Cal State volleyball team leaps to No. 1

The Cal State San Bernardino volleyball team moved up to the top spot in the AVCA Division II National poll this week after the two teams ranked ahead of it in the preseason poll lost matches their first weekend.

Being No. 1 can be both a blessing and a curse. It is a nice accomplishment for a program that has been among the country's elite the last five years and it is good recognition for a city that isn't often put in a positive light in the media.

But there is also the pressure that comes with living up to those expectations. Opponents will get that much more fired up when playing the Coyotes. And they already will be facing the toughest competition in the country when CCAA play starts this weekend. Cal State will host Monterey Bay Friday and Sonoma State Saturday at Coussoulis. Those two matches should be free passes. But there are formidable foes waiting in the wings in long-time nemesis UC San Diego, Cal State Los Angeles, Chico State and neighborhood foe Cal Poly Pomona, which always gives Cal State a problem.

The higher the Coyotes finish in the rankings, the better their chance at hosting the Pacific Region and possibly the NCAA Nationals. The first regional ranking won't come out until October and hosting rights for that tournament traditionally go to the top team, no questions asked.

There are other things considered when it comes time to select a host for nationals however. That right will go to one of the eight qualifiers. Should the Coyotes win the Pacific Region, they would be attractive as a host site because of the quality of the arena, the accessability in and out of the area from a transportation standpoint as well as the organization the Cal State staff has shown when it has hosted marquee events in the past.

A team from the West is also due to host. The NCAA tries to move the event around so that each region has the opportunity every few years. It was held in Pensacola, Fla. last year with Nebraska-Kearney getting the nod the previous year.

The last time the event was held in the West was when the Coyotes hosted in 2003. The last host from the West before that was Cal State Bakersfield in 1997.

So let's hope the Coyotes live up to that billing and have that chance further down the road.