September 2009 Archives

Following a bye week, the University of Redlands football team moved up two spots to No. 21 on the D3Football.com poll.
 
The Bulldogs opened the season with back-to-back wins over non-conference opponents.  On Sept. 12, Redlands trounced visiting East Texas Baptist University, 36-3.  After allowing the Tigers to score on their first possession, the Maroon and Gray stymied any subsequent efforts and held ETBU to a mere 79 yards of total offense.
 
During its first road trip of the season, Redlands held off a fourth-quarter surge by the Pirates of Whitworth University (WA) en route to a 29-24 victory in Spokane on Sept. 19.  Redlands racked up 428 yards of total offense, compared to the Pirates' 290.
 
Redlands also had earned preseason rankings of No. 22 for Sporting News magazine and No. 23 on the USA Today poll.
 
The Bulldogs host the University of La Verne (0-2) in Ted Runner Stadium on October 3 at 7 p.m. for their opening Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) game of the 2009 season.  Redlands celebrates Take a Kid to the Game Night with free prizes and activities for all children under 14.
 

Sometimes you have to pull out a game when you're not at your best. That was the case with the Cal State San Bernardino volleyball team on Saturday afternoon. The No. 2 Coyotes bested No. 13 Sonoma State 19-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-18 to improve to 14-0 on the season.

The first game was a struggle. So was the second, although the Coyotes made some plays down the stretch to eek it out. It wasn't until the fourth game that the Coyotes looked like the Coyotes.

They made a lot of errors in their serve receive which is not characteristic and several times two or more players collided going after a ball. That just doesn't happen with this team.

Perhaps it is good that they were pushed and had to gut one out. It wouldn't be good to cruise all year, then face tough competition in the postseason. You want to see how your young players are going to react. And Cal State still is a young team.

It's slim pickings for those hoping to see one of the local college football teams at home this weekend. On Saturday San Bernardino Valley College (0-3) will host Victor Valley (1-2) and Grossmont will visit Chaffey (2-1), both games kicking off at 6 p.m.

Let's start with the battle between two local teams. SBVC will have yet another uphill battle. The Wolverines, who have lost 18 staright games dating back to 2007, are improved. But they're probably not good enough to beat Victor Valley which went toe-to-toe with highly touted Mt, SAC last week.

Chaffey has a tough one on its hands in Grossmont which is back to being Grossmont after a couple of average seasons. To have any chance at all the Panthers have to keep their composure. The Grossmont team is known for arrogance and cheap shots. (They're one of the most penalized teams in the state every year). They like to get under the skin of the opposing team. The trick is to avoid retaliating!

There are a couple of other athletic events of note . . .

In volleyball, No. 2 Cal State San Bernardino (12-0) will host No. 15 Sonoma State (14-1) at 3 p.m. on Saturday at Coussoulis Arena. The Coyotes are coming off a complete dismantling of local rival Cal Poly Pomona on Wednesday.

If soccer is your game, University of Redlands will be hosting Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in a women's game at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Both qualified for the NCAA Division III playoffs last season with Redlands winning the regular season SCIAC title, only to be upset by the Athenas in the SCIAC tourney final for the conference automatic bid. Redlands advanced any way as a wildcard.

Cal State San Bernardino scored three times in the first 13 minutes of their CCAA conference women's soccer match with Cal State East Bay and went on to defeat the Pioneers 5-0 on a 102-degree afternoon at Coyote Premier Field.
        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 had no trouble dispatching local rival Cal Poly Pomona 25-11, 25-21, 25-13. It was one of the more lopsided outcomes in what has been a competitive rivalry.

The Coyotes are young but the Broncos and young AND inexperienced, not a good combination.

The were more people shoe-horned into Darlene May Gym than I have ever seen. But it didn't help the home team because the Coyotes silenced the crowd with their strong start.

Give the Broncos credit for one thing though. They got absolutely pummeled in the first game which can sometimes lead a young team to be even more overwhelmed. But they came back and were competitive in the second game, It was tied as late as 18-18 before the Coyotes pulled away.

The Coyotes are poised to make another national championship run. And the Broncos wil learn from the experience of playing a team of such high caliber.

Both teams will be playing at home on Friday night with the Coyotes taking on Humboldt State, another team they should have no trouble with. The Broncos will be hosting Sonoma State, another nationally ranked team.

Big Bear native Chad Hall of UC Riverside has been named Big West Conference Athlete of the Week after his performance for the Highlanders at the 29th Annual UC Riverside Invitational this past Saturday.

In his first race of the season, Hall finished first on the squad with a time of 24:17.1 to place eighth overall individually, first among Big West competitors. His time is also the fastest 8k time in the conference so far in this young 2009 season.

Hall's performance led the Highlanders to a second place team finish out of 30 teams, behind only nationally ranked No. 12 BYU.

The sophomore is off to a great start at the collegiate level. It looks like he has the potential to put the school's men's team on the map much the way Rancho Cucamonga's Brenda Martinez has done on the women's side.

The Cal State San Bernardino women's volleyball team remained No. 2 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll released on Monday.

The Coyotes (11-0, 4-0) have been second to regining national champion Concordia-St. Paul (14-0) all five weeks the poll has been released.

The top eight spots did not change. The CCAA is also represented by No. 4 UC San Diego (12-1), No. 15 Sonoma State (12-1) and No. 23 Chico State (12-2).

The Coyotes turned in road wins last week at Chico and Cal State Stanislaus. They play at local rival Cal Poly Pomona at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, then host Humboldt State at 7 p.m. on Friday and Sonoma State at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

The match against the Broncos might be a little less competitive than other ones between the schools in the last few years as Cal Poly is in rebuilding mode.

The one to see will be the one Saturday against the Seawolves, the up-and-coming team in what has always been a difficult conference.

The Cal Poly Pomona women's basketball team has scheduled an exhibition game against UC Riverside on Nov. 3. The game will tip off at 1 p.m. at UCR's Student Recreation Center.

Broncos coach Scott Davis said his team hadn't planned on anything because of the cost involved. He almost scheduled Pepperdine but even a trip there was going to cost $1,000 by the time he paid for the vans and meal money. With the state university budget a disaster he didn't want to spend the money.

Then he got a call from UCR coach John Margaritis.

It's a win-win for both teams. You have to figure UCR is in the same predicament. Why not play a team in such close proximity? With the budget crisis not letting up any time soon, more schools will be forced to do the same thing.

The University of Redlands football team has cracked the D3football.com Top 25 poll at No. 23.

The Bulldogs improved to 2-0 with a 29-24 road win over Whitworth (Wash.) on Saturday. it was a quality win against a contender from the Northwest Conference.

Redlands had appeared in a couple of preseason polls but had been in the receiving votes category of the D3 poll the last two weeks. They are one spot ahead of SCIAC rival Occidental which fell from 18 to 24 after a 31-27 loss to Linfield (Ore.) Saturday.

The Bulldogs are idle this week. They start SCIAC play on Oct. 3 against the University of La Verne. The off week comes at a good time as running back Sean Quinn was limited to three carries on Satruday because of a slight leg injury. Coach Mike Maynard expects him to be 100% by the time the Bulldogs take the field against the Leopards.

The Victor Valley College football team had the unenviable task of squaring off against national power Mt. SAC on Saturday and the Rams more than held their own.

Mt. SAC prevailed 32-20 but the Rams were more than respectable, especially considering they spotted the visitors a 19-0 lead. When that happens it can go one of two ways - A 19-0 deficit soon becomes 40-0. Or a team comes fighting back. It is usually the first scenario.

But the Rams regained their poise and only trailed 19-14, then 25-20 at the half.

Coach Dave Hoover pulled the plug on quarterback Robert Love just in time. Maybe being a freshman he wasn't ready for the level of competition the Mounties represent. Sophomore Travis Hunter fared quite well and led the rally.

It was also a poorly officiated game, particularly against the Rams. Coaches always complain. It's in their DNA. I like to think I can be a little more objective and there were some pretty bad calls, especially when it came to what it and what isn't pass interference.

Next week the Rams start American Division Mountain Conference play against San Bernardino Valley which is much-improved but still winless.

Here's a list of some events going on locally this weekend if you're in the mood . . .

SATURDAY

FOOTBALL

Puget Sound at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, noon
Lewis & Clark at Pomona-Pitzer, 1 p.m.
Antelope Valley at Chaffey, 6 p.m.
San Bernardino Valley at Saddleback, 6 p.m.
Mt. SAC at Victor Valley, 1 p.m.

VOLLEYBALL

Occidental at Pomona-Pitzer, 6 p.m.

MEN'S SOCCER

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at La Verne, 11 a.m.
Occidental at Redlands, 11 a.m.
Pomona-Pitzer at Whittier, 11 a.m.

WOMEN'S SOCCER

Redlands at Occidental, 11 a.m.
La Verne at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 11 a.m.
Whittier at Pomona-Pitzer, 11 a.m.

SUNDAY

WOMEN'S SOCCER:

Sonoma State at Cal State San Bernardino, 3 p.m.
Humboldt State at Cal Poly Pomona, 2 p.m.

MEN'S SOCCER

Sonoma State at Cal State San Bernardino, 2 p.m.
Humboldt State at Cal Poly Pomona, 11:30 a.m.

MONDAY

MEN'S SOCCER

Chapman at Redlands, 7 p.m.
Chaffey at Riverside, 3 p.m.

WOMEN'S SOCCER

Oxnard at Chaffey, 4 p.m.

The University of Redlands and University of La Verne men's golf teams have combined for six national runner-up finishes in the last seven years. So it should be no surprise that both are ranked in the preseason poll released by Golfweek Magazine.

The Leopards, led by senior Mitchell Fedorka, check in at No. 4 while the Bulldogs are close behind at No. 6. Both contended for a title last year with La Verne placing second and Redlands ninth.

Oglethorpe University (GA), the defending national champions, is ranked first.

A total of four Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) schools rank among the top 20. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (14th) and Cal Lutheran University (20th) round out the conference's representation on the preseason list.

The Cal State San Bernardino volleyball team is still ranked No. 2 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll released today.

The Coyotes (9-0) are ranked behind only Concordia-St. Paul, the team it lost to in five sets for the national championship a year ago.

UC San Diego remained No. 4 despite a loss to the Coyotes on Friday. Often times a team doesn't drop when losing to a higher-ranked foe but in this case a couple of notches might have been justified. The Tritons weren't just beaten, they were completely dominated - to the tune of 25-11 in the last game. They were lucky to get to double digits.

University of La Verne Athletic Director Julie Kline has announced the hiring of Yolanda Duron as Head Women's Tennis Coach.

Duron brings a wealth of coaching experience to the Leopard program and has previously coached at the Division I, II and community college levels. 

"I'm extremely excited to be at La Verne," said Duron.  "I am grateful for this tremendous opportunity.  I look forward to the challenge of building the tennis program and I'm also excited about bringing much more recognition to Leopard tennis in the near future.

She previously served as head coach at Mt. San Jacinto College during the 2008-09 academic year, leading the squad to a 11-4 overall record and 6-2 in conference play.  For her efforts she was named the 2009 Foothill Conference Coach of the Year.

Additionally she served as assistant men's and women's tennis coach at both Division II Cal Poly Pomona (2005-08) and Division I Temple (2004-05). She began her collegiate coaching career at alma mater Drexel University in 2002, serving as assistant men's and women's tennis coach for two seasons.

"We are excited about Yolanda Duron being our next Head Women's Tennis Coach," said Kline.  Yolanda's vision for our Women's Tennis Program and her plans to achieve that vision is the right fit for this Athletics Department and the direction we are heading with each of our programs."

Duron is a former Divison I player at Drexel where she was team captain as well as an America East All-Conference selection in 2001. She earned her Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Drexel in 2003 while earning her Master's Degree in Kinesiology from Cal State Fullerton in 2008.

She is affiliated with both the United States Tennis Association (USTA), the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) while also serving as a board member for the California Community College Tennis Coaches Association.

 

The University of Redlands football team wasted no time getting in the win column, trouncing East Texas Baptist 36-3 at Ted Runner Stadium.

It was a good win for the Bulldogs. The Tigers are a decent opponent out of a solid conference which beats the heck out playing a nonconference patsy to start out.

The Bulldogs looked solid. Their performance wasn't flawless, but opening games seldom are. Quarterback Dan Selway, who had a broken foot last year, threw for 239 yards before being pulled early in the fourth quarter with the game in hand. He'll be even better once he shakes off the rust that comes with 10 months of inactivity.

The Bulldogs also have a bruiser of a back in Sean Quinn. No fancy running or slashing stuff. He just barrels over and through people.

On the defensive side of the ball the beast is junior defensive back Mike Nicolini. He also returns kicks and is just fearless. The folks in the press box spent much of the game trying to come up with a nickname for him. He just has to have one. The P.A. announcer finally settled on ``The Godfather.'' We'll see if it sticks.

Good news for the other locals too . .

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps beat Lewis & Clark 22-7. That's one the Stags should have won. L-C just isn't that good.

The more impressive win was Pomona-Pitzer beating Puget Sound 20-14 in overtime on a fake field goal that went for a touchdown. That's a solid win for the Sagehens who got thumped by the same team in their opener last year.

La Verne fell to Whitworth which was also expected.

POMONA-PITZER 20, PUGET SOUND 14 (OT)

Tight end Robert McNitt caught a 23-yard scoring pass from receiver R.J. Maki in overtime to give the Sagehens a victory in their season opener in Tacoma, Wash., in their season opener.

The Sagehens tallied 397 yards offense with quarterback Jacob Caron throwing for 293. Colin Regan caught 13 passes for 11 yards while Maki hauled in eight for 105 highlighted by a 6-yard toss from Caron that gave Pitzer a 14-7 lead. Russell Oka led the ground game with 64 yards.

CLAREMONT-MUDD-SCRIPPS 22, LEWIS & CLARK 7

Andrew Segal rushed for 125 yards and quarterback Scott Yingling threw for 163 as the Stags turned back the Pioneers in their season opener.

Chet Corcos had field goals of 31 and 35 yards. Yingling had a 1-yard touchdown run and D.J. Lillard scored on a 2-yarder.

CMS rolled up 405 yards offense while limiting the host team to 55.

 

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.

 

Matches between the volleyball teams from Cal State San Bernardino and UC San Diego are typically intense from the first serve to the last. They're elite teams, not just in the CCAA, but nationally.

So the first match between the two this season was stunning. The Coyotes prevailed 3-1 (25-16, 21-25, 25-20, 20-11) at Coussoulis Arena. It was a beatdown of major proportions. It wasn't even really that close. The Coyotes led the last game 20-6 at one point.

That's the volleyball equivalent of 5-0 in soccer, 10-1 in baseball. You get the picture.

The score is even more noteworthy when considering the Coyotes (8-0, 1-0) came in ranked second in the country and San Diego (9-1, 1-1) fourth. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come for coach Kim Cherniss and her team.

Jane Chafeh was her usual self with 21 kills and 11 digs. And Sara Hoffman ran the offense efficiently again with 32 assists. But the Coyotes superior blocking effort is what made the difference. Credit Samantha Middleborn, Morgan Carty and Megan Johnson as the Coyotes tallied 11 total blocks, a run of those in the third game giving them breathing room for good.

This version of the Coyotes isn't quite as good as the team that finished as the NCAA Division II national runner-up a year ago. But this early it shouldn't be. The Coyotes have the potential to be every bit that good by the end of the season. And that has to be daunting thought to upcoming opponents.

But you can also be sure San Diego will be more prepared when the Coyotes come to their arena and want a little payback.

San Bernardino Valley College and Riverside will both be looking for their first win of the season when they square off at 6 p.m. on Saturday at RCC's Wheelock Field.

The schools renewed the Bell Game rivalry last season although it wasn't much of a contest as RCC prevailed 51-10.

It's hard to really hard to consider this a rivalry. The SBVC program has had a pretty hard time winning in the last several years. And there have been a couple of breaks in the series with last year's game being the first in five years.

It is also hard to build up a rivalry at the junior college level because of the turnover every two years.

Let's hope the teams can work back toward making the game between schools in neighboring counties something special. A good, competitive, spirited game on Saturday will help.

What bigger way to start the conference season than against your biggest rival?

That will be the case on Friday when the No. 2 Cal State San Bernardino volleyball team begins CCAA play with a 7 p.m. match at Coussoulis Arena against old nemesis UC San Diego, which is ranked No. 4.

The Coyotes are 7-0 and the Tritons 8-0. (They should be 9-0 after beating Cal State East Bay later tonight).

The two teams don't really like each other which is usually the case when teams have a storied rivalry. But the teams do respect each other and that's what is important.

Cal State played in a tournament at UCSD last weekend and although they didn't play each other, you can bet they were sizing each other up.

This match is more important for the Coyotes than the Tritons because they are playing at home and need to hold serve.

Beating the Tritons in San Diego later this year will be even harder than ever before because this year CCAA newcomer East Bay is San Diego's travel partner. And the Coyotes get them on the back end of the doubleheader, meaning they will play at East Bay, up in Hayward, on Friday and go all the way South to San Diego for them match the next night. That's quite a haul.

San Diego is going to have that advantage every time it plays at home because of that scenario. It's a luxury the Coyotes will never have because its travel partner is Cal Poly Pomona. So opponents aren't going to be that taxed getting from one venue to the other.

The Coyotes need to issue the first blow!

Cal State San Bernardino outside hitter Jane Chafeh has been named Molten California Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Volleyball Player of the Week for Aug. 31 - Sept. 6.

Chafeh, a junior from Fontana, led the second-ranked Coyotes to a 4-0 record at the Triton Invitational in La Jolla over the weekend. Cal State San Bernardino improved to 7-0 on the season after registering wins over Mesa State, Alaska-Anchorage, Saginaw Valley State and Northern Michigan.

Chafeh was selected to the all-tournament team after averaging 5.3 kills and 3.73 digs, totaling five service aces, posting a .268 attack percentage and recording four double-doubles (kills and digs).

The Cal State San Bernardino junior tallied a tournament-high 24 kills, 19 digs and a 4.35 hitting percentage in the team's opening match against Mesa State. She had 19 kills and 13 digs against Alaska-Anchorage, 17 kills and 14 digs against Saginaw Valley State and 20 kills and 10 digs against Northern Michigan.

Cal State San Bernardino opens CCAA play this week when it hosts undefeated UC San Diego on Friday.

Molten CCAA Women's Volleyball Player of the Week:

Aug. 24-30: Roxanne Brunsting (UC San Diego)
Aug. 31 - Sept. 6: Jane Chafeh (Cal State San Bernardino).

The minor league season is done for a pair of local players who were playing professional basbeall for the first time with the Lowell Spinners, a short-season New York-Penn League affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.

Pomona-Pitzer graduate Drew Hedman played in 45 games and hit .265 (40-for-151) with 19 doubles and 21 RBI. He played mostly first base but saw a couple of games in the outfield too.

Chaffey College product Willie Holmes played a bit more sparingly. He got in 26 games and hit .264 (24-for-91).

Both those players were stars at their respective colleges. Hedman was the Division III national player of the year. It goes to show just how tough the game is at the pro level.

No doubt it was a learning year for both. First you have the transition from aluminum to wood bats. There is also the adjustment of learning to play every day rather than a couple of times a week which is further complicated by the long road trips.

Well the San Bernardino Valley College football opener is in the books.

The bad news - the Wolverines lost 13-6 in overtime to the College of the Desert Out-of-State All-Stars. It's the 16th straight loss, dating back to the 2007 season for SBVC.

The good news is that they turned in one of the most spirited, hard-hitting efforts I have seen since I started covering the school in 2004. They're going to win some games this season. And yes that's contrary to what I thought six months ago.

Give new coach Kevin Emerson some credit for pulling this together even after his late hire over the summer.

The Wolverines kept it close early and only trailed 3-0 at the half. They trailed the same team 27-0 at the half in last year's season opener. They seemed to gain confidence as the game went on.

They turned in some punishing hits, one of which sent the Desert starting quarterback out of the game for good in the first half.

Any opponent that takes this team lightly is in for a rude awakening.

SAN BERNARDINO - New San Bernardino Valley College football coach Kevin Emerson kept insisting his team put a woeful 0-10 season behind it. It showed as the Wolverines turned in a spirited effort, only to fall 13-6 in overtime to visiting College of the Desert.

The loss was the 16th straight dating back to the 2007 season and SBVC lost to the same team 34-17 a year ago. But Emerson wasn't ready to call the showing to a powerful foe from the upper division a moral victory.

``We want to win games. That's the bottom line," Emerson said. ``You guys can call it whatever you want. We had every opportunity to win the game and didn't get it done. We have to go work harder this week.''

It was a battle of defense and kickers since neither team could find the end zone. COD's only points came on field goals of 31 and 39 yards by Brett Symonds and SBVC doing the same with Jaime Garcia hitting from 25 and 30 yards. Each team made two of four field goal tries with the misses being more the fault of the other offensive personnel.

The Wolverines had the chance to win the game in the closing seconds, taking over possession at their own 34 after a COD fumble following a 40-yard play. The drive was hardly a fluid one as they appeared to be done in twice only to be bailed out by a COD offside and a pass interference call three plays later.

With a second-and-14 at the COD 39 quarterback Robert Fuller flipped the ball off to Eric Charles who then lofted the halfback option pass down field to an open Marcus Williams but the pass was just a little long with 22 seconds to go.

The same play had worked for a 21-yard gain midway through the third quarter.

A 14-yard completion to Williams with 14 seconds left gave SBVC a first down. It worked the ball down to the 25 with Fuller running 10 yards and keeping the ball in the middle of the field for the field goal try with two seconds left.

Desert called two time outs to ice the kicker but Garcia never really had a chance as the offensive line broke down, preventing him from getting a clean effort off.

Desert had the ball first in the overtime and needed just four plays, scoring when Gaston Bailey hauled in a nine-yard toss from backup quarterback Cameron Epting.

SBVC never got much going on its turn and the game ended with Fuller's 16-yard completion to Williams on fourth down short by two yards.

SBVC totaled 284 yards offense. Fuller, who red-shirted last year at Utah State, went 15-of-33 for 155 yards. He also ran for 37 on seven tries. Ronnie Yarber led SBVC ball carriers with 53 yards on 12 carries.

COD managed 198 with Epting throwing for 106.

SBVC hurt itself with penalties. It was called for 12 penalties for 180 yards. It had an 11-yard scoring pass from Fuller to Eric Charles in the first half nullified by an illegal block. Then in the fourth quarter Jim O'Brien, one of the many SBVC standouts on defense, ran back an interception 19 yards for a touchdown which was called back by an offsides.

The SBVC defense turned in some punishing hits, one of which sent starting quarterback J.D. Buonantony out of the game for good with 9:22 left in the half. He had tucked the ball and run and was stopped by a defender though he was still on his feet. Another defender came in from the other direction and leveled him.

``I hope we showed people we can play good football tonight,'' Emerson said. ``We're going to win some games.''

The Wolverines will play at Riverside next Saturday in the Bell Game.

Chaffey College product Christina Warren has signed with Xavier University in Louisiana.
Warren, a 5-foot-9 forward-guard from Rancho Cucamonga, also ttemed Los Osos High School.

Warren averaged 12.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocked shots per game and shot 45 percent from the floor and 76 percent from the line during two seasons (2006-08) at Chaffey and helped the Panthers go 46-18 and reach the semifinals of the regional playoffs both years. She was first-team All-Foothill Conference both seasons, MVP of two tournaments her freshman year and all-tournament three times as a sophomore.

As a sophomore Warren led Chaffey with 13.5 points per game.

At Los Osos Warren averaged 13.1 points and 5.3 rebounds her senior year.

Warren is the second from Rancho Cucamonga to sign with Xavier this year. Freshman guard DeRonn Scott (Etiwanda High) signed in April with the men's basketball team.

Xavier made 13 appearances in the NAIA Division I National Championship the past 15 seasons and was 23-9 in 2008-09. The Gold Nuggets will return 12 letterwomen, including LaTashia Wise and honorable-mention All-American Brittany Powell, both seniors.

Grand Canyon's Nichole Elias scored an unassisted goal in the 67th minute Thursday night to give the host Antelopes a 2-1 non-conference women's soccer victory over Cal State San Bernardino.

    The loss dropped the Coyotes to 1-2 on the season. Pacific West Conference member GCU is now 2-0 after defeating CCAA member Cal State Dominguez Hills and the Coyotes. CSUSB will play Mesa State in a neutral site match at Grand Canyon at 7:30 p.m. Friday night.

     Sophomore Jaclyn Clark gave the Coyotes a 1-0 lead just 6:30 into the match when she received a pass from junior Unity Beddingfield and booted the ball from the left side into the far corner of the net, giving Beddingfield an assist on the play.

     Eight minutes later, Grand Canyon got the equalizer on Kaylen Jackson's second goal of the season off an assist by Kelcee Newell.

     The 1-1 deadlock continued until Elias' match-decider.

     CSUSB goalkeeper Laura Lyons stopped five shots on goal while her counterpart, Mileena Buchel had two saves.

The Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) announced yesterday that six University of Redlands women's lacrosse student-athletes have earned Academic Squad honors.  This honor is given to juniors and seniors who boast a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5.
 
Junior defender Erin Benjamin (San Diego, CA) led the Bulldogs with her GPA of 3.709 as a Psychology major.  During the 2009 season, she helped solidify the backline by picking up nine ground balls while causing six turnovers.  This three-time Redlands Scholar-Athlete also tallied two draw controls for the Bulldogs.
 
As an accounting major, senior midfielder Lauren Matta (Holyoke, MA) boasted a 3.704 GPA.  A Redlands Scholar-Athlete each year of her career, she has continuously personified the ideals of a true student-athlete, earning both academic and athletic excellence. She owns career school records in ground balls (198) and draw controls (169) and also ranks second all-time in goals (100). This past season, Matta produced the team's second-highest totals in goals (27), points (30) and draw controls (53) while also adding three assists, 30 ground balls and 13 caused turnovers.
 
Senior midfielder Lisa O'Kane (San Diego, CA) gains the IWLCA honor for her 3.686 GPA as a Communicative Disorders major.  Last season, she competed in every game for the Bulldogs, posting 14 ground balls, 12 draw controls, and nine caused turnovers.  This two-time Redlands Scholar-Athlete also contributed three goals and one assist.
 
As a double major in Managerial Studies and Environmental Studies, senior midfielder Liza Gray produced a cumulative GPA of 3.575.  During the 2009 lacrosse season, this three-time Redlands Scholar-Athlete ranked third on the team in draw controls with 42 and came up with 26 ground balls and 15 caused turnovers.  In addition, she scored 11 goals and supplied two assists.
 
Junior attack player Anna Moriarty (Oak Park, IL) put together a 3.517 cumulative GPA while pursuing her degree in Religion with a minor in Spanish.  This Redlands Scholar-Athlete supplied four goals and three assists while adding two ground balls and one caused turnover.
 
 
Finally, senior midfielder Ali Chope (San Francisco, CA) earned IWLCA academic honors with a 3.550 GPA as a Psychology major.  In 14 games, she tallied 17 ground balls, 11 draw controls and three caused turnovers to go along with five goals and one assist.  Chope also earned Redlands Scholar-Athlete laurels each year of her career.
 
These honors come on the heels of the Bulldogs' IWLCA Team Academic award, which was announced late last month, for their combined cumulative GPA of 3.2.
 

The local junior college football teams kick off the season this Saturday. Something definitely stands out just with a passing glance down a tentative Chaffey College roster. There are a lot of out-of-state additions this season.

Veteran coach Carl Beach has always prided himself on the fact that he competed with local players. It is a philosophy adhered to by all of the coaches on the college's staff. It's one reason that it is so enjoyable to go out and cover its teams - there is a true local feel.

As good a basketball coach as Phil Mathews was at San Bernardino Valley a few years back, it seemed a bit hollow covering a team that was made up 90 percent of out of town players.

But this year Beach has sprinkled in some players from elsewhere, not an overwhelming number - 16 or so. There are nine from Florida, eight of those from the football-rich Miami-Fort Lauderdale area. The others are from a wide variety of states.

Beach has always lamented the problems that come with having so many out-of-towners and been critical of coaches that rely on the imports. They have to have a place to live, so oftentimes a bunch are crammed into the same house or apartment. They may or may not get along. They have to pay their own living expenses so now they have to have jobs or rely on family.

They are away from home, many for the first time, which leads to other problems.

Then all it itakes is one party getting out of hand or one guy getting in trouble and it sets a bad down in the community and gives the school a bad reputation.

But the Panthers are competing in the National Conference, the elite level according to the new conference alignment that was used for the first time last year. They went 5-5. So it was clear that you can't compete with just local players. Look at the rosters of the teams that were on top and they all have considerable talent from out of the area.

College of the Desert, for one, had 40 or so from out of state last season. When Victor Valley had its huge breakthrough season a few years back it had that many too!

So if you can't beat'em, join'em!

You can't blame Beach, he is trying to compete. And I don't think he'll be one of those guys to start comprising his principles to where he is depending on those guys soley.