The Menifee resident currently has 1,294, ranking her fourth behind Kim Ford (1,543 from 2000-2003), Jamie Lieveld (1,466 from 1997-2000) and Bridget Harris Crosby (1,458 from 2000-2003).
The No. 2 Coyotes (15-1, 7-1) have 12 matches left in the regular season. Whether Haas gets the record or not, she has left her mark on the program and coach Kim Cherniss. Her 554 in 2006 is the best mark for a single season and her 493 in 2007 is the second best. She also has the second, third, fourth and fifth best totals for a single match.
"She is the best defensive player we have ever had here," Cherniss said. "It may not seem like a glamorous position to those casual observers but those in volleyball know how important it is."
Making the run at the record even more impressive is that Haas has played just three years, having transferred from Louisiana Tech. The players ahead of her all played four years. The large numer of matches the Coyotes win 3-0 also works against her.
What has helped her is the chance to play six full rotations in the back. Two of the three ahead of her played both front and back.
]]>Jane Chafeh, the outside hitter on the left, and Jessica Granados, the right-side hitter, combined for 32 kills as the Coyotes won 25-18, 25-19, 25-18 to improve to 14-1 on the season and 6-1 in the CCAA.
The victory was not as easy as the score indicates. The score was tied seven times in set No. 3 and there were six lead changes before the Coyotes pulled away from a 17-17 deadlock to outscore Humboldt 8-1 down the stretch to close out the match.
In set one, the score was tied three times early before CSUSB forged a 14-9 lead only to have the Lumberjacks get back to within two at 15-13 and again at 19-17 and 20-18. However a service error and two bad sets gave CSUSB a 23-18 margin and Meghan Haas closed out the set with an ace.
In set two, CSUSB built a 15-10 lead but the Lumberjacks rallied to get within two at 20-18 on a service ace by Lynsey Adams. The Coyotes scored five of the next six points to close out the set on an ace by freshman Morgan Carty.
Humboldt State took an 11-10 lead in set three on a block by Toni Kroeker and Joliann Arzadon and led 15-13 on a kill by Kroeker. CSUSB tied the match at 15-all on a kill by Sara Rice. The set was tied again at 17-all on a Coyotes error but Chafeh's kill put CSUSB in front to stay at 18-17.
CSUSB setter Sara Hoffman (40 assists) scored on a dink and Haas followed with a service ace to make it 20-17. Kills by Chafey, Granados and Chafeh sandwiched around an HSU closed out the match.
Arzadon had a team-high seven kills and four block assists for HSU. Liz Shannon and Arzadon combined for 17 assists. Kroeker had a match-high five block assists. The Lumberjacks hit .145 for the match while CSUSB hit .255.
"The CCAA is extremely excited and happy to help sponsor this expanded Disney Classic event," CCAA Commissioner Robert J. Hiegert said. "This is a premier event and it has already proven to add to the prestige of Division II basketball. I am pleased to continue our relationship with Disney."
The tournament format calls for four games - two men's and two women's - to be played each day over three days.
The men's field will be comprised of Alaska-Anchorage, Fort Lewis, Humboldt State and Southwest Minnesota State. The women's field will include Cal Poly-Pomona, Central Washington, Concordia (Minn.) and Indianapolis.
Three of the four teams on the men's side advanced to NCAA post-season play during the 2007-08 campaign. Alaska-Anchorage captured the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) title and reached the NCAA, Division II semifinals. Senior forward Cameron Burney (5.5 ppg., 4.3 rpg., 1.3 apg.) is the lone returning starter from last year's Seawolves team that concluded the season with a program-best 29-6 overall record.
Fort Lewis also enjoyed a program-high in wins after posting a 24-6 overall record, capturing the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) before suffering a first-round loss in the NCAA Championships.
Humboldt State grabbed a share of the 2008 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) title after posting a 22-8 overall record, including a 15-5 mark in conference play. After being upset in the first round of the CCAA Tournament, the Lumberjacks suffered a first-round loss in the NCAA West Regional Championships.
Sophomore guard Ernie Spada is the top returning player for Humboldt State after averaging 6.1 points, 1.6 assists and 1.4 rebounds a contest.
Southwest Minnesota State registered a 17-12 overall mark a year ago and finished third in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) with an 11-7 conference mark. Junior forward Ross DeMasi returns as the Mustangs' leading scorer after averaging 9.6 points and 3.9 rebounds a game.
On the women's side, Cal Poly-Pomona recorded a 12-16 overall record, including an 8-12 mark in CCAA play. After finishing third in the regular-season standings, the Broncos advanced to the second round of the CCAA Tournament.
Central Washington concluded the 2007-08 campaign with a 13-13 overall mark and placed eighth in the GNAC with a 5-13 record.
Concordia (Minn.) captured the NSIC Tournament title before suffering a first-round loss in the first round of the North Central Regional Tournament. The Golden Bears concluded last season with a 28-3 overall mark, including a 16-2 record in conference play.
Indianapolis tied for first place in the East Division of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) with a 13-6 conference mark before falling in the opening round of the Great Lakes Regional Tournament and concluding the season with a 22-8 overall record.
2008 Division II Disney's West Coast Tip-Off Classic Schedule
Friday, November 7
MEN
Noon - Southwest Minnesota State vs. Alaska-Anchorage
2:30 p.m. - Fort Lewis vs. Humboldt State
WOMEN
5 p.m. - Concordia (Minn.) vs. Central Washington
7:30 p.m. - Game 2 - Indianapolis vs. Cal Poly-Pomona
Saturday, November 8
WOMEN
Noon - Concordia (Minn.) vs. Cal Poly-Pomona
2:30 p.m. - Central Washington vs. Indianapolis
MEN
5 p.m. - Humboldt State vs. Southwest Minnesota State
7:30 p.m. - Alaska-Anchorage vs. Fort Lewis
Sunday, November 9
MEN
11 a.m. - Fort Lewis vs. Southwest Minnesota State
1:30 p.m. - Humboldt State vs. Alaska-Anchorage
WOMEN
4 p.m. - Indianapolis vs. Concordia (Minn.)
6:30 p.m. - Cal Poly-Pomona vs, Central Washington
* Designated home team is listed second. The home team will wear light uniforms, and the visiting team will wear dark uniforms.
(Source CCAA)
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First up is No. 20 Cal Poly Pomona, which will invade Coussoulis Arena for a 7 p.m. showdown tonight. On Friday, the Coyotes travel to RIMAC Arena to battle long-time nemesis UC San Diego, ranked 16th. To finish the week, Cal State returns home Saturday to face Cal Baptist, the No. 2 team in NAIA.
"It makes for a tough week because it's every single day, a practice or a tough match. There is no break," coach Kim Cherniss said. "That's where I am happy I have so much depth in case the fatigue sets in. "Those are all teams we get pretty pumped up for."
Both the Coyotes (11-0, 4-0) and Broncos (7-2, 4-0) are coming off strong showings last weekend. The two notched wins over the same foes, the only difference being that Cal State swept Chico State 3-0 while Cal Poly needed five games.
The two are part of a three-way tie for first in the CCAA, with the other party being surprising Sonoma State (11-1, 4-0).
Cal State leads the CCAA in most offensive categories, including hitting percentage. The Coyotes are hitting an impressive .302 as a team, with three players in the top six individually. The trio is led by senior Sara Rice, who is at .398 overall with a whopping .588 in conference matches alone.
Senior Jessica Granados, the reigning conference and region player of the year, is second at .344 with junior Ashtin Hall sixth at .272.
Cal State also has the conference leader in assists in junior Sara Hoffman and the top performer in digs in senior Meghan Haas.
Cal Poly is sixth, hitting .191 as a unit. Senior Anne-Marie Hofmans is ninth in the conference in kills at 2.95 per game.
Veteran Cal Poly Pomona coach Rosie Wegrich, who notched her 300th career win at the school on Saturday, knows the firepower of the Cal State offense, but insists her biggest concern is on her own side of the net.
"It's probably 80-20, with 80 percent of your focus on your own offense and what you're doing," she said. "You have to worry about your own side of the net first."
The Broncos strength has always been blocking. That is again the case with Cal Poly third in that department, one spot ahead of Cal State. Standouts in the middle are seniors Vanessa Williams and Allie Newman. Junior Jasmine Davis, one of the Broncos two setters, has also been a top blocker.
The Broncos will also play San Diego this week, heading down there Saturday, the day after the Coyotes play there.
She has been coaching for 34 years and is in her 17th year directing the Broncos. The 3-2 (25-21, 21-25, 21-25, 25-22, 15-7) win over the Wildcats was the 300th in her tenure at Cal Poly. She owns a career record of 629-446-10.
She didn't know about the milestone until after the match when she was congratulated by school president Michael Ortiz and athletic director Brian Swanson.
"I didn't even think about it," said Wegrich, whose team improved to 7-2 overall and 4-0 in conference play. "I was so focused on the match. I really had no idea."
Wegrich, who grew up and still lives in Manhattan Beach, is the dean of coaches in the CCAA. She joined the Broncos in 1992 after 17 years at the Division I level - two at Minnesota (71-30-1) and 15 (258-229-9) at Arizona.
While there may be more notariety at the Division I level, Wegrich enjoys some of the other intracacies that come with working at a Division II institution.
"I love dealing with really smart girls who want to be here," she said. "We don't give fully funded scholarships so these girls are working in addition to playing so they are seeing what live after sports is going to be like."
She also enjoys the camaraderie of her players. The team started the season with a trip to Hawaii where they played four matches. A similar venture at the Division I level would probably have been paid for by the athletic department.
In this case the athletes spent much of the offseason raising the money themselves with fundraisers including summer camps, a garage sale and working the concessions stands at Angels Stadium.
"When you spend so much time together you really build memories," she said.
Asked what her most memorable match is and she doesn't single out her 200th at Cal Poly which came in 2002 against Cal State Los Angeles or the 500th of her career which came against Grand Canyon in 2000.
She goes back to one in the regional playoffs against Cal State Bakersfield in which her team came from down 15-12 in the decisive game to win 16-14.
Wegrich isn't saying how long she will coach. She said she has been blessed with good assistant coaches in the past and will do so as long as she has that kind of help and passes along credit to her current assistant Kenji Mukai.
"I don't know if I could do it if I didn't have such good help," she said. "We really are on the same page and he really brings a fighting spirit and an energy that make it fun."
Bre Schofield of San Diego was women's race winner in 22:09. Tiffany Turner of Cal Poly Pomona was second (22:23) with teammate Amber Hebb fourth (23:19).
The first 45 runners averaged less than seven minutes per mile over the 3.78 mile course that included a loop around the San Manuel Pavilion.
San Diego scored 30 points with four runners in the top 10. Cal Poly Pomona was second (63) followed by Riverside Community College (71).
The Coyotes had 156 points and placed five runners in the top 40, finishing sixth on the same course that will be used for the CCAA championships on Oct. 25.
Cal State freshman Nikki Chesnut was the top Coyotes runner, finishing 21st (24:30) of 77 runners.
In the men's race, Jersain Torres of Cal Poly Pomona was the individual champion, covering the 4.99 mile course in 25:05, an average of 5:07 per mile. Jake Levieuz of San Diego was second (25:32) followed by Landon Bright of Point Loma Nazarene (25:49).
The Tritons placed all five scoring runners in the top 10 to finish with 29 points, ahead of Cal Poly Pomona (43).
[
Reichel, a 6-8 forward, caught the attention of league officials during a three-day tryout staged by the league in
"I did pretty well, averaging 18 points in three games," Reichel told the Ventura County Star newspaper.
The
Reichel played for the Los Angeles Lightning in a pro development league during the spring and early summer.
"It's pretty much a dream come true," Reichel told the Ventura County Star. "I've always wanted to get paid to play basketball. I'm grateful to have the opportunity."
He told the newspaper that the credit for him being noticed goes to his agent, Greg Foster, a former NBA player, for bringing Reichel to the attention of international leagues.
"I'll get a car. They will pay for my housing, which will allow me to sock away everything I earn," he told the
Reichel was a key player in the Coyotes' run to a NCAA Division II West Region title in 2006-07, advancing to the NCAA national semifinals. He averaged 5.6 points per game, shooting 54.5 percent from the field and a team record 50 percent (39 of 78) from three-point range on a team that went 26-6.
A hand injury limited Reichel to an average of 10 minutes per game in 15 games for the Coyotes in 2007-08 as they won a CCAA conference co-championship.
He received his bachelor's degree in business with an emphasis in management and a minor in real estate finance.
"I didn't want a normal job, at least not yet," Reichel told the
The 6-foot-1 center signed last week to play with the Leiderdorp Basketball Club which is based out of the city by the same name. She will leave today.
"I have a lot of emotions," said Wilt, a graduate of Sultana High School. "One day I'm scared death and I'm wondering what in the world I'm doing. Then the next day I'm excited and I can't wait."
Wilt spent two years at NAIA Cal Baptist, but transferred to Cal State for her junior season. As a senior she led the CCAA conference in scoring (18.9 ppg), rebounding (13.4 rpg), field goal percentage (54.7) and blocked shots (71). Those numbers also put her among the national leaders. Wilt finished second in the nation in rebounding, eighth in blocked shots, 23rd in field goal percentage and 26th in scoring.
Wilt accumulated 25 double-doubles (points and rebounds) in 29 games this season and 36 for her two-year career, in which she led the Coyotes to a 38-19 record and the first back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances since the university moved to Division II in 1991-92.
She smashed the team's single-season record for blocked shots (old mark was 59), giving her 112 for two seasons, one shy of the all-time career mark of 113. Her 388 rebounds was a single-season record as was her rebounds per game average. She tied the team's single-game scoring record with 39 in a game at home against Cal State Los Angeles.
Wilt said another team in the same league contacted Coyotes coach Kevin Becker two months ago. She talked with that team several times but that team signed a couple of other American players, leaving her out in the cold since clubs can have no more than two foreign players on their roster.
She thought the opportunity was dead and registered for classes at Cal State to work toward finishing her degree. Then the other team contacted her last week. She is thrilled with the opportunity.
"I never thought I was going to be good enough to play in college, let alone professional basketball,'' she said. "So I'm thrilled. It will be a challenge."
The team made arrangements for her flight and housing. She will be sharing a house with the other American player who competed at the University of South Dakota. Pay will be $1,000 a month with her living expenses (with the exception of food) paid for by the club.
"I am very happy for her," Becker said. "Not a lot of players get this chance. If she had turned it down, who knows if it would have come up again because there are more and more great college players coming out every year."
All three have the potential to be key contributors as the Coyotes prepare to compete for another California Collegiate Athletic Association title and a shot at regional and national championships.
New to the fold are:
Tavaris Gilbert, a 6-8 post player from Ventura College who started 18 games, averaging 12.5 points per game, 7.8 rebounds per game and shot 49 percent from the field, 58 percent from three-point range. As a freshman at
Devin Montgomery, a 6-foot point guard who was a starter at
DuBois Williams, a 6-6 guard who is transferring in from St. Mary's College in
"Tavaris brings added depth to our front court," said Oliver. "He's a guy who can score underneath and step out to the three. He will present a difficult matchup for our opponents."
Williams, Oliver said, "is a point guard in a 6-6 body. He has more offensive tools than he has had a chance to display at his other schools. And, he's a tremendous rebounder for a guard."
Oliver previously announced the signings of Larry DeHughes, a 6-4 guard from
The Coyotes, 3-0 on the season, will face another top 25 team - No. 24 BYU-Hawaii - in the third match of the UC San Diego Tritons Tournament this Saturday at RIMAC Arena on UCSD's
CSUSB was also No. 1 in the national poll on Sept. 4, 2007 and stayed there for two weeks before losing to Cal Baptist on the road and dropping to No. 2. The Coyotes were also No.1 in the poll late in the 2004 and 2003 seasons and topped the poll for five weeks in 2002.
The Coyotes' 3-0 sweep of Concordia-St. Paul, ranked No. 1 in the pre-season poll, dropped the Golden Bears into a tie for No. 3 in the poll with
Washburn (
UC San Diego, which posted a 2-1 record in the Coyotes Volleyball Classic last weekend, moved up five spots from No. 22 to No. 17. Cal Poly Pomona, unranked in the pre-season poll, is No. 22 after winning three of four matches at a tournament in
No. Team Record Pts.
1 CSU SAN BERNARDINO 3-0 887
2. Washburn 4-0 850
3 (tie) Concordia St. Paul 3-1 810
Truman State 4-0 810
5.
6. West
7. Grand Valley State 3-1 682
8.
9. Western
10.
11. Hillsdale (3-1); 12.
Staff Writer
When opportunity knocked, both Sara Rice and Ashtin Hall answered the door. Now the two former Yucaipa High School standouts are starters for a Cal State San Bernardino volleyball team expected to contend for the Division II national championship.
The Coyotes, 27-3 a year ago, open the 2008 campaign this week, hosting a six-team tournament that starts tonight at Coussoulis Arena. The No. 4 Coyotes open against reigning national champion and current No. 1 Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.) at 7:30 p.m.
"We're very excited about our potential," Coach Kim Cherniss says. "We have high expectations. We have a great core of returning players and we have some talented freshmen. Maybe the best class we have had since I've been here."
The veteran cast is bolstered by the two former Citrus Belt League standouts.
Rice, a 6-foot senior middle blocker, arrived in 2005. She had planned to attend Golden West Community College but when Portala George went down with a knee injury, Cherniss needed another backup.
Rice was going to redshirt but when a second middle blocker also sustained a knee injury, that plan changed. She ended up playing a handful of matches which set the stage for a stellar sophomore campaign and second-team All-Conference honors.
Then came an even better junior season in which she earned first-team All-Conference and Pacific West Region honorable mention honors. She was fourth on the team in kills (190) but boasted an impressive attack percentage of .384 as well as a team-high 75 blocks.
"My confidence has just grown each season," said Rice, a 21-year-old business major. "When I played some as a freshman it made me realize I could compete at that level."
A key injury also paved the way for Hall, whose opportunity could not have come in a more pressure-packed situation.
The 5-11 junior outside hitter committed to the Coyotes in November of her senior year of high school. She also considered Division I UC Riverside and NAIA Point Loma but opted for Cal State after touring all three schools and considering the facilities and level of play at each.
She didn't choose Cal State because her former high school teammate was there, but called it an "added bonus."
Hall played little during her true freshman season in 2006. The time she did see came against lesser foes.
Then Lisa Dogonyaro, the lone senior on the squad, sustained a knee injury in the regular season finale at Cal State Los Angeles. Hall went from being a seldom-used sub to a starter on a team with national championship aspirations.
"I remember that match when she got hurt. My whole frame of mind changed," said Hall, 20. "It was definitely very stressful but I tried to take it as a chance to prove myself."
Other teams went right at the untested rookie but Hall was up for the challenge.
"You never know what is going to happen," Cherniss said. "You have to be prepared for that situation and that comes with working hard in practice. It's my job as a coach to see that my players are ready when they're called on."
Hall started 29 of 30 matches as a sophomore and recorded 235 kills, including a career-high 17 in the Pacific Region final against Western Washington. She was rewarded with a spot on the all-conference second team.
The Coyotes will be looking for their sixth conference title in eight years and have advanced to the regional championship match nine straight years. Last year's loss was one of the most disappointing because it came in three straight games on their home floor to a team it had already beaten during the season.
Both players say the Coyotes didn't go into that matchup with the same intensity they would have had the opponent been long-time nemsis UC San Diego, which lost to Western Washington in the semifinal.
"It was a humbling experience," Rice said. "They took advantage of our weaknesses in a way no other team did."
Added Hall: "We have to try and put it aside but at the same time learn from it so we don't make the same mistake again if we're in that position."
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Williams led the Broncos with 11 kills (11-3-18) and had a .444 attack percentage in the 25-19, 28-26, 25-16 victory, while Hofmans added eight kills (8-1-15) with a .467 attack percentage and a team-high 11 digs.
"Annie played the type of match that we've been waiting for in her career,'' Bronco coach Rosie Wegrich said. "She had a sound all-round match and really played a big role in helping us earn a season-opening victory. It was a solid performance all the way around.''
The Broncos fired on all cylinders in the match as they earned a .281 attack percentage (41 kills, 14 errors and 96 total attacks). Seniors Allie Newman (Redlands) and Jenna Young (Arcadia) each had six kills and Young led the Broncos in service aces with three. Senior Rocio Vargas (Baldwin Park) led the Broncos on the block with two solos and four assists. She also had four kills.
The Broncos return to the court this afternoon with a 4:30 p.m. (Pacific Time) match against No. 14 Nebraska-Kearney, and then face host Brigham Young-Hawaii at 10:30 p.m. On Saturday, they play against Hawaii Pacific to round out the trip to nation's 50th state.
Courtney Lorusso led the Silverswords with 10 kills.
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"I'm glad they didn't tell me before or I would have had way too much time to get nervous," Newman said. "It was better I didn't have time to think about it."
The 5-foot-11 middle blocker delivered 13 kills and 11 block assists, helping the Broncos to a school-record 40 block assists in a five-game upset of nationally ranked UC San Diego.
She also tallied eight kills and 10 block assists in a Pacific Regional semifinal loss to Cal State Los Angeles.
Her showing at the end of the season has set her up for more significant playing time this year, especially with the departure of two other middle blockers -- most notably All-American Antoinette Kathol.
The Broncos open the new season with four matches in Hawaii, the first coming Thursday against Chaminade.
The court time has been a long time coming for the former Redlands East Valley High School and San Bernardino Valley College standout.
"We always knew she could play," veteran Broncos coach Rosie Wegrich said. "It was just a matter of when she would get that chance. She had worked very hard in practice and deserved that opportunity. We're looking forward to bigger things from her this season."
Newman, now 22, has been a later bloomer. She didn't play until her sophomore season in high school after her family moved to Southern California from Pullman, Wash.
"It was my mom and dad that encouraged me to play," she recalled. "We had just moved and they thought it would be a good way to make friends because all the girls on the team seemed nice."
She spent her sophomore year on the junior varsity just learning the basics. She followed that up with two years on the varsity. The idea of playing for a four-year school was appealing but she wasn't quite ready. So she opted for SBVC, then coached by current athletic director Dave Rubio.
Newman was a quick study, earning All-Foothill Conference honors both years there, highlighted by a Most Valuable Player selection in 2004.
"She has a great work ethic and she has athletic ability," Rubio said. "She just needs time to develop. It was the experience and technique, especially her footwork, that were lacking."
The decision on a four-year school was even more of a challenge. The most obvious choice would have been Cal State San Bernardino, Cal Poly's conference rival. Not only does it boast great tradition in the sport but her father, Eric, is a marketing instructor there.
But that's exactly why she chose not to go there.
"I wanted to make my own name somewhere else," she said.
Newman actually recruited the Broncos more than they recruited her. She sent Wegrich a letter and the veteran coach invited her to a tryout which several of Newman's SBVC teammates also attended.
But it hasn't been easy. Newman redshirted her first season because of an elbow injury that later healed without surgery. It turned out being a blessing in disguise.
"I learned a lot by watching," she said. "I don't think I would be playing today if I didn't have that year to watch and learn. And I appreciate playing a lot more now."
She played in 16 matches (39 games total), including the two pivotal ones at the end of the season, totaling 48 kills and 30 total blocks.
She has lofty goals for her final go-round including winning a conference title and dethroning the juggernaut that is Cal State.
"This is it. I want to make it a great year," said Newman, who would like to go into sports marketing. "We have some great new players that have fit right in so I think we can do it."
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