An afternoon matchup against UCLA, the first-ever home game for the fledgling women’s sand volleyball team, followed the party. The Matadors fell to the seventh-ranked Bruins, 4-1, but the loss didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the volleyball fans or school officials at witnessing a historic day for CSUN Athletics.

“It’s exciting for all of us today as we launch CSUN’s newest sport,” said President Dianne F. Harrison.

The university’s foray into the sport was historic for collegiate volleyball as well, Harrison said. She recalled attending the NCAA convention in January, where she happened to sit next to the executive director of the national volleyball coaches’ association. The director, Harrison said, was very excited to meet the CSUN president.

“[The NCAA] had set the bar at 40 institutions that had to sponsor women’s sand volleyball as a varsity sport before it would be approved for a national championship,” the president said. “Northridge was the 40th university to add sand volleyball.”

Harrison thanked Jeff Stork, head coach of the women’s indoor and sand volleyball teams, who started advocating for sand volleyball to the president and other university officials in 2012. She also praised the collaboration between CSUN Athletics, Associated Students and the Department of Kinesiology, which made the sand volleyball facility a reality on campus.

The courts are located at Zelzah Avenue and Plummer Street, adjacent to The Matadome and CSUN’s soccer field. The facility will be used primarily by CSUN varsity players, but it also will host club sports and classes and will be open to the campus community.

Admission to the inaugural game was free, and fans were encouraged to bring beach chairs to watch the game on the sand, close to the action. Many took advantage, lounging near the “center court” and wiggling their toes in the warm, fine sand — named “Manhattan Beach sand,” after one of the sport’s most famous hotspots.

At the opening ceremony, Brandon Martin, director of intercollegiate athletics, publicly thanked President Harrison for her commitment to CSUN student-athletes and the athletics department. He also credited Colin Donahue, vice president of administration and finance; Ken Rosenthal, associate vice president of facilities development and operations; and Jason Wang and his staff in physical plant management for building the facility.

“We are thrilled to sponsor sand volleyball as our 19th Division I sport,” Martin said. “This is a true testament to our effort to elevate our athletics program and our brand. Our goal is to build an elite sand volleyball program capable of competitive excellence on a national level.”

Sand volleyball has helped change the landscape of women’s volleyball nationwide, Martin said.

“The new facility will provide us with a major advantage in recruiting, allowing us to attract prospects who desire to play both indoor and sand volleyball,” he said. “This facility will be critical for player development and training, allowing our volleyball student athletes to train year-round.”

CSUN added sand volleyball as an intercollegiate sport in spring 2014, just four years after the NCAA announced sand volleyball as an emerging sport — intending to provide additional athletic opportunities to female student-athletes. CSUN was the fourth Big West Conference institution to add sand volleyball as a varsity sport, following University of Hawaii, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and former national champion Long Beach State.

At Thursday’s celebration, Martin also thanked CSUN geological sciences professor Dayanthie Weeraratne-Calderon, who has organized the Ramon Calderon Cup beach volleyball tournament since 2013 in memory of her husband, longtime CSUN volleyball supporter Ramon Calderon. Last year, the tournament raised $14,000 to benefit CSUN volleyball. The third-annual Ramon Calderon Cup is scheduled for Saturday, May 16, at Zuma Beach in Malibu.

For more information about CSUN sand volleyball, game schedules and the new courts, visit http://gomatadors.com .