosumnes River College.
“Bringing beach volleyball to our campus is going to bring many more high school students able to see our campus and what we have to offer. Whether it be during camps or tournaments that will be played,” Nahlen said. “The current athletes have been ready to start this new sport and learn to excel as a multi-sport student athlete.”
Pregliasco said the facility will be open for other schools, clubs and organizations that choose to rent the space. He said the facility will pay for itself within 20 years, bringing in an estimated revenue of $1.4 million over that time span.
According to the news release, beach volleyball is one of the fastest growing sports in the country.
There are a number of youth clubs and high school programs that would potentially use the facility, due to its proximity and ability to accommodate large organized events.
“I would be shocked if there wasn’t something going on every weekend,” Pregliasco said.
Pregliasco said the Athletics Department was able to allocate funds from the recently dissolved tennis program. Tennis was dissolved due to the lack of enough athletes in 2022, which created funding for both women’s beach volleyball and men’s swimming. He said the new programs will minimally affect their annual operating budget and the new programs are a much better allocation of the department’s resources.
Nahlen said her athletes have been hoping for this program for a while now, according to the news release.
“Not only are student athletes excited to participate in a new sport, we are listening to our community and supporting projects on campus to reflect what the community needs,” Nahlen said.
Pregliasco said the beach volleyball facility has been in conversation since he started at CRC in 2017 and recruiting is already taking place to have a roster in both programs for spring of 2024. He said the beach volleyball team plans to be off-site until construction is complete and the men’s swim team is still in the process of hiring a coach.
According to a Los Rios Public Review Draft, the facility will use roughly 66,000 square feet of space. Pregliasco said it will be located between the pool and Softball Field #1, adjacent to the roadway along parking lots A and F.
Pregliasco said the department is always looking to stay ahead of trends and do what they can to put their athletes in the best possible position to succeed.
“You want to make sure it’s meeting the needs of our community,” Pregliasco said.