Members of the Cal State San Bernardino family, led by mascot Cody Coyote, braved strong, gusty winds Tuesday morning to send off the volleyball team and wish it success at the NCAA Division II National Championship Tournament in Pensacola, Fla., which starts on Thursday, Dec. 7.

The six-seeded Coyotes will play third-seed Florida Southern at the University of West Florida Field House. Game time is at 10 a.m. (Pacific time) Thursday. Students, faculty and staff can cheer on the team at the Santos Manuel Student Union, which will be the site of a watch party for the match.

The Coyotes won the right to advance to the national championship by winning the West Regional title with a 3-0 victory, 25-22, 25-19, 29-27, over Western Washington on Dec. 2 at Cal Baptist University in Riverside. In addition to winning the region, the Coyotes knocked off the No. 1 nationally ranked Cal Baptist Lancers in the semifinal match on Dec. 1.

Keep up with the latest news on the team, including Lauren Nicholson being named All-American, and the tournament at the CSUSB Athletics volleyball website.