‘Yote Notes –
Nov. 17, 2004
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Mike Safford Jr.
– Sports Info. Director
msafford@collegeofidaho.edu
MEN’S BASKETBALL (2-1): Coyotes
set to host 18th Annual Duane Wolfe Memorial Golden Rule Shoot-Out
LAST WEEK: vs. Northwest Nazarene (L 78-75), at Christian
Heritage (W 76-71), at Point Loma Nazarene (W 75-72).
COMING UP: 18th Annual Duane Wolfe Memorial Golden
Rule Shoot-Out – vs. Willamette, Friday, 8 p.m.; vs. No. 17 Westminster,
Saturday, 8 p.m.
RADIO: Friday’s game with Willamette will be broadcast
live on the Home of the Coyotes, 1490 KCID-AM with Mike Safford Jr. calling the
action. Saturday’s game vs. Westminster
will be broadcast on 1140 KGEM-AM, because of conflicts with Washington State
football. Both games, will also be
heard live on the internet via the Albertson Athletic Website.
HISTORY OF THE GOLDEN RULE: This weekend marks the 18th edition of the Duane
Wolfe Memorial Golden Rule Shoot-Out, tabbed the “Premier Small-College
Tournament in the West.” A total of 27
different teams have played in the tournament from 1987-2003, which has seen
six different champions. Last year, Westminster
took home their second tournament title, defeating Albertson, 76-68, in
overtime.
PAST GOLDEN RULE CHAMPIONS:
2003 – Westminster 1997 – NW Nazarene 1991 –
Northwest Nazarene
2002 – Albertson 1996 – Northwest Nazarene 1990 – College of Idaho
2001 – Westminster 1995 – Willamette 1989 – Central Washington
2000 – Albertson 1994 – Albertson 1988 – Northwest Nazarene
1999 – Albertson 1993 – Albertson 1987 – Northwest Nazarene
1998 – Albertson 1992 – Central Washington
HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR: Each year, the Golden Rule Shoot-Out tournament
committee selects one individual as the “Humanitarian of the Year.” This year’s recipient is the Gipson
Family, and its family owned business, The Caxton Printers, Ltd., of
Caldwell. Initially publishing The Gem
State Rural when A.E. and J.H.Gipson created the company in 1896, Caxton’s was
officially incorporated in 1907. It
published its first book, entitled the Idaho Citizen, in 1925 and two years
later, became the Idaho State Textbook Depository. Caxton’s eventually grew into the predominant publishing house
west of the Mississippi throughout the 1940’s and 50’s. Throughout its tenure, the company has
remained a family business. Jim and
Gordon Gipson headed Caxton’s following the retirement of its initial
founders. Currently, Dave, Ron and
Scott Gipson oversee Caxton’s day-to-day operations. Caxton
Printers remains Caldwell’s oldest business and is the oldest member of the
Caldwell Chamber of Commerce. Its
support of the community’s youth is legendary, including years of financial
support for youth activities ranging from little league football, baseball,
soccer and swimming. In addition,
Caxton’s annually sponsors the Caxton Reading Achievement Awards in the
Caldwell Elementary Schools. The Gipson
family’s history is closely intertwined with that of Caldwell and Albertson
College of Idaho. Every decade since the
1890’s there has been a member of the Gipson family enrolled in the Caldwell
School system. Several members of the Gipson family have also attended
Albertson College of Idaho, including Dr. Lawrence Henry Gipson who became
Idaho’s first Rhodes Scholar and later won the Pulitzer Prize in History in
1962. Albertson College of Idaho
currently offers the Gipson Honors Program…a rigorous honors program named
after Dr. Gipson. Throughout the
history of the College, the Gipson family and Caxton Printers have been staunch
supporters and graciously donated their printing services to help the
institution through some difficult times in the late 70’s. Truly a friend of the College and an
integral part of the Caldwell Community, it is safe to say…the Gipson Family
and Caxton Printers, Ltd, embody all of which the Humanitarian Award is
designed to recognize.
ABOUT THE TEAMS: The Coyotes will rekindle a rivalry with Willamette
in their home opener on Friday night.
The Bearcats (17-8 in 2003-04) are coming off a third-place finish in
the Northwest Conference (NCAA Division III) – the league the ‘Yotes belonged
to from 1933-1977. Willamette is no
stranger to the Golden Rule, making their fourth tournament appearance in
Caldwell – having upset Albertson, 67-66, in 1995 – the season the ‘Yotes won
the NAIA championship. Gordie James,
who led the ‘Cats to the 1993 NAIA title, has a solid nucleus making their 2004
debut – led by senior wing Harold Sublett (7.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and junior Brennan
Garrelts (6.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg). It is the 86th
meeting between the clubs and first since 1999 – with Willamette holding a
48-37 advantage. The ‘Yotes will play Westminster
on Saturday night, the first of two meetings with the Griffins (4-2) in
five days. Tommy Connor’s club, ranked
No. 17 in the NAIA Division I preseason poll, has won two of the last three
Golden Rule Shoot-Out’s, and are coming off a stunning 66-55 win at Idaho
State. Westminster is led by senior
guard Shane Humpherys (17.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg), who missed the majority of last
season with a knee injury, and post Matt Mark (7.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg). It is the 23rd meeting between
the clubs, with the series deadlocked at 11-11. The fourth team in the tournament is Cascade Conference rival, Concordia,
who will play opposite the Coyotes in the classic format. The Cavaliers (2-0) are led by senior wing
Jon Lee (19 ppg), one of the top three-point threats in the CCC. It is Concordia’s first-ever appearance in
the tournament.
OWEN REACHES 100 WINS: With the victory on Saturday at Point Loma
Nazarene, Albertson head coach Mark Owen became the third Coyote men’s
basketball coach to reach the 100-win plateau.
In his five years at the helm, Owen has 100 wins in 143 games – joining Marty
Holly (423 wins) and Dick Carrow (179 wins) in the club.
GREEN COYOTES ALL-TIME THIEF: Averaging six steals per game to start the 2004-05
season, Joe Green (Pocatello, Idaho / BYU-Idaho) has made a
mockery of the all-time steals record at Albertson. With his second steal in Friday’s game vs. Christian Heritage,
the senior blew by Rob Smith into the top spot on the career list. Green currently has 207 steals in his career
– the only Coyote to ever record more that 200 career swipes.
BROWN HAS RECORD NIGHT AT
IDAHO CENTER: The United Heritage TipOff was
not a night for the Coyotes to remember, as Albertson dropped their first-ever
decision to Northwest Nazarene in the Idaho Center. It was, however, a career night for Derek Brown (Las
Vegas, Nev. / Desert Pines HS), who poured 29 points in the loss. Brown went 11-for-14 from the floor,
recording the most points by a Coyote guard in three seasons (Neal Robertson had
34 vs. Western Baptist during the 2001-02 season). The junior leads Albertson in scoring at 15 points per game, and
is averaging six trips to the foul line per night.
COSTELLO COMES THROUGH VS.
POINT LOMA: When the Coyotes needed a big
bucket in Southern California on Saturday night, E.J. Costello (Pleasanton,
Calif. / Chabot CC) came through.
The senior hit 4-of-8 three-pointers, part of a 24-point effort in the
75-72 win at Point Loma Nazarene. With
six three-pointers made this season, Costello is just seven away from becoming
the 13th player to make 100 three’s in a career.
FRIED AND OWEN MAKING MARK OFF
BENCH: Two newcomers to the Albertson
program are making a statement coming off the bench. Post Richard Fried (Middleton, Idaho / Boise State) and
guard Josh Owen (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS) have been
impressive in giving the Coyote starters rest.
Fried is averaging 22 minutes per game, contributing nine points and six
rebounds a game – while hitting 60-percent of his shots from the floor. Owen is averaging ten points and two assists
per game in 19 minutes per night, while knocking down 7-of-11 shots from
outside the arc.
‘YOTES RANKED #21 TO START
SEASON: Fresh off their Round of 16
finish at the NAIA Division II national tournament, the Albertson men’s
basketball team was ranked No. 21 in the preseason NAIA Division II Top-25
poll. The ‘Yotes were one of four
Cascade Conference teams in the group – Oregon Tech (No. 1), Southern Oregon (No.
16), and Western Baptist (No. 34).
PRESEASON RANKINGS BECOMING
FAMILIAR: For the fourth consecutive
season, the Coyotes have been ranked to start the season. Last season, Albertson began the year No. 12
and ascended as high as No. 3 in the nation.
During the 2002-03 season, the ‘Yotes began at No. 15, fell out of the
poll, then rebounded for a second-round appearance at the NAIA tournament. The 2001-02 team began the year at No. 8,
but injuries plagued the team, as it failed to get out of the Cascade
Conference tournament. The last team
not to be ranked to start a season was the 2000-01 club, Mark Owen’s first
as head coach, a team that eventually advanced to the Elite Eight of the NAIA
Tournament.
MORE INFORMATION ON THE
COYOTES: For game stories, statistics,
and information regarding the Albertson men’s basketball program, head to the
official site Coyote Basketball: www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/mensbasketball.htm.
CROSS COUNTRY: First-year Coyotes off to Louisville for NAIA
Championships
LAST WEEK: Idle
COMING UP: at NAIA National Championships, Louisville, Ky.,
Saturday. – Women at 10:30 a.m. (MST), Men at 11:30 a.m. (MST)
COYOTES TO SEND THREE RUNNERS
TO NATIONALS: For a first-year program, the
news is outstanding. The Albertson
College cross country team will send three athletes to the NAIA National
Championships in Louisville, Ky., after the Coyotes had multiple personal bests
at last week’s regional race.
MEN’S TEAM TO SEND TWO
RUNNERS: As expected, transfer David
Flueckiger (Herisou, Switzerland / Virginia Commonwealth) qualified
for nationals with a solid race at the NAIA Regional. The sophomore shaved two seconds off his time from the NAIA
Preview Meet, good enough for a sixth-place finish among Cascade Conference
runners and a 12th-place finish overall. Even more impressive, however, was the emergence of Tyler
Hopper (Caldwell, Idaho / Caldwell HS) – who improved by his
previous time on the course by 46 seconds.
The freshman placed 11th in the CCC and 23rd overall – good enough to
earn the fifth and final at-large slot to the national meet. By virtue of their Top-12 performances, both
Flueckiger and Hopper earned All-Conference accolades.
EDWARDS LOOKS TO IMPROVE IN LOUISVILLE: After
having a tough race at the NAIA Preview Meet, Shannon Edwards (Sherwood, Ore. / Eastern Oregon Univ.) had something to prove. The junior did just that on at the Regional,
running “the race of her life” according to head coach Pat McCurry, placing fifth in the Cascade Conference event and 17th overall. Edwards demolished her previous time by a
whopping 52 seconds, earning All-CCC honors and the No. 2 at-large berth to the
NAIA Championships. Last season,
Edwards finished 127th in a 256 runner field at the NAIA national
meet.
THE NATIONAL MEET: Saturday,
the three Coyotes will be among 512 runners taking part in the NAIA
Championships, at Tom Sawyer State Park in Louisville, Ky. A total of 13 teams on both the men’s and
women’s side received automatic berths by winning their respective regional
meets, while 15 men’s and 15 women’s teams received at-large spots, due to
national rankings.
ABOUT THE MEN’S TEAMS: Although
Albertson cannot compete for a team title, five other NAIA Region I men’s teams
will be among the combatants. Simon
Fraser, British Columbia, Southern Oregon, Eastern Oregon, and Warner Pacific
will have their full contingent in Louisville – along with two runners from
Lewis-Clark State and one runner from Evergreen. It looks to be a three-team race for the championship, as Simon
Fraser looks to stop both Aquinas (Mich.) and Virginia Intermont. Two-time defending champion Minot State
(N.D.) did not make the field.
ABOUT THE WOMEN’S TEAMS: Although
the ‘Yotes are not competing for a team crown, five other NAIA Region I women’s
teams are. Simon Fraser looks to defend
their 2003 title, while Northwest, the 2002 champ, looks to be a spoiler. Also competing from the region are British
Columbia, Lewis-Clark State, and Eastern Oregon, with Southern Oregon and
Oregon Tech each sending two individual competitors. SFU will be tested by Malone (Ohio) and Concordia (Neb.) on a
course that seems fast – but is deceptively slow.
ABOUT CROSS COUNTRY: Cross
country is a bit different than most sports – similar to golf, where the lowest
score is the best. Teams compete in
races, with the top-five times on a squad counting toward a team score. The place a runner finishes in the race
equals that many points (third-place is three points, 12th is 12
points), with the team with the fewest points (the squad with the highest finishers)
winning the team event.
MORE INFORMATION:
Updated information on the 2004 cross country team, including meet-by-meet
results and top times, can be found on the Albertson cross country official
website at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/xc.htm.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (1-4): Hooter
sets school record in Utah, Lady ‘Yotes to welcome former coach on Thursday
LAST WEEK: exhibition at Boise State (L 81-54); at
Westminster College Classic, Salt Lake City – vs. Montana Western (L 70-53),
vs. Westminster (W 79-70), vs. Great Falls (L 78-65).
COMING UP: Home opener vs. Concordia-Irvine, Thursday, 7 p.m.
RADIO AND INTERNET: All nine women’s CCC road games will be broadcast
live this season on 1490 KCID-AM with Mike Safford Jr. calling the action. In addition, all home games (along with the
nine CCC road tilts) will be broadcast live on the internet, courtesy of the
Albertson Athetic Website, with students Jordan Komotoa nd Jake McClean calling
the play-by-play.
HOOTER SETS SCHOOL RECORD: In Saturday’s finale at the Westminster College
Classic, senior Kasey Hooter (Nampa, Idaho / Walla Walla CC) established
a new school record for rebounds in a game with 21, in the ‘Yotes loss to Great
Falls. The post broke the school record
of 20, set by Kristen Bailey in the final game of the 2002-03 season. Hooter and Bailey are the only two players
in Albertson women’s basketball history to record 20-or-more rebounds in a
game.
LEADING THE NATION: The 21 rebound game for Kasey Hooter was no fluke
– as she currently leads the NAIA Division II with 62 rebounds and a 12.4 board
per game average. Hooter has recorded
double-doubles in four of the five games this season – while averaging a
team-high 16.2 points per game. She
also is among the nation’s leaders in field goal percentage, having made
38-of-63 shots this season, for a .603 percent clip.
IMPROVING AT THE POINT: One of the more pleasant surprises of the young
season has been the improvement of point-guard Angie Gribble (Boise,
Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS). The
junior, who has played limited minutes during her first two seasons with the
Lady ‘Yotes, has played in 198 of the 200 minutes in the first five games this
season. Gribble is averaging 11.6
points a game, to go along with a team-high 4.2 assists. She has scored 16 or more points on three
occasions, and has hit a team-high 18-of-19 free throw attempts.
STRUNK ADJUSTING TO STARTING
ROLE: Another rising star for the
Coyotes is third-year player, Kim Strunk (Twin Falls, Idaho / Twin
Falls HS). The junior, who was a
mainstay off the bench during her first two seasons, has thrived in a starting
role. Strunk has scored in double
figures in each of the last four games – including a 16 point, nine rebound
performance against Great Falls. She
has also made 31 trips to the free throw line, making .839 percent of her
shots.
FRESHMAN SURVIVING GROWING
PAINS: Making the jump from high
school to a starting role in the NAIA is not easy. Ask Coyote guard Magen Dufurrena (Denio, Nev. / Lowry
HS), who is averaging 25 minutes a game in her rookie season. The freshman had her best game of the season
in the Albertson victory over Westminster on Friday night, scoring nine points,
grabbing 11 rebounds, and recording five assists.
SOLID PLAY AT BOISE STATE: The Albertson College women's basketball team
battled hard, but the depth of NCAA Division I Boise State wore the Coyotes out,
as the Broncos topped the Lady 'Yotes, 81-54, in exhibition play last Tuesday
night at Taco Bell Arena. Leading 40-24
at the half, the Broncos watch Albertson use a 7-0 run to cut the margin to
44-35 with 15:59 left. BSU would respond with nine straight points - a
pair of fastbreak buckets, a pair of free throws, and a Tasha Harris trey to
build the lead to 18 and were not threatened.
Albertson was led by the 15 points of junior transfer Valissa Sneck
(Kalispell, Mont. / Sheridan CC), while Melissa Murray (Eugene,
Ore. / SW Oregon CC) came off the bench to score ten points and grab seven
rebounds. The Broncos, who had 13
players see the floor, got 12 points from both Harris and preseason All-WAC
selection Jaime Hawkins.
RECAP OF SALT LAKE TOURNEY: The Lady ‘Yotes opened up play at the Westminster
Classic last Thursday against Montana-Western, the No. 21 ranked team in the
NAIA Division I. Trailing just 35-32 at
the break, Western was able to wear down the ‘Yotes for a 70-53 victory. Kasey Hooter went 11-of-19 from the floor,
scoring a career-high 24 points and pulling down 11 rebounds in the loss. One night later, Albertson ended a five-game
losing streak (dating back to last season) with a stunning 79-70 victory over
host Westminster – the first time that the Coyote had defeated the Griffins on
their home court. Valissa Sneck led five players in double figures
with 19 points. The
Coyotes shot a blistering 59-percent from the floor, as Sneck went 8-of-12 from the field, including three
three-pointers, to go along with a game-high 12 rebounds. Angie Gribble
had 17 points and nine rebounds, while Hooter and Kim Strunk each scored
12. The ‘Yotes rounded out the
tournament with their fourth game in five days and dropped a 78-65 decision to
Great Falls. Albertson did not record a
three-point field goal in the game, going 0-for-11 from outside the arc. Strunk and Gribble each had 16 points to
lead the Coyotes.
HOME OPENER ON THURSDAY: Albertson opens up the 2004-05 home schedule on
Thursday, hosting Concordia-Irvine of the Golden State Athletic
Conference. The Eagles (1-0 this
season, 16-15 in 2003-04) are led by returning seniors Sarah Flanagan (10.6
ppg, 3.8 rpg) and Nancy Hatuschi (6.0 ppg, 4.4 apg), and post Carrie Twaddell
(16.1 ppg, 7.5 rpg). Concordia opened
the season with a lopsided 80-43 win over La Sierra College – with Twaddell
scoring a game-high 17 points and 13 rebounds.
It is the second meeting between the two teams, but first for new
Concordia head coach, Todd Corman, who was head coach of the Lady ‘Yotes for
six seasons. The Eagles won the only
meeting, 58-54, in the championship game of the Concordia Holiday Classic in
2001.
WELCOME BACK TODD: Concordia head coach Todd Corman was the key in
making Albertson College women’s basketball an NAIA power over the last
decade. As head coach from 1995-2001,
the former Loyola Marymount head coach and Oregon State assistant led Albertson
to three NAIA Division II national tournaments, the 2001 Cascade Conference
title, and a runner-up finish in the 2001 national tournament. Corman had a 123-61 record with the Lady
‘Yotes in his six years.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE LADY ‘YOTES: For up-to-date statistics, stories, and
information about the Albertson women’s basketball team, head to the official
website for the Lady ‘Yotes – www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wmensbasketball.htm. For updated scores and standings from the
Cascade Conference women’s basketball season, head to www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wbasketball/stats/standings.htm.
SWIMMING: ‘Yotes head west for first short-course dual with
Seattle University
LAST WEEK: Idle
COMING UP: at Seattle University, Saturday, 1 p.m. (PST)
COYOTES TO COMPETE FOR FIRST
TIME IN THREE WEEKS: The Albertson College
swim team sets for their first-ever dual meet on Saturday afternoon, traveling
to the Emerald City to meet Seattle University. The ‘Yotes lone other competition so far this season was the
Logger Classic in late October, hosted by the University of Puget Sound.
IMPROVEMENT NOTED: This weekend will be the first real test for Albertson,
as competitors will be focused more on their individual disciplines. It will also be the first time that the
‘Yotes will be clocked in relays – both a medley and freestyle team race.
ABOUT THE COACH: A
familiar face is the head coach of the Coyote swimmers. Mike Shines is the first head coach
of its new intercollegiate swim program, having served as the Director of
Aquatics and swim instructor at the J.A. Albertson Aquatics Center on the
Albertson campus for the last eight years. He has also served as the
institution's strength coach for the past 12 seasons.
HOW SWIMMING SCORING WORKS: Outside of invitational meets (multiple teams),
the Coyotes will compete in dual meets against Seattle University and Lewis
& Clark College. These short-course
duals will have 13 events taking place.
Scoring for these events are based on how many lanes are utilized in an
event. If six-or-more lanes are used,
relay finishes will receive 11-4-2 points (11 for first, 4 for second, 2 for
third), with only the top-two relays from each team receiving points. Individual races will receive 9-4-3-2-1
points, with the top three on each team scoring points. If five-or-less lanes are used, the top
relay receives seven points, while in individual races, first-place receives
five points, second receives three, and third one (with only the top-two
finishers on a team scoring). At the
end of the meet, the points are tallied, with the squad with the most points
posting the win.
HOW THE ‘YOTES GET TO
NATIONALS: For Albertson swimmers to
qualify for the NAIA Championships, it is a bit different than most
sports. Prior to each season, the NAIA
posts provisional times in each individual event or relay that competitors or
teams must best to be eligible for nationals.
If a relay or individual passes that time, they are eligible to compete
in the national meet. To view the
qualifying standards, go to http://www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/swim/standards.htm.
ABOUT THE DUAL: The short course dual for the Coyotes will
comprise of ten individual events (50, 100, 200, 500, and 1,000-yard freestyle;
50 and 100-yard backstroke; 100-yard breaststroke; 100-yard butterfly; along
with one individual medley event (either 200 or 400 yards), along with the two
relays.
ABOUT SEATTLE U: One of the top three teams in the entire Northwest
(Simon Fraser and Whitworth being the others), the Redhawks will have their
second dual meet of the season. Seattle
swam against Puget Sound over the weekend, defeating UPS on both the men’s
(148-55) and the women’s (122-83) side.
The deep club (22 men, 19 women) has already seen a male (Chris Coley)
and female (Ashley Best) qualify for the NCAA Division II national
championships. The squad had success in
the NAIA before jumping to the NCAA during the 2002-03 season – having won the
NAIA men’s national championship in 2002, and finishing second on the women’s
side during the 2002 season.
DOWN THE ROAD: December 4 and 5, the Coyotes will take aim at the
Northwest Invitational, the oldest collegiate swim meet in the Northwest. Albertson will compete against Pacific
Lutheran, Puget Sound, Lewis & Clark, Pacific, Willamette, Whitman, and
Whitworth in Parkland, Wash. during the two day event.
MORE ON THE COYOTE SWIM TEAM: For more information on the Albertson swim team,
including meet results and top times, head to their official website at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/swim.htm.
VOLLEYBALL (18-8): Lady ‘Yotes season comes to abrupt halt at Cascade
Conference Tournament
LAST WEEK: at Cascade Conference Tournament – vs. Oregon
Tech (L 3-0).
COMING UP: Season Complete
ONE UNTIMELY LOSS, SEASON
OVER: One fateful one hour stretch
and three months of hard work is erased.
That is what the Albertson College volleyball team learned last weekend,
as a first-round loss to Oregon Tech eliminated the Lady ‘Yotes not only from
the Cascade Conference Tournament, but at a shot at their fourth trip to the
NAIA Region I Tournament in five years.
Despite an 18-8 record and a
third-place finish during the regular-season, Albertson was overlooked for the
second time in three seasons by a panel of four coaches representing the 19
team region.
WHY NO REGIONALS: The four-person committee had the daunting task of
selecting two at-large berths to the six-team regional. Southern Oregon and Oregon Tech from the
Cascade Conference, and Montana Tech and Carroll from the Frontier Conference
were gimmes, as each played in their respective conference championship game. Northwest University, which tied for the regular-season
crown in the CCC, was given an at-large berth, as they won the third-place
trophy at the CCC Tournament. Left on
the board were Western Baptist, the Coyotes, Concordia, and Montana
State-Northern – the third-place team from the Frontier. The committee chose Western, due to a
victory in the first-round of the conference tourney, and the fact that they
defeated Albertson in their most recent head-to-head competition (Oct. 8).
COMPARING THE ‘YOTES TO
WESTERN: Many folks in Caldwell were
stunned by the committee’s decision – especially when pitting the two teams
against one another. The Coyotes 18-8
overall record is four-games better than that of Western (14-12), while
Albertson compiled a 17-5 record against regional opponents (the Warriors struggled
to a 12-9 mark). Albertson defeated a
Lewis-Clark State team twice that WB lost to, and since the loss to Western on
October 8th, Albertson went 9-0, whereas the Warriors went 5-3. Furthermore, against the Top-5 teams in the
Region (excluding the ‘Yotes), Albertson went 2-3, with Western going 0-5.
FINAL REGIONAL POLL: The final NAIA Region I poll was released Monday,
with Carroll (No. 13 in NAIA) holding down the No. 1 slot. The top-five is made up of Southern Oregon
(No. 22), Montana Tech (No. 30), Oregon Tech, and Northwest. Western Baptist is sixth, followed by the
‘Yotes, Montana State-Northern, Concordia, and Montana-Western.
ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM: Albertson did have three players honored after the
conference tournament, as both Ashlea Thornton (Glendora, Calif. /
Cal Baptist) and Erin Cherrington (Granby, Colo. / Middle Park
HS) were named to the All-Conference team.
Thornton led the Coyotes in kills, ranking fourth in the league with a
3.92 average. Cherrington ranked second
in the loop in assists per game (12.54), while tying for the team lead with 37
aces. Also honored by the league was Fran
Hartman (Lakeview, Ore. / Lakeview HS), who was named an honorable
mention selection, after leading Albertson with a .272 hitting percentage and
ranking second on the team with 3.12 kills per game.
HOGUE NAMED FROSH OF YEAR: In a near unanimous decision, Albertson middle
blocker Katie Hogue (Sparks, Nev. / Reed HS) was named Cascade
Conference Freshman of the Year. Hogue
had an outstanding rookie campaign, leading the conference with a 1.33 blocks
per game average.
LADY ‘YOTES COMPLETE HOME
SEASON UNBEATEN: One bright mark that
the 2004 Coyote volleyball team can hang their hat on – is the fact that they
completed their first-ever undefeated home season, finishing with a 11-0
record. The previous record had been a 9-0 start during the 1999 season –
before the ‘Yotes lost a match.
Albertson has now won 15 consecutive games in the J.A. Albertson
Activities Center – which is another school record. Albertson has not lost on their home court since an October 25,
2003 loss to Concordia.
ABOUT THE REGIONAL TOURNAMENT: The regional tournament will be split into two
three-team pools this weekend in Ashland, Ore.
One side of the bracket will have Southern Oregon, Oregon Tech, and
Northwest, with the other half having Carroll, Montana Tech, and Western
Baptist. The top team in Bracket A will
meet the No. 2 team in Bracket B in the semifinals, with the No. 1 team in
Bracket B meeting the No. 2 team from Bracket A. The winners will meet to determine the one berth to nationals
from the Region I.
RECORDS BROKEN: Three single-game records were tied or broken
this year. Ashlea Thornton tied the
school record with 81 attacks against Northwest Nazarene, while Fran Hartman
tied the block assist record with ten against Western Baptist. Libero Kahli Mann (Nampa, Idaho /
Skyview HS) set a rally-scoring record with 34 digs against Northwest
Nazarene. Seven new slots were carved
out of the single-season record book – led by new top marks by Erin Cherrington
(12.54 assists per game) and Mann (5.15 digs per game). Mann also ranks fourth with 489 digs, while
Katie Hogue is second, averaging 1.33 blocks per game – to go along with 126
total blocks, seventh-highest total in a season. Cherrington ranks eighth in a season with 1,191 assists, with
Thornton ranking fifth, averaging 3.92 kills per game. Five players rank on the career top-ten –
Cherrington is fourth all-time in assists (1,911), Fran Hartman is tied for
seventh in kills (634), Thornton is ninth in kills (590), with Jenn Luchini (Cataldo,
Idaho / Kellogg HS) ranking tenth in aces (95). Rounding out the group is Mann, who finishes her career fifth in
aces (110) and tenth in digs (862).
MORE
INFORMATION: Updated information and statistics on the 2004
volleyball team can be found on the Albertson volleyball official website at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/vball.htm. Up-to-date Cascade Conference standings can
be found online at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/vball/stats/standings.htm.
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