LOS ANGELES -- Cal State LA is set for another important week of competitions, including the final regular-season games for the men's and women's soccer teams, two final regular-season road games for women's volleyball, the beginning of the basketball seasons for the men's and women's teams and the men's and women's cross country teams heading to Montana for the NCAA West Regionals.

Men's Soccer:
The No. 3 Golden Eagles will try to earn a second straight California Collegiate Athletic Association regular-season title Thursday at Cal State Dominguez Hills in an exciting ending to an unbelievable conference race. Cal State LA, Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal Poly Pomona are all tied for the conference lead with identical 5-0-5 records and 20 points entering the final day of conference play. The Golden Eagles would clinch at least a share of their second straight conference title and a first-round tournament bye with a victory on Thursday, while a tie or loss could mean a first-round tournament game at home on Sunday.

The Golden Eagles picked up four points last week and very nearly had six. Cal State LA opened the week with a 2-1 victory with Matteo Costa breaking a 1-1 tie with a second-half goal. Oscar Warne had opened the scoring in the game in the first half.

Then, the Golden Eagles held a 1-0 lead on a Warne goal late into Sunday's game at Cal State Monterey Bay before the Otters scored on a penalty kick with just more than three minutes later to tie it. Cal State LA had entered the match with a two-point lead in the conference race, but ended the day in a three-way tie after Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal Poly Pomona posted wins.

Cal State LA will be facing Cal State Dominguez Hills, the 2022 conference regular-season champions, for the second time this season. The Golden Eagles won a non-conference meeting in University Stadium, 2-0, on Sept. 28.

The Golden Eagles will be making their 13th straight appearance in the conference tournament and have won three straight tourney titles.

Women's Soccer 
Cal State LA's women's soccer team also clinched a spot in the conference tournament and jumped up into second place in the conference standings with a pair of big road wins last week. The Golden Eagles opened the week with a 2-0 win at San Francisco State on Friday behind goals from Jassmin Ortiz and Destiny Moedano and a two-save shutout for Taesja Paopao.

Cal State LA then picked up a big 2-1 win at Cal State Monterey Bay on Sunday to complete the six-point week. Sofia Orozco scored her first goal of the season to give the Golden Eagles a 1-0 lead and Ortiz broke a 1-1 tie with her second goal in as many games in the 69th minute.

With the, the Golden Eagles clinched a spot in the conference tournament for the 11th straight season. Cal State LA won tournament titles in 2022, 2014 and 2009.

The Golden Eagles, with 19 points in the conference race, are one point ahead of Stanislaus State and two points ahead of Cal State East Bay heading into to Thursday's regular-season finale at Cal State Dominguez Hills. Cal State LA can clinch a first-round tournament bye with a victory. The Golden Eagles and Toros met earlier in the season in Los Angeles in a non-conference game won by Cal State LA, 3-0.

Women's Volleyball
The defending national champions will face first-place Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State San Marcos this week in their final two conference road matches. The No. 22 Golden Eagles got to celebrate All-American Emily Elliott as she became the CCAA's all-time career kills leader on Saturday in a four-set win over Cal State Monterey Bay. Elliott had 24 kills on Saturday to surpass the record held since 2003 by Cal State San Bernardino's Kim Ford.

It was an up-and-down week for the No. 22 Golden Eagles, though. Cal State LA opened the week with a four-set loss to Cal State East Bay on Friday before bouncing back nicely for the win over the Otters on Saturday.

The Golden Eagles are in third place in the conference, one game ahead of Cal State San Bernardino and Stanislaus State. The top six teams will qualify for the CCAA Tournament.

Men's Basketball
Cal State LA's men's basketball team, which faced off against UCLA last week in the Golden Eagles' lone exhibition game, will begin the regular-season this week with a pair of games in the CCAA/PacWest Challenge. The Golden Eagles will host Concordia on Friday at 5 p.m. before heading to La Mirada to face Biola on Saturday to complete the tourney.

The Golden Eagles, who set a new program record for wins last season while capturing a first-ever CCAA Tournament title, was picked to finish third in the California Collegiate Athletic Association in a conference poll of coaches released last week.

The Golden Eagles have three of their five All-CCAA players returning, including NABC All-District selection Shane Bell. Bell was joined on the All-CCAA team by fellow returners Corey Cofield and Dominic Escobar.

In all, Cal State LA has 10 players returning from last year's team.

Women's Basketball
Cal State LA's women's basketball team, after strong showings last week at the University of Arizona and Stanford, will play its final exhibition game on Wednesday at Long Beach State before beginning regular-season play on Friday against Seattle Pacific in the CCAA/GNAC Classic at Cal State Dominguez Hills. The Golden Eagles will also face Western Washington on Saturday to complete the tournament.

The Golden Eagles have made back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history were picked to win their first-ever CCAA championship in a preseason poll of conference coaches released last week. Cal State LA went 11-3 over their final 14 conference games to overcome a 2-6 start in 2023-24.

Lily Buggs, the CCAA Freshman of the Year in 2022, returns for her fourth season with the Golden Eagles. She has earned first-team All-CCAA honors in each of her first three years with the program. She is joined by fellow All-CCAA player Gabriella Rones, who also returns for her final season. In all, Cal State LA has eight players returning from last year's team.

Men's and Women's Cross Country
Cal State LA's men's and women's cross country teams will compete this weekend in the NCAA West Regionals hosted by Montana State Billings.

The Golden Eagles last competed at the CCAA Championships two weeks ago, where Damian Bonds earned the conference's Elite 13 Award for men's cross country. He is the first in program history to earn that award.

Tickets for all Cal State LA home events are available now.  Admission to all regular-season home games/matches are free for Cal State LA students who present a valid student I.D.