Too Old for Northridge, Ma Transfers to Fresno Pacific

Nancy Ma, an All-Big Sky Conference outside hitter at Cal State Northridge, is transferring to Fresno Pacific, an NAIA school.

Ma played the last three years with the Matadors and is the school’s career leader in kills per game at 4.50. She ranks fourth in kills with 1,030 and fifth in attempts with 2,686.

She missed most of the 1997 season, her junior year, because of torn knee ligaments that required surgery.

Ma, who turns 27 in January, is no longer eligible to play NCAA volleyball because of age rules. The NAIA does not have age requirements.

In March 1998, Ma was investigated by Northridge for alleged academic fraud after teammate Nicki Midwin said she did schoolwork for Ma and others completed portions of exams for the Chinese athlete.

Former teammate Ellie Flato said she did classwork for Ma in the fall of 1996.

Ma had limited English skills when she arrived at Northridge and failed the school’s Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), part of the standard admission requirements for international students.

She was granted a modification of admissions requirements allowed within the California State University system.

Northridge conducted an investigation and cleared Ma of wrongdoing.