The American Volleyball Coaches Association demoted the Coyotes from the No. 2 spot in its national top 25 poll to third and upgraded the Tritons to No. 2 behind the only unbeaten team in NCAA Division II -- Concordia-St. Paul (23-0).
The Tritons are 20-1 while the Coyotes are 19-1 heading into Wednesday night's home match against Cal Poly Pomona in Coussoulis Arena. First serve is at 7 p.m.
CSUSB had been in the No. 2 slot all season.
The switch may have been based on strength of schedule since UCSD defeated No. 11 Minnesota-Duluth in the first tournament of the season. Both CSUSB and UCSD have beaten the three other CCAA teams ranked in the top 25 -- No. 20 Sonoma State, No. 22 Cal State L.A. and No. 25 Chico State.
The Coyotes are ranked No.1 in the NCAA West Regional poll and UCSD is No. 2. This poll determines the seeding for the NCAA regional tournament set for Nov. 19-21 at a site to be determined.
AVCA DIVISION II TOP 25
1. Concordia St. Paul (32 1st place votes) -- 23-0
2. UC San Diego -- 20-1
3. COYOTES -- 19-1
4. Central Missouri -- 24-3
5. Nebraska-Kearney -- 23-1
6. West Texas A&M -- 22-3
7. Emporia State -- 22-2
8. Tampa -- 20-2
9. Washburn -- 23-3
10. Minnesota State -- 21-3.
Also: 11 (tie) -- Indianapolis (26-1) and Minnesota-Duluth (18-4); 13. Lewis (21-3); 14. Saint Leo (20-2); 15. Southwest Minnesota State (18-6); 16. Nebraska-Omaha (17-6); 17. Hawaii-Hilo (20-1); 18. Wayne State (21-4); 19. Truman (18-8); 20. Sonoma State (16-5); 21. Metro State (16-6); 22. Cal State L.A. (15-6); 23. Hillsdale (17-5); 24. Wingate (24-1); 25. Chico State (18-5).
If the NCAA West Regional soccer tournaments for men and women were held right now, both Cal State San Bernardino teams would be among the participants.
The latest polls issued by the championships committee for both sports show that the Coyotes men's team is ranked No. 4 and the women's team is No. 5 as of Tuesday.
However, there are four matches remaining in the regular season for both teams, starting Friday at UC San Diego and continuing Sunday at Cal State East Bay, certainly an out-of-the-ordinary road trip since East Bay is currently considered part of the South Division of the CCAA conference.
CSUSB women, currently 8-6-2 overall and 7-3-2 in the CCAA, will be tested Friday by a UCSD team that is ranked No. 2 in the West Region and No. 11 in the nation. The Tritons are 12-2 and defeated the Coyotes 2-0 in San Bernardino on Sept. 27. The women's match is set for 4:30 p.m.
The Coyotes men, now 12-3-1 overall and 8-3-1 in the CCAA, face the Tritons -- 7-5-4 overall and 4-5-3 in the CCAA at 7 p.m. at the La Jolla campus field. CSUSB won the first meeting, 1-0, on Sept. 27.
Both teams then travel 400-plus miles to Hayward to face the Pioneers on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. CSUSB swept the first meetings with East Bay by scores of 7-0 (men) and 5-0 (women).
The regular season ends with a home-and-home doubleheader with Cal Poly Pomona on Oct. 30 and Nov. 1. The Oct. 30 matches will be the final home matches of the season for both Coyotes teams.
NCAA WEST REGIONAL POLLS
MEN -- 1. Cal State L.A. (13-2-1); 2. Sonoma State (11-2-2); 3. Seattle Pacific (10-2-3); 4. COYOTES (12-3-1); 5. Grand Canyon (10-2-1); 6. Cal State Dominguez Hills (9-5-1).
WOMEN -- 1. Seattle Pacific (13-1); 2. UC San Diego (12-2); 3. Cal State L.A. (12-2-2); 4. Chico State (7-3-5); 5. COYOTES (8-6-2); 6. Cal State Dominguez Hills (9-6); 7. San Franciso State (7-6-3); 8. Western Washington (8-4-2); 9. Dixie State (8-3); 10. Humboldt State (7-7-2).
The first poll by the NCAA championships committee was released Thursday and the unbeaten Coyotes (18-0) sit on top while Saturday's opponent - UC San Diego (18-1) is ranked No. 2 in the region.
The top eight teams in the final poll conducted on Nov. 15 will advance to the West Regional tournament to be played at a site to be determined.
CSUSB is the defending West Region champion.
The Coyotes are currently ranked No.2 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association national top 25 poll while UCSD is No. 3. CCAA member Chico State is ranked 25th.
NCAA DIVISION II WEST REGION POLL (Oct. 15)
1. Cal State San Bernardino (18-0, 15-0 in region)
2. UC San Diego (18-1, 12-1 in region)
3. Sonoma State (14-4, 14-4 in region)
4. Hawaii Hilo (17-1, 14-1 in region)
5. Cal State L.A. (12-6, 11-5 in region)
6. Seattle Pacific (11-7, 11-5 in region)
7. Alaska Anchorage (13-6, 12-6 in region)
8. San Francisco State (14-5, 14-5 in region)
9. Northwest Nazarene (11-7, 11-5 in region)
10. Chico State (14-5, 14-5 in region).
The Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball team, coming off an appearance in the NCAA national championship game a year ago, is ranked No. 4 in the 2009-10 Division II Bulletin Preseason Top 25 poll that was released this week.
The ranking comes a day after the Broncos received a No. 9 ranking by The Sporting News.
Cal Poly Pomona, which finished last season 25-8 and played for the national title in Springfield, Mass., earned its first preseason ranking since opening the 2005-06 season No. 15 (NABC) and 13th (Division II Bulletin).
Cal Poly Pomona, tied Cal State San Bernardino and Cal State Dominguez Hills for the regular-season California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) title last season.
The Broncos are led by first team All-CCAA senior guard Austin Swift and second team All-CCAA junior forward Tobias Jahn.
BYU-Hawaii, which concluded the 2008-09 season with a 27-2 record and return two All-Americans, is ranked No. 1 in the poll. Findlay is No. 2 and is followed by Soutwest Baptist, Cal Poly Pomona and Bellarmine, which rounds out the Top 5.
San Francisco State will be the first CCAA team to get its 2009-10 season underway when it takes part in the Disney Tip-Off West Coast Classic that begins Oct. 30 in Anaheim.
2009-10 Division II Bulletin Preseason Top 25 Poll
1. BYU-Hawaii
2. Findlay
3. Southwest Baptist
4. Cal Poly Pomona
5. Bellarmine
6. Tusculum
7. Merrimack
8. Augusta State
9. Florida Southern
10. Bentley
11. Valdosta State
12. Southwest Minnesota
13. Metro State
14. Central Missouri
15. Winona State
16. Kutztown
17. Central Oklahoma
18. Grand Valley State
19. Philadelphia
20. Northern Kentucky
21. Delta State
22. Rollins
23. J.C. Smith
24. West Virginia State
25. Incarnate Word
Cal State San Bernardino's men's golf team got off to a rocky start to the 2009-10 season Tuesday, finishing in a tie for eighth place out of 18 teams at the Grand Canyon University Fall Invitational.
The Coyotes, the 2009 NCAA Division II runnerup behind Sonoma State, started the final 18 holes in sixth spot, but their final round team total of 306 dropped them two spots into a tie with St. Mary's University of Texas and Northeastern State (Okla).
Oklahoma City University and Western Washington tied for the team title with identical one-under-par totals of 863 on the Estrella Ranch Golf Club course, a track measuring 7,121 yards to a par of 72. Based on WWU's fifth-man score, the Vikings were given the team trophy.
Chico State finished third followed by Colorado-Colorado Springs, the 2009 Central Region champion, and Western New Mexico.
The Coyotes finished 35 shots behind the leaders. Playing without two key players - Kenny Pigman and Josh Lansing - the Coyotes shot 295, 299 and 306 in the two-day, 54-hole tournament. Senior Joe Alldis was the top player for CSUSB, firing a one-under-par 71 over the final 18 holes to finish at even par 216 and in a tie for fifth place. Alldis played the par-3s in even par, was two over on the par-4s.
Senior all-American Gene Webster Jr., shot his second 75 of the tournament to wind up in a tie for 16th at 220 - four over par. Webster tied for second place in birdies made with 12.
Senior Thomas Chu's 77 on the final day put him in a tie for 32nd spot at 225, nine over par. Sophomores Bryan Kim and Nick Kelley had a tough final round, each shooting 83 to finish 72nd and 81st in the field of 89 golfers.
As a team, CSUSB scored the fourth-most birdies in the tournament with 37.
Medalist honors went to Julian Valenciana of Oklahoma City University with a 208 - eight under par on rounds of 67, 72 and 69.
GRAND CANYON FALL INVITATIONAL
@ Estrella Mountain Ranch GC in Goodyear, Ariz.
TEAM SCORES: 1. (tie) Oklahoma City Univ. and Western Washington (863); 3. Chico State, 866; 4. Colorado-Colo. Springs - 878; 5. Western New Mexico - 884; 6. (tie) Grand Canyon and Texas Wesleyan - 892; 8. (tie) COYOTES, St. Mary's (Tx), and Northeastern State - 900; 11. Fort Lewis College - 910; 12. Wayland Baptist - 916; 13. Grand Canyon JV - 918; 15. Colorado State-Pueblo - 925; 16. Regis - 937; 17. Dominican - 1009; 18. Southwestern Ariz. - 1053
COYOTE CARDS: 5. Joe Alldis - 75-70-71 - 216; 16. Gene Webster Jr. - 70-75-75 - 220; 32. Thomas Chu - 72-76-77 - 225; 72. Bryan Kim - 78-78-83 - 239; 81. Nick Kelley - 79-81-83 - 243.
TOP INDIVIDUALS: 1. Julian Valenciana (Okla. City) - 67-72-69 - 208; 2. Nick Varelia (Western Washington) - 72-71-70 - 213; 3. Brian Barhanovich (Western Washington) - 73-69-72 - 214. 4. Drrew Koonce (Texas Wesleyan) - 74-71-70 - 215. 5. (tie) Joe Alldis (CSUSB) - 75-70-71 - 216, and Sylvester Gama (Chico State) - 75-70-71 - 216.
Bronco student-athletes Jersain Torres and Elizabeth Diaz have been named the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Male and Female Athletes of the Month for September at Cal Poly Pomona.
The awards are voted upon by the student-based Bronco Athletics Association.
Torres (Anaheim) competes in cross country and has two top-20 honors this season. He finished 5th at the CSU Fullerton race and 20th at UC Riverside. His honors at UCR earned him CCAA Runner of the Week on Sept. 21. He was 29th at the Stanford Invitational.
The Enterprise honor is Torres' second in his career.
Diaz (Escondido) is the leading player on the Broncos volleyball team. She established a career-high 19 kills against No. 15 Sonoma State on Sept. 25. She leads the Broncos (6-8 overall, 3-4 CCAA) in kills (141) and kills per game (3.00).
It is her first Enterprise career honor.
The Broncos reached the national top 20 last week for the first time in three seasons. They finished ninth at last week's prestigious Stanford Invitational and were the second-best Division II team in the Division I-laden event. The host school won with a perfect 15 team score.
To reach the NCAA Championships, held Nov. 21 at Evansville, Ind., the Broncos must finish in the top three at the NCAA West Region event to be held at Nov. 7 at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.
CPP men and women compete at the Pomona Pitzer Invitational on Saturday.
It was the fourth straight win for the Coyotes, now 5-4 on the season and 4-1 in the CCAA, boosting them into at least a temporary tie for first place in the South Division, pending the outcome of the Cal State L.A. and Cal State Dominguez Hills matches.
Cal State East Bay, moving up to NCAA Division II from Division III, slipped to 1-6-3 overall and 0-4-1 in the CCAA. The Pioneers move on to play at Cal Poly Pomona on Sunday while the Coyotes host perennial CCAA power UC San Diego, ranked No. 5 in the West Region.
The Coyotes, ranked No. 8, got two goals and an assist from junior Katie Liby, her first scores of the season as well as a goal and two assists by junior Unity Beddingfield. Sophomore Kristina Gomez notched her third goal of the season just 3:08 into the match. Sophomore Kelsey Gudgeon tacked on the other goal and assisted on another.
CSUSB took a 4-0 lead at the half. The only score of the second half came on Liby's second goal off linked passes from Beddingfield and Gudgeon..
Coyote goalkeepers Laura Lyons and Tiffany Mallick were required to make just one save as CSUSB outshot the Pioneers 16-6. East Bay goalkeeper Nina Cefalo had six saves and cut off several crossing passes that might have resulted in further scores by CSUSB.
Led by defending national champion Sonoma State, five California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) men's golf teams open the 2009-10 season ranked in the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) Division II Top 25 poll that was released earlier this month.
The Seawolves, who defeated CCAA rival Cal State San Bernardino in a one-hole playoff to capture the 2009 national championship, begin the year ranked No. 5 after receiving seven first-place votes and totaling 317 points.
Georgia College is the top-ranked team and is followed by Barry, Columbus State and Lynn.
Joining Sonoma State in the Top 10 is Cal State San Bernardino, which is ranked ninth. Cal State Stanislaus is 12th, Chico State No. 15 and Cal State Monterey Bay is tied for 24th.
Sonoma State head coach Val Verhunce brings an experienced team into this season, highlighted by All-CCAA junior Patrick Bauer.
Cal State San Bernardino is led by senior Gene Webster, Jr., who enjoyed a solid summer that included advancing to the round of 32 at the U.S. Amateur Public Links Golf Championships in Norman, Okla.
Sophomore Teddy Schrier, who won a U.S. Amateur sectional qualifying event this past summer, is the top returning player at Cal State Stanislaus.
Chico State returns the CCAA Most Valuable Player (Lucas Delgado), Freshman of the Year (Kyle Souza) and Newcomer of the Year (Brandon Harkins) from a year ago.
Oskar Nystrom leads Cal State Monterey Bay into the season after concluding the 2008-09 campaign with a 75.17 stroke average in 10 events.
Cal State Monterey Bay will be the first CCAA team to get its season underway when it travels to Lacey, Wash. to compete in the Saint Martin's Invitational beginning Friday.
Sonoma State will open defense of its first-ever national title on Monday, Sept. 28, when it travels to Noblesville, Ill. for the NCAA Preview Tournament.
Cal State Stanislaus, Chico State, Cal State Monterey Bay and UC San Diego will also be in action on Monday when they comprise part of the field at the Western Washington Invitational in Bellingham, Wash.
2009-10 Golf Coaches Association of America Preseason Poll
(First Place Votes in Parenthesis)
1. Georgia College (5)
2. Barry (4)
3. Columbus State (1)
4. Lynn (1)
5. Sonoma State (7)
6. North Alabama
7. Florida Southern
8. Central Oklahoma
9. Cal State San Bernardino
10. USC-Aiken
11. Nova Southeastern
12. Cal State Stanislaus
13. Indianapolis
14. West Florida
15. Chico State
16. Clayton State
T17. Ferris State
T17. Lander
19. Grand Canyon
20. Valdosta State
21. St. Edward's
22. Northeastern State
23. CU-Colorado Springs
T24. Cal State Monterey Bay
T24. Newberry
The Cal State San Bernardino volleyball team opened defense of its CCAA title in fine fashion and they did so against their biggest rival. The Coyotes throttled long-time nemesis UC San Diego 3-1 (25-16, 21-25, 25-20, 25-11) Friday at Coussoulis Arena in a battle of nationally ranked unbeatens.
No. 2 San Bernardino was the only team that lived up to its billing. The Coyotes hit .333 and limited the No. 4 Tritons to a .106.
Cal State (8-0) took control with a ferocious blocking effort midway through the third game. They finished with five solos and 12 block assists, six of those assists coming in the third game. That doesn't include countless other balls they got their hands on to keep points going.
"We did a great job of pressuring them with our serving and our offensive attack and it allowed our blocking to dial in on the right hitters,"
Coyotes coach Kim Cherniss said. "We were able to use our size in the middle to our advantage and it gave us the momentum."
The teams split the first two games. The Coyotes trailed 16-15 in the third when Megan Johnson blocked a shot by San Diego's Julia Freidenberg. She teamed up with Morgan Carty for a block on the next point and the Coyotes were off and running.
Minutes later the Coyotes led 19-17 and extended that lead on another combo block -- this one by Carty and Samantha Middleborn. A kill by Jane Chafeh made it 21-17 and another block by Middleborn and Carty made it 22-17. The Coyotes were not challenged again.
The fourth and final game was even more of a rout. Up 11-6, the Coyotes reeled off nine straight points on the serve of Ashtin Hall. Chafeh had three winners in that run with three other points coming on blocks.
Middleborn's solo block on a tip by Elaine Chen gave the reigning West Region champion a commanding 20-6 lead.
Carty finished with five block assists and a solo while MIddleborn added four assists and a solo. Chafeh, who led all players with 21 kills and 11 digs, had two solos.
"It's something we focused on all week," Carty said of her team's blocking prowess. "We really worked hard on hand position and being in the right place. Some of those points really got us going."
Both teams struggled with serving as the Coyotes had 12 errors. San Diego had 16, including one on match point.
The Coyotes also got nine kills from Middleborn. They finished with a 47-323 advantage in digs with Chafeh followed in that column by Camille Smith with nine. Setter Sara Hoffman had 32 assists and seven digs.
"It's huge for us to open with a win like this over a team in our region. It is something we can build on," Cherniss said.
The Coyotes will host CCAA newcomer Cal State East Bay at 7 tonight. San Diego finishes a three-match road trip at Cal Poly Pomona, also at 7 p.m.
