August 2009 Archives
The victory was CPP's largest to open a season since it defeated Concordia 7-0 in the 1997 opener.
The Broncos totaled 13 shots on goal and fired 26 shots on the day.
"You can't help but be pleased when your goals come from six different players,'' said Isabelle Harvey, who is now 4-0 in season openers. "We played wide in the second half and got things going. It's a great way to begin a year.''
The Broncos took a 1-0 lead at halftime from senior Cody McClure (Anaheim Hills), who connected on a pass from junior Britany Garrett (Lakewood) in the game's 43rd minute.
The game became all Cal Poly Pomona quickly after the second half began. In a span of 31 seconds, junior forward Yvonne Cornejo (Chino Hills) and sophomore Valerie Strawn (Chino) each scored and CPP led 3-0 in the 46th minute.
Adding goals for CPP down the stretch were junior Lauren Skachenko (Chino Hills), sophomore Justine Barclay (Rancho Cucamonga) and sophomore Carolyn Rubendall (Concord).
Freshman Ashley Salerno (Chino Hills) earned her first career start after redshirting last season and earned a shutout. She faced just two shots as CPP's defense held up strong.
"We adjusted to the field in the first half on a pretty warm day up here,'' Harvey said. "Lots of different people stepped up on the first one out.''
The Broncos resume play in Belmont with a game against the host school on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m.
Meghan Haas of Cal State San Bernardino, the California Collegiate Athletic Association's scholar-athlete of the year, is now a semifinalist for the prestigious NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
Haas, an honorable mention all-American as a libero in volleyball and holder of the CSUSB career and single season records for digs, was among 30 student-athletes from 130 entries among three NCAA divisions to make the semifinals.
The 30 semifinalists will be trimmed to nine - three from each division - next month and the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will select the national winner from the pool of finalists.
The recipient will be announced during an awards dinner in Indianapolis, Ind., on Oct. 18.
Haas was among 10 NCAA Division II student-athletes advancing in the awards program and the second from the CCAA. Also making it into the semifinals was Jasimen Bailey, a track and field athlete from Cal State Stanislaus.
The NCAA Woman of the Year Award honors senior student-athletes who have excelled in the areas of academic achievement, athletics, service and leadership.
Haas learned the news first from her mother, who was monitoring the NCAA website on a daily basis. "My initial response to the news was shock. When Morgan Walker (CSUSB's Associate Athletic Director for NCAA Compliance) and I began the application process, I had no idea it would take us this far!"
The 6-foot Haas, a Menifee resident and Temecula Chaparral HS graduate who helped lead the Coyotes win three straight CCAA volleyball titles, a West Region title and the NCAA championship match in 2008, said winning such an award would be "surreal."
"Now, do I think I will actually win? No, I don't. I may have volunteered my time, kept my grades up and was lucky enough to be part of a successful volleyball team, but I don't feel my contributions were anything out of the ordinary.
"As a college student, I wanted to get involved as much as I could, and if what I did is enough to be recognized at a national level, then that's great. But if not, I am still proud of what I was able to do."
Haas received her bachelor's degree in kinesiology (pedagogy) in June commencement ceremonies.
"In the end it goes to show that the opportunities that we are given as collegiate athletes are endless. For those four or five years of our lives we truly have the power to affect change and I applaud the NCAA for recognizing individuals all over the country who jump on such opportunities."
Haas had a cumulative grade point average of 3.83 at CSUSB. She earned all-CCAA, all-West Region and honorable mention all-America as well as Daktronics third-team all-America in volleyball. She served as team captain or co-captain three times.
Academically, she was the Kinesiology department's outstanding graduate in the Class of 2009, graduating with high honors. She received the CCAA's Hal Charnofsky Award for academic excellence and was awarded an academic scholarship at CSUSB from the Martin Matich Family. She was voted to the ESPN-The Magazine/CoSIDA all-academic District 8 first team.
She served as vice-president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council for the past two years and voluntarily participated in Relay for Life for three years, Read Across America, the CSUSB Disability Sports Festival, the SAAC Adopt-a-Family program and Make-A-Wish Foundation fund-raisers.
Haas also served as a counselor at Coyote summer youth volleyball camps and was head coach of the Rancho Valley club's 15-under team this past season.
Cal State San Bernardino's bid for another CCAA title and a chance at a national championship took a major hit when leading scorer Brandon Brown decided to forgo his senior season and turn professional.
The 6-foot-7 center-forward has signed a contract to play for Siauliai, Lithuania, of the Union of European Basketball Leagues. Brown said the decision was a financial one.
"I had to make some money to support my family," he said in a press release from the school.
It was the second major blow for veteran Coyotes coach Jeff Oliver, who had assembled a team that looked like it would contend for conference, region and national honors.
USC point guard Dante Smith, who earlier signed a letter of intent with Cal State, opted to stay with the Trojans. He was the No. 1 junior college point guard in the country when he came out of Mt. SAC.
Oliver said what bothered him most was the lack of communication and timing of Brown's move. Brown, named Newcomer of the Year in the CCAA last season, already had passed a summer class and was taking another.
"He kept telling me he was coming back," Oliver said. "I knew there was some fishing going on and he was exploring some options. Guys do that. But he told me he was coming back."
Brown's departure will free up considerable scholarship money if Oliver can find a quality player still available. His track record of landing players late is good.
The loss of Smith and Brown is huge, but Oliver already had secured the services of 6-foot-7 forward Brian Le Duc, the leading scorer and rebounder at Division I University of Pacific last season.
"We're going to go back to work and see what else we can come up with," Oliver said. "We might have a different type of team, but we'll find a way to survive."
Brown led the CCAA in scoring (21.5 ppg) and was third in rebounding (8.7 rpg). He also led the conference in blocked shots. He was a first-team All-CCAA and All-West Region selection. He also was named Most Valuable Player at the conference tournament, won by the Coyotes.
Brown had 11 double-doubles with a career high of 39 points at Chico State. It was the fifth-best single-game scoring performance in Coyote hoops history. He had a career-high 14 rebounds against UC San Diego. His 200 rebounds for the season ranked him No. 9 on the Coyotes' all-time list.
He was a four-time CCAA player of the week and led the team in scoring in 17 of the 23 games he played. He scored 30 or more points four times.
He will play for a team that went 15-5 last season in the Lithuanian LKL league. He signed a contract Tuesday and will leave for Lithuania today.
Oliver said if Brown had remained in school on an athletic scholarship, he would have been within a couple credits of obtaining his bachelor's degree by next June and still able to fulfill his dream of playing professionally.
Brown was projected as a preseason NCAA Division II All-American and potential CCAA and NCAA player of the year if the Coyotes proved to be as successful this coming season as some observers figured they would be with his presence in the middle.
"Physically he was ready to go pro, but mentally he wasn't," Oliver said.
The Golden Bears enter 2009 hungry for their third-straight title. Reigning AVCA Division II National Player of the Year Maggie McNamara returns to the setter spot for her senior season and will anchor the roster along with junior middle blocker and AVCA First-Team All-American Emily Palkert. Defensive ace Mary Slinger also returns to her libero position which saw her earn AVCA Second-Team All-America accolades a year ago, as the Golden Bears welcome back nine total letterwinners to the court this season.
Right back in the mix of things is west coast power Cal State San Bernardino, last year's national runner-up, as they take hold of the No. 2 spot in the poll. Veteran mentor Kim Cherniss' squad, fresh off a 30-4 campaign, returns four starters and nine letterwinners for another shot at title glory. The Coyotes will be guided by senior setter Sara Hoffman, an AVCA First-Team American in 2008. Providing CSUSB an offensive spark will be senior outside hitter and Second-Team All-CCAA honoree Ashtin Hall along with junior outside hitter Jane Chafeh, who was named to last year's NCAA championship all-tournament team.
Emporia State University rings in 2009 as the No. 3 preseason vote-getter after rolling through last year with a 35-5 record, a MIAA championship and an appearance in the NCAA regional final. Floor general Bing Xu's Hornets will see four starters, the libero and nine letterwinners back on the court with one goal in mind. Look for junior setter, AVCA First-Team All-American Ting Liu, to lead Emporia State's offensive attack, which will be spearheaded by another returning AVCA All-American in senior outside hitter Arica Shepard (Second-Team).
Coming in at No. 4 on the AVCA poll is Grand Valley State University, who ended 2008 with a 33-4 record, a GLIAC championship and a trip to the NCAA Championship semifinals. Taskmaster Deanne Scanlon brings 11 letterwinners back to the court this season, including three starters and the libero. Leading the charge for the Lakers will be junior middle blocker Rebeccah Rapin, who was an AVCA Honorable Mention All-America selection a year ago. Joining her will be senior outside hitter Whitney Tremain, the 2008 Midwest Regional Tournament Most Valuable Player and senior outside hitter Katey Crichton, an All-GLIAC Honorable Mention honoree.
Completing the top-five is West Texas A&M University, who returns five starters and eight total letterwinners from a campaign that saw them rack up a 34-5 record, capture a Lone Star Conference championship and earn a spot in the NCAA regional semifinals. First-year head coach Jason Skoch will turn to Laura Prinsen, a senior rightside/opposite, who earned an AVCA First-Team All-America nod at the conclusion of last season, to get the offense ignited. Also back for a final go-around is a pair of senior AVCA Honorable Mention All-Americans in setter Katie Rickwartz and middle blocker Melissa Harper.
The 16-team event will be contested March 2-6 with the semi-finals and championship games slated for the two-year old Lumberjack Arena (1,950) on the campus of Humboldt State in Arcata. The championship format calls for eight men's and women's teams to compete in first-round games at campus sites on March 2 with the winners advancing to the semifinals on March 5 in Arcata. The championship games will be played on Saturday, March 6.
"Over the years Humboldt State has received great community support and the conference membership is confident that it will be a well-attended event and serve as a revenue-maker for the conference," Hiegert said. "The idea of playing in a new facility in front of large and enthusiastic crowds will create memorable experiences for the student-athletes."
The 2010 CCAA Tournament will mark the third consecutive year that the conference has hosted a postseason tournament. Cal State San Bernardino was the host site the last two seasons.
Cal State San Bernardino is the defending men's champion while Cal State Dominguez Hills captured the women's title in 2009.
2010 CCAA Basketball Championships
Lumberjack Arena, Arcata, Calif.
March 2-6, 2010
Tentative Tournament Schedule
March 2 (Tue) - At Campus Sites
March 5 (Fri) - Arcata
Women's Semifinal No. 1 - 12:30 p.m.
Women's Semifinal No. 2 - 3:00 p.m.
Men's Semifinal No. 1 - 5:30 p.m.
Men's Semifinal No. 2 - 8:00 p.m.
March 8 (Sat) - Arcata
Women's Championship - 5:00 p.m.
Men's Championship - 7:30 p.m.
Brandon Raphael, who has spent more than eight years in sales management, business-to-business outside sales, marketing and business development, has been named the Director of Development for the Broncos' athletic department.
Raphael comes to CPP after serving as the Director of Sales for CD Chivas USA, a Major League Soccer franchise located in Carson. During his two seasons with the suburban Los Angeles club, he restructured the sales and service departments and helped oversee the club's increased season ticket holders and game-day revenues.
"We are looking forward to Brandon being a part of our team,'' said CPP Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Brian Swanson. "His development, sales and management experience will be instrumental in helping move our program forward."
He served two separate stints with the Mandalay Sports Entertainment company, based in Los Angeles. He served as its National Sales Manager Consultant in 2007 where he worked with its three Minor League Baseball franchises. He got his start with Mandalay in 2000 where he worked as a Senior Corporate Marketing Manager with the Las Vegas 51s, the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate from 2000-2003 and the Frisco Roughriders, the Texas Rangers' Double-A affiliate from 2003-2005.
After his time with Mandalay, he served nearly two years with the Las Vegas-based Everycontractor Inc. as its Vice President, Business Operations.
Raphael grew up in suburban St. Louis and was graduated from Maryville University in 2000 with a bachelor's degree in business management.
He and his wife Kimberly are the parents of son Caden and expectant parents in September. They will reside in Upland.
The Coyotes, winners of three straight CCAA titles and six overall since 2001, totaled 119 points and nine first-place votes. UC San Diego, which tied for second place a year ago, finished second in the poll after collecting 106 points and three first-place votes. Cal State L.A. and Sonoma State tied for third with 92 points and Chico State rounded out the top five after receiving 81 points. All five teams advanced to postseason play in 2008.
Cal Poly Pomona (72) was picked sixth and followed by San Francisco State (55), Humboldt State (47), Cal State Monterey Bay (38), Cal State East Bay (28), Cal State Stanislaus (23) and Cal State Dominguez Hills (21).
The upcoming season marks the first campaign that Cal State East Bay will compete in the CCAA. The Pioneers will not be eligible for the conference title until 2010.
Cal State San Bernardino is coming off its finest season in program history after recording a 30-4 overall record and advancing to its first-ever national championship final. The Coyotes fell in a hard-fought five-game set to Concordia-St. Paul.
Entering her 19th season at Cal State San Bernardino, head coach Kim Cherniss is faced with the challenge of replacing three All-Americans, including CCAA Player of the Year Jessica Granados.
The 2009 campaign is slated to begin Wednesday, August 26, when UC San Diego hosts Cal Baptist. CCAA play is scheduled to begin Wednesday, September 9, when Cal State East Bay entertains UC San Diego.
2009 CCAA Volleyball Coaches Poll
| No. | School (First Place Votes) |
Points | 2008 Record |
| 1. |
Cal State San Bernardino (9) |
119 |
30-4, 17-3 |
| 2. |
UC San Diego (3) |
106 |
21-7, 15-5 |
| 3. |
Cal State L.A. |
92 |
21-8, 13-7 |
| Sonoma State |
92 |
23-7, 15-5 | |
| 5. |
Chico State |
81 |
21-11, 13-7 |
| 6. |
Cal Poly Pomona |
72 |
20-8, 15-5 |
| 7. |
San Francisco State |
55 |
13-16, 6-14 |
| 8. |
Humboldt State |
47 |
9-18, 7-13 |
| 9. |
Cal State Monterey Bay |
38 |
8-23, 4-16 |
| 10. |
Cal State East Bay |
28 |
29-5 |
| 11. |
Cal State Stanislaus |
23 |
6-24, 3-17 |
| 12. |
Cal State Dominguez Hills |
21 |
3-25, 2-18 |
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