LONG BEACH -- Cal State LA's beach volleyball team competed Tuesday against a pair of NCAA Division I teams ranked in the national top-10.

The Golden Eagles dropped a pair of 5-0 decisions to No. 5 Long Beach State and No. 9 Stetson on the sand at Long Beach State. Cal State LA (0-5) was playing its first matches against NCAA Division I opponents and was competing at a distinct disadvantage. Division I beach and indoor volleyball programs are separate so each can concentrate on its specialty, unlike Cal State LA and other NCAA Division II programs.

"Both teams we played today were amazing," Cal State LA interim head volleyball coach Juan Figueroa said. "It was a good experience to play against two very good programs. I think we learned a lot from it and are determined to get better."

Iona Lofrano and Lauren Gomez fell to Long Beach State's No. 1 team, 21-5, 21-9, Alma Serna and Yamani Wallace fell to the No. 2 team, 21-9, 21-9, JamieAnn Bero and Cynthia Giron fell to the No. 3 team, 21-11, 21-10, Caitlyn Bato and Taylor Kushner lost to the No. 4  team, 21-5, 21-13 and Sifa Faaiu and Daisia Labrie lost to the No. 5 team, 21-7, 21-7.

Against Stetson, Lofrano and Gomez fell, 21-9, 21-14; Serna and Wallace fell, 21-16, 21-14, Bero and Giron fell, 21-7, 21-10, Bato and Kushner fell, 21-11, 21-8 and Labrie and Faaiu fell, 21-9, 21-9.

Cal State LA's next competition is on Saturday, March 18, at Malibu when the Golden Eagles will face Division I programs Pepperdine, TCU and Arizona State.