Yote Notes – Nov. 12, 2007

Mike Safford Jr. – Sports Info. Director

msafford@collegeofidaho.edu

 

 

 

 

ATHLETIC NEWS:

 

C OF I-NNU TAILGATE PARTY: The College of Idaho alumni office is sponsoring a tailgate party prior to next Tuesday’s men’s basketball game at the Idaho Center against Northwest Nazarene.  It will take place behind the curtains on the North end of the area, from 5-7 p.m.  Cost is $5.00, which can be paid at the event – but RSVP’s must be made by calling 459-5300.

 

HOMECOMING FESTIVITIES: The C of I will be holding their annual Homecoming festivities around the Golden Rule Shoot-Out – with added activities to go along with the basketball games.  On both Friday and Saturday, there will be pregame tailgate parties, running from 5:30 to 7 p.m.  On Saturday, the Alumni Office will also be selling Homecoming Buttons for $1.00.

 

BASEBALL TEAM RANKED SECOND IN PRESEASON REGIONAL POLL: The College of Idaho baseball team was ranked No. 2 in the preseason NAIA Region I poll, released Monday afternoon by the NAIA.  The Yotes finished the 2007 season with a 31-17 record and a runner-up finish at the NAIA Region I Tournament.

 

TAYLOR BECOMES TV ANALYST: C of I women’s soccer coach Niki Taylor handed over her whistle for a microphone last weekend, as she was the color analyst for the television broadcasts of the Western Athletic Conference women’s soccer championships, hosted by Boise State.  Taylor, who was an assistant at BSU for three years, worked alongside KBCI-TV sports anchor Andrew Marden, during the event.

 

HERE COME THE ORANGES: Once again this fall, The C of I baseball team will be holding their annual Orange Sale.  Along with the oranges, the Coyotes will also sell boxes of grapefruits and three different types of apples.  To secure your fruit, contact head coach Shawn Humberger at 459-5861.

 

MEN’S BASKETBALL: Yotes set for United Heritage TipOff against NNU, host 21st Annual Golden Rule Shoot-Out

 

COMING UP: Exhibition vs. NW Nazarene, Tuesday, 7:05 p.m. (United Heritage TipOff), Host 21st Annual Golden Rule Shoot-Out – Friday vs. Willamette, 8 p.m.; Saturday vs. Westminster, 8 p.m.

 

LAST WEEK: at Quinn Classic, La Grande, Ore. – vs. Montana-Western (W 66-57), vs. Montana Tech (W 78-70)

 

RADIO: All 30 regular-season games and both exhibition games will be broadcast live in the Treasure Valley on 1490 KCID-AM, the Home of the Coyotes.  Sports information director Mike Safford returns for his seventh-year as Voice of the Coyotes, with the pregame show begining 20-minutes prior to tip-off each night.  Most games will also be simulcast online via The C of I athletic website at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/caa/radio.htm,  Tuesday’s game with NNU will also be carried on 950 KNJY-AM with Craig Stensgaard calling the action.

 

TELEVISION: The United Heritage TipOff will also be carried live by KTVB-TV (cable channel 28, digital channel 7.2, UHF channel 49) with sports director David Augusto calling the play-by-play and former BSU player Brian King handling the color-commentary. It is the fourth-straight season the game has been carried live on television.

 

TICKETS TO THE TIP-OFF: Tickets for the United Heritage TipOff can be purchased in the ticket offices of both The C of I and NNU, along with www.ictickets.com and at the Idaho box office. Tickets are $7.00 for adults, $5.00 for seniors, $2.00 for students, and $20.00 for coaches row tickets (a one-dollar surcharge will be added to any ticket purchased at the Idaho). Center Center

 

OLDEST COLLEGIATE BASKETBALL RIVALRY IN IDAHO: The recorded history of The C of I-NNU series began in 1933, with the College knocking off Northwest Nazarene, 23-16. Overall, the two teams have met 183 times in men’s basketball, with the Coyotes holding a 111-72 advantage. The Coyotes have had three seven-game win streaks in the series (1952-56,1960-62. 1984-86), while NNU has won five games in a row three times (1975-76, 1977-80, and 1996-97).  The last two meetings – both wins for the Coyotes, were exhibition games for both teams, and do not count in the all-time series standings. of Idaho

 

TEAMS ON A NATIONAL SCENE: Both the Coyotes and Crusaders have been very successful on the national stage over the course of the last four decades. The C of I has advanced to 17 NAIA national tournaments, including five of the last seven years – winning the 1996 crown. Northwest Nazarene, before their move to the NCAA Division II made nine appearances in the NAIA tourney, with a second and three third-place finishes. The two schools combined have a 31-24 record at nationals.

 

HISTORY OF THE TIP-OFF: It is the sixth time that the Yotes and Crusaders have met in the Idaho Center – with crowds each season approaching 5,000 fans.  The C of I holds victories in four of the five previous meetings – winning in 2000 (73-59), 2001 (99-86), 2005 (78-71), and 2006 (88-80), while NNU notched their only win in 2004 (78-75).

 

ABOUT THE CRUSADERS: NNU is coming off a 10-17 season, but return a quartet of quality players that hope to improve on the seventh-place ranking in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference preseason poll.  2007 GNAC Freshman of the Year Justin Parnell (14.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.3 apg) leads the returners, as the Crusaders bring back three solid big-men – sophomore Kendall Gielow (12.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg), junior Jason Simmons (9.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg), and Scott Helpenstell – who missed all of last year due to injury.  NNU has played a pair of exhibition games already this season, defeating Northwest Christian, 91-63, and losing at the University of Utah, 88-43.

 

YOTES SET TO HOST 21ST GOLDEN RULE:  This weekend marks the 21st edition of the Duane Wolfe Memorial Golden Rule Shoot-Out, tabbed the “Premier Small-College Tournament in the West.” A total of 31 different teams have played in the tournament from 1987-2006, which has seen six different champions.

 

PAST GOLDEN RULE CHAMPIONS: 2006 – College of Idaho, 2005- Westminster, 2004 – C of I, 2003- Westminster, 2002 – C of I, 2001 – Westminster, 2000 – C of I, 1999 – C of I, 1998 – Northwest Nazarene, 1997 – NNU, 1996 – NNU, 1995 – Willamette, 1994 – C of I, 1993 – C of I, 1992 Central Washington, 1991 – NNU, 1990 – C of I, 1989 – CWU, 1988 – NNU, 1987 – NNU.

 

REPEAT OF 2006 GOLDEN RULE SHOOT-OUT: The 2007 version of the Golden Rule Shoot-Out will be identical to the 2006 GRSO – as the same four teams will battle, with the schedule exactly the same as last year.  The Yotes will open up with Willamette, who claimed the 1995 GRSO title and went 1-1 in the tourney last year.  The Bearcats (10-17 last season), a member of the NCAA Division III’s Northwest Conference, return seven players from a year ago, led by Michael Smith (11.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg), Kyler McClary (11.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg), and Ian Mansfield (9.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg).  Last season, the Yotes sprinted past the Bearcats, 116-77 – the largest margin of victory for the Yotes in the 110 game series, dating back to 1934.  Willamette, however, holds the all-time series edge, 68-42.  Day 2 has the Yotes meet rival Westminster, the three-time tournament champion.  The Griffins (3-1) are coming off a big weekend in the San Diego area, earning victories over San Diego Christian and Point Loma Nazarene.  Tommy Connor’s bunch is led by sophomore forward Danny Stosich (21.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and guards Jordan Jacobs (11.3 ppg, 41 3FG%) and Danny Reeder (10.8 ppg, 7.3 apg).  It marks the 31st meeting between the teams since 1947, with the Yotes holding a 16-14 series edge.  The fourth team in the tournament and not facing the Coyotes in the Classic format is Eastern Oregon, picked to finish second in the Cascade Conference preseason poll.  The Mountaineers (5-0) are coming off a pair of lopsided wins over Montana Tech and Montana-Western in the Quinn Classic, and are led by guards Mark Carollo (16.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and Jeremy Templeton (12.8 ppg, 5.4 apg), and forward Neil Fryer (15.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg).  Eastern went 1-1 in their first GRSO appearance last season.

 

LATE RUN LIFTS C OF I PAST WESTERN: A back-pick sprung Kurt Nielson (Rexburg, Idaho / Eastern Utah CC) to a lay-up inside the final three minutes, igniting an 11-0 run as The College of Idaho picked up their first win of the 2007-08 season, stopping Montana-Western, 66-57, in the opening game of the Quinn Classic on Friday night.  Trailing 54-53 with 2:50 left, Craig McGee (Boise, Idaho / Centennial HS) found Nielson off the pick for the go-ahead lay-in.  After a Western turnover, Nielson beat the shot clock with a trey from the right wing, with the Yotes icing the game with 8-for-8 free throw shooting down the stretch.  McGee led the Coyotes (1-2) with 16 points - one of four players in double figures.  Nielson had 15 points, Josh Owen (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS) 14, and Bryan Champ (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS) 12 in the win.  Western, which held a 40-19 rebound edge, got 14 points and 12 rebounds from Aaron Sims, but were plauged by 27 turnovers.

 

YOTES GO WIRE-TO-WIRE VS. TECH: A 14-2 run to open the ball game gave The C of I a lead it would never relinquish, as the Coyotes completed a weekend sweep at the Quinn Classic, stopping Montana Tech, 78-70, on Saturday night.  The Yotes got buckets from Bryan Champ and Craig McGee, a pair of Josh Owen free throws, and treys from Kurt Nielson and Steffen Spinks (Manteca, Calif. / East Union HS) in the opening five minutes to build the early advantage.  The lead would grow to 48-31 in the second half, but the Orediggers would rally, cutting the margin to 54-51 with 9:58 to play.  However, the Yotes would respond, with a McGee three-point play capping a 9-0 run to put the game out of reach.  All five starters scored in double figures for the Yotes, led by a career-high 19 points, five rebounds, and five steals from Champ.  McGee had 16 points and six rebounds, Owen had 15 points, Spinks 14, and Nielson ten.  Tech was led by a 24 point night from Dusan Veselinovic and 14 from Jeramie Hopson.

 

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: Following the tournament, the Yotes had one member of the All-Tournament Team at the Quinn Classic – Bryan Champ.  The junior averaged 15.5 points a game in the two wins, while recording nine steals.  He was joined by Eastern Oregon’s Neil Fryer and Jeremy Templeton, Montana-Western’s Aaron Sims, and Montana Tech’s Dusan Veselinovic.

 

STARTERS LEAD THE WAY: The Yotes did not get much production from their bench in the two wins this weekend, scoring just nine points in the win over UM-Western, and tallying just four of the 78 points in the win over Montana Tech.

 

STRUGGLING FROM THREE-LAND, OR ARE THEY?: After the first two weekends, it looks on paper that the Coyotes are struggling from outside the arc – hitting just .264 percent from three.  However, the number is skewed – as the Yotes top three-point threats, Josh Owen and Phillip Matcham (Fresno, Calif. / Fresno City CC) are a combined 4-for-44 from distance.  Taking those numbers out, the remaining members of the team have hit a solid .442 percent of their three-point efforts.

 

NAIA POLL: The preseason NAIA Division II poll was released on Oct. 31, with three teams from the CCC in the Top-25.  Warner Pacific was ranked No. 3, Oregon Tech was ranked No. 11, and Eastern Oregon was ranked No. 18.  The Yotes earned 13 points in the poll, listed in the Others Receiving Votes category.  The C of I has a streak of 15 consecutive years of Top-25 rankings on the line in 2007-08.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on the Coyotes, head to the official homepage of The C of I men’s basketball – www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/mensbasketball.htm.

 

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Lady Yotes hit road for two games in Great Falls, rematch with Westminster

 

COMING UP: at Townhouse Inn Classic, Great Falls, Mont. – Friday vs. Montana State-Northern, 6 p.m.; Saturday vs. Great Falls, 4 p.m.; at No. 24 Westminster, Monday, 6 p.m.

 

LAST WEEK: vs. No. 24 Westminster (L 84-79)

 

YOTES BEGIN LONG NON-CONFERENCE ROAD TRIP: After opening up the regular-season with a home date against Westminster, the Lady Yotes will play the remaining six non-conference games on the road.  The C of I will play three games in four nights this weekend in the Intermountain West, then travel to the Wells Fargo Invitational in Lewiston in early December, and close out the schedule with a New Years Eve game at Northwest Nazarene.

 

ABOUT MSU-NORTHERN AND GREAT FALLS: The Lady Yotes make a trip to the Electric City on the Missouri River for the first time since the 2001-02 season.  The C of I opens the Townhouse Inn Classic with a battle against Montana State-Northern, from Havre.  The Skylights (4-1) are coming off a 17-12 season a year ago – after advancing to the NAIA Tournament in 2006, and opened with wins over Lethbridge, Regina, Fresno Pacific, and Minot State, before losing at Minot State on Saturday night.  MSU is led by 6-3 center Stacie Baker (11.5 ppg, 13.0 rpg) and 5-11 wing Dana Ball.  The teams have met four previous times, with the Skylights holding a 3-1 series edge – with the Yotes winning their lone game back in 2005, an 80-77 decision in Havre.  Saturday, the Yotes meet host Great Falls, who has already doubled their win total from last season.  The Argonauts (4-3) have played well this season, thanks to the efforts of guard Laura Keaster (20.0 ppg, 4.2 apg) and forwards Jocelyn Moore (14.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg) and Joslin Swartz (14.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg) – and are coming off a win at Dickinson State.  It is the ninth meeting between the teams, with the Lady Yotes holding a 6-2 series edge.

 

REMATCH WITH WESTMINSTER: Following a travel day, the Lady Yotes will close out the road trip and their pre-conference schedule with a battle at Westminster, whom topped The C of I, 84-79, on Saturday night.  The Griffins (3-0) were led in the game by Alexis Tucker, whose 22 points and ten rebounds helped the Salt Lake City school to the road win.  Turnovers were prevalent in the game, as the Yotes forced 36 Westminster miscues.  The Griffins have now won their last three meetings with the Lady Yotes.

 

HORNER PERFECT FROM FIELD: It was a good debut for transfer ShaNae Horner (West Jordan, Utah / Snow CC), who was a perfect 5-for-5 from the field – tying the school record for field goal percentage in a game.  She was one of five players in double figures, led by 14 points from Christon Vander Esch (Riggins, Idaho / Treasure Valley CC).  Whitney Clark (Jerome, Idaho / Northwest Nazarene U.) had 13 points, Kayla Brewer (Arco, Idaho / Butte County HS) had 11, and Denise Hill (Eugene, Ore. / Boise State U.) had ten points and eight rebounds.

 

SLOW GAME: Despite starting at the same time as the Coyote men’s game in La Grande on Saturday, the Lady Yote-Westminster contest finished nearly 20 minutes later.  The game was played at a crawl, as the officials combined to whistle 47 fouls and the teams combined to commit 69 turnovers.

 

RECORD WATCH: Two Lady Yote players are currently listed on The C of I career top-ten list.  Whitney Clark finds her name in five separate categories – No. 5 in three-pointers made (100) and attempted (320), No. 6 in free throws made (205), No. 7 in free throw attempts (265), and No. 9 in points scored (792).  Christon Vander Esch ranks tenth in school history in blocked shots (33).

 

AROUND THE CONFERENCE: Nearly every team in the league has now seen action during the 2007-08 season – with a few teams surprising early.  Leading that list is Northwest Christian, who went to California and defeated Dominican and nearly sprung an upset of Holy Names.  Also playing well is Cascade, who is a perfect 4-0 this season – while Northwest dropped their first two games in South Dakota, losing to Black Hills State and South Dakota Mines.  Oregon Tech opened with two wins over Bethany of California, while Evergreen State dropped an exhibition to St. Martin’s.  This weekend, all 11 teams in the league will be in action.

 

NATIONAL POLL: No Cascade Conference team was in the preseason NAIA Division II Top-25 poll, released on Oct. 31.  However, both The C of I and Eastern Oregon were among the teams receiving votes.  The next national poll will be released in early December.

 

ABOUT THE COACH: Reagan Rossi begins her seventh season as head coach of the Lady Yotes. During her first six seasons at The College of Idaho, the native of Mukwonago, Wisc. has compiled a 97-86 overall record, with six consecutive appearances in the Cascade Conference Tournament.  The 35-year-old took a 2001-02 team that had only one returning starter and only four players with extensive collegiate experience, and brought the Lady Yotes to within one game of the national tournament.  During the 2004-05 season, she did it again.  The squad, which had just two players with considerable experience with the Coyotes, won 20 games, and dropped the CCC Tournament title game to Western Baptist, 60-57.  This past season, she took a squad with one returning starter and five true freshmen and won 19 games, earning an NAIA Top-25 ranking, and advancing to the CCC semifinals.  Rossi was no stranger to The C of I, as she was a member of Todd Corman's inaugural coaching staff for two seasons, and was on the bench when the Coyotes took to the floor for the first time on Nov. 4, 1995 against Carroll College, ending an 18-year hiatus of women's basketball at the school.  Rossi has an extensive background in coaching -  having been an assistant coach at Georgetown (Ky.), a fellow NAIA institution, along with Morehead State (Ky.), an NCAA Division I program.   Before coming to The C of I in 1995, Rossi was an assistant coach with the Skagway High School boys' varsity team in Skagway, Alaska.   A 1994 graduate of Saint Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, Rossi played four years of college basketball for the Queen Bees.  Two of her teams qualified for the NAIA National Tournament, including the 1993-94 squad which advanced into the "Sweet Sixteen."  She was the starting point-guard for two seasons, averaging ten points and six assists per game during her senior season.  In 2006, she was inducted into the Mukwonago High School Hall of Fame.  She and husband Rudy live in Caldwell - and have three-year-old twin daughters, Maggie and Darby.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on the Lady Yotes, head to the official homepage of The C of I women’s basketball – www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wmensbasketball.htm.

 

 

VOLLEYBALL: No. 8 ranked Lady Yotes earn top seed in this week’s NAIA Region I Championships

 

LAST WEEK: vs. Eastern Oregon (W 3-0), vs. Northwest Christian (W 3-0)

 

COMING UP: at NAIA Region I Tournament, Spokane Valley, Wash. – Thursday vs. Rocky Mountain, 10 a.m. (PST), vs. Westminster, 3:30 p.m. (PST); Friday vs. Montana Tech, 11:30 a.m. (PST),  vs. TBA (semifinals), TBA; Saturday vs. TBA (finals), 2 p.m. (PST)

 

SPOKANE VALLEY SET TO HOST FINAL REGIONAL: This year will mark the final NAIA Region I Volleyball Tournament, as next year, the NAIA will move to a direct qualification process, through individual conferences, for National Tournament selection.  However, unlike in the past, neither the Cascade Conference, nor the Frontier Conference champion will host the regional.  Instead, the Spokane Sports Commission will run the event at The Valley HUB in Spokane Valley, Wash. – allowing the eight-team field to participate on two Sport Courts, along with having a pair of courts to warm up on.

 

HOST HOTEL, TOURNEY INFO: All teams will be staying at the Mirabeau Park Hotel and Convention Center throughout the event.  Ticket prices are identical to last season, $7.00 per day or $15.00 for an All-Tournament pass.  No complimentary tickets will be issued, except for NAIA passes.

 

YOTES EARN NO. 1 SEED FOR SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR: For the second-consecutive season, The C of I earned the top seed in the Regional.  They are followed by Southern Oregon, Lewis-Clark State, Westminster, Montana Tech, Great Falls, Oregon Tech, and Rocky Mountain.  With the advent of an eight-team event, pool play will consist of three games instead of two – with the top-two teams in each pool moving on to the semifinal round.

 

REGIONAL POOLS: Pool A will consist of the No. 1, 4, 5, and 8 seeds (C of I, Westminster, Montana Tech, Rocky Mountain), while Pool B will consist of the No. 2, 3, 6, and 7 seeds (Southern Oregon, Lewis-Clark State, Great Falls, Oregon Tech).

 

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE: Thursday – 10 a.m. C of I vs. Rocky, Westminster vs. Montana Tech; 12:30 p.m. Southern Oregon vs. OIT, L-C State vs. Great Falls; 3:30 p.m. C of I vs. Westminster, Rocky vs. Montana Tech; 6 p.m. Southern Oregon vs. LC-State, OIT vs. Great Falls.  Friday – 9 a.m. Westminster vs. Rocky, OIT vs. LC-State; 11:30 a.m. C of I vs. Montana Tech, Southern Oregon vs. Great Falls; 2 p.m. Pool A and B tiebreakers; 5:30 p.m. Pool A #1 vs. Pool B #2 (Semifinal); 8 p.m. Pool B #1vs. Pool A #2 (Semifinal); Saturday – 2 p.m. Regional Championship.

 

ABOUT THE TEAMS: The Yotes will face all three teams in Pool A play, beginning with their match against Rocky Mountain.  The Bears (14-15) were the No. 4 team in the Frontier regular-season, but lost in the opening round of their conference tournament.  Rocky is led by Jessica Eliasson (3.1 k/g, 1.0 b/g) and Kelly Fox (2.4 k/g, 1.3 b/g).  It is the sixth meeting between the teams, with the Yotes holding a 3-2 series edge.  They’ll then meet Westminster, whom the Yotes knocked out of last season’s regional in the semifinals.  The Griffins (21-8) have been in the NAIA all season and topped The C of I in five games in the season opener.  The No. 2 team from the Frontier is led by All-American Angie Johnson (3.9 k/g, 1.9 d/g), along with Alison Culp (3.1 k/g, 2.8 d/g) and Bree Riet (6.5 d/g).  The Yotes lead the all-time series, 14-1.  Rounding out Pool Play is a match-up with Montana Tech, whom the Coyotes defeated in four games at last season’s regional.  The Orediggers (19-10) have received votes in the NAIA poll all season, but have yet to crack the Top-25.  Leading the Diggers are hitters Katie Daly (3.3 k/g, 1.6 b/g) and Maria McNeil (3.6 k/g, 0.7 b/g), and setter Jodi Hogart (10.7 a/g, 2.6 d/g).  The two teams have met 13 times, with the Yotes holding a 9-4 series edge.  If The C of I advances to the semifinals, they could meet up with four different teams.  Southern Oregon is the hottest team in the tourney, having won 21 matches in a row.  The Raiders (26-4) are paced by CCC Player of the Year Lindsey Stone (12.6 a/g, 2.0 d/g) and hitters Richelle Milsap (3.2 k/g, 0.7 b/g) and Mia Wortel (3.7 k/g, 1.3 b/g).  The Yotes and Southern have faced each other 67 previous times, with SOU holding a 52-15 edge.  Fellow CCC rival, Oregon Tech, advanced to the tournament after being left out of the party in 2006.  The Owls (23-10) are led by Michelle Klaja (3.5 k/g, 2.6 d/g) and Nicole Andrews (2.7 k/g, 0.6 d/g).  The Yotes hold the all-time series lead, 30-17.  Two Frontier teams round out the pool, Lewis-Clark State and Great Falls.  L-C (21-5) was the Frontier regular-season and tourney champion, thanks to the play of Cintia Alessi (2.2 k/g, 4.4 d/g) and Brittney Kubik (2.3 k/g, 1.5 b/g).  The Warrior have met The C of I on 16 occasions, with L-C holding a 9-7 series edge.  UGF (13-12) has had an up-and-down regular-season, finishing fifth in the Frontier regular-season, but placing fourth in the Frontier tourney, earning a spot in the Regional.  The Argonauts are led by blocker Samantha Bull (3.4 k/g, 0.9 b/g), hitter Brittney Prater (3.1k/g, 2.8 d/g), and libero Kari Schiller (6.2 d/g).  UGF topped the Yotes in five games earlier this season, but The C of I defeated the Argos in four games to win the 2006 Region I title.

 

YOTES AGAINST THE TEAMS: The Coyotes have faced five of the seven teams in the field – going a combined 4-3 against the squads.  The C of I split a pair of matches with Southern Oregon and lost five-set matches to Westminster and Great Falls to open the season.  They swept the season series with Oregon Tech and defeated Lewis-Clark State in three games.

 

WIN STREAKS CONTINUE: The Lady Yotes extended both of their long win streaks last weekend with their wins over Eastern Oregon and Northwest Christian.  The C of I extended their streak against teams not receiving votes in the NAIA poll to 62 in a row. – a streak that dates back to August of 2005.  The Lady Yotes have also won 36 games in a row in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center, dating back to the 2005 season.

 

PERFECT AT HOME FOR THIRD TIME IN FOUR YEARS: The Lady Yotes have enjoyed much success in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center over the last 12 years, compiling a 129-36 record in the building – winning 78-percent of their matches.  Over the last three seasons, The C of I has a staggering 48-2 record at home, including the current 36-match home win streak.  Under Liz Mendiola, the Lady Yotes have a 77-12 record at home.

 

NAIA POLL: Last week, the Lady Yotes fell one spot in last week’s NAIA Top-25 poll, sitting in the No. 8 spot.  The C of I has now been ranked in the Top-25 in each of the last 23 rankings.  Nine teams the Yotes faced this season are in the Top-25 - No. 1 Fresno Pacific, No. 4 Biola, No. 9 Point Loma Nazarene, No. 10 Southern Oregon No. 11 National American, No. 17 Vanguard, No. 20 Lewis-Clark State, No. 24 Westminster, and No. 25 Savannah A&D, with the Yotes going 4-6 in the ten matches against the teams.  The final NAIA poll will be released this Wednesday afternoon by the national office in Kansas City, Mo.

 

PREVIOUS NATIONAL POLLS: The Coyotes have been ranked in the Top-25 on 28 occasions in program history – the second (No. 24) and third (No. 19) polls of the 1997 season, the preseason (No. 15) and first poll (No. 19) of the 2001 season, the final poll during the 2005 season (No. 24), the preseason poll and all 11 rankings during the 2006 season, the 2007 preseason poll., and the ten regular-season polls this season.  The C of I has been ranked as high as No. 6 in the poll, that coming during the 2007 preseason poll.

 

RECORD BOOK: Six Coyotes continued their climb up the career record book.  Katie Hogue (Sparks, Nev. / Reed HS) ranks first all-time in blocks (551), third in kills (1,283), fifth in aces (176), and sixth games played (435).  Anne Parker (Pocatello, Idaho / Century HS) is fourth all-time in blocks (377) and is ninth in kills (874), with Kathryn Ely (La Grande, Ore. / La Grande HS) now fifth on the all-time kills list (1,112).  Tiffany Sower (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS) is now fourth in all-time in aces (178) and in digs (1,168), along with seventh in games played (434), while Catherine Everist (Portland, Ore. / Chicago State U.) is third all-time in digs (1,357).  Rounding out the list is the newest member, Kristin Henning (Boise, Idaho / Boise HS, who is ninth in blocks (249) – while playing less than two years.

 

CONFERENCE / NATIONAL STATISTICS: As a team, the Yotes lead the CCC in aces per game (2.53), opponents attack percentage (.105), and blocks per game (3.11), are second in hitting percentage (.236), kills per game (14.63), and in assists per game (13.33), while they are fourth in digs per game (17.80), Kristin Henning leads the league in blocks per game (1.56) and is second in attack percentage (.366), while Katie Hogue ranks in the Top-10 in three categories – second in blocks (1.40), sixth in hitting percentage (.287), and tenth in aces (0.44).  Other Yotes in the Top-10 are Catherine Everist, who is No. 2 in digs (5.56), Sarah Buhler (Middleton, Idaho / Middleton HS) is No. 6 in blocks (1.12), Ashley Galeai (Nampa, Idaho / Skyview HS) is No. 4 in aces (0.48) and No. 6 in assists (7.40), Madie Machurek (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS) is No. 8 in aces per game (0.44), Kathryn Ely is No. 10 in kills per game (3.1), Katie Zillner (Emmett, Idaho / Chicago State U.) is No. 10 in hitting percentage (.243),  and Anne Parker is No. 9 in blocks (1.00). 

 

EVERIST NAMED TOP LIBERO, MENDIOLA COACH OF THE YEAR: On Monday, the Cascade Conference handed out their annual awards, with a pair of Coyotes earning top honors.  Libero Catherine Everist was named Co-Libero of the Year, sharing the honors with Concordia’s Rachel Cotter.  Everist, who set a school record for digs and digs per game last season, has 567 digs this year and looks to become the first C of I player to have 600 or more digs in back-to-back seasons.  Earning Co-Coach of the Year honors was Liz Mendiola, who shares the award with Southern Oregon’s Josh Rohlfing.  Mendiola has a 158-63 record in her seven seasons as Lady Yote head coach.  Player of the Year honors went to Southern Oregon’s Lindsey Stone, while Northwest’s Lauren Holtz was named Freshman of the Year.

 

HOGUE, ZILLNER, ELY HONORED BY CCC: Joining Cathernie Everist on the 12-person All-CCC team was seniors Katie Hogue and Katie Zillner.  Hogue has been a member of the All-CCC team all four years at The C of I, earning Freshman of the Year honors in 2004, and All-CCC honors in 2005 and 2006.  Zillner adds the volleyball award to her mantle – as she is a two-time All-CCC selection in softball.  Earning honorable mention honors was Kathryn Ely, after leading the Yotes with 293 kills during the regular season.

 

YOTES TOP EASTERN FOR 26TH-STRAIGHT TIME: Kathryn Ely torched her hometown school for 12 kills as the Yotes continued their dominance of Eastern Oregon, stopping the Mountaineers 30-20, 30-13, 30-20 Tuesday night.  The win for The C of I was their 26th-in-a-row against their I-84 rivals, dating back to 1996.  Eastern took an early 6-3 lead in Game 1, but the Yotes used a six-point push, keyed by back-to-back Sarah Buhler kills, to take the lead.  The Coyotes would not trail again, as Anne Parker had four kills in the frame.  Game 2 was all C of I, jumping out to a 15-4 edge, thanks to a .350 hitting percentage, then closed out the match with a Katie Hogue ace.  Buhler had 11 kills and Zillner added ten in the win, while Hogue recorded eight kills and six blocks.  Ashley Galeai recorded 30 assists, with Catherine Everist leading the defense with 15 digs.

 

C OF I ENDS HOME SEASON WITH SWEEP OF NORTHWEST CHRISTIAN: Kathryn Ely paced the Coyote attack with 11 kills, as The C of I clinched their second-straight Cascade Conference regular-season title with a 30-17, 30-27, 30-13 victory over Northwest Christian before a raucous crowd in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center on Friday night.  The Lady Yotes extended their home win streak to 36 in a row, completing their second-straight undefeated season at home, and secured the No. 1 seed in the NAIA Region I Tournament.  The five seniors did not disappoint in their final home match of their careers - Katie Hogue had ten block assists, Anne Parker added six kills and six blocks, Katie Zillner had seven kills, Catherine Everist recorded 11 digs, and Tiffany Sower recorded her 178th ace of her career in the win.  The Beacons, playing in their first-ever match in Caldwell, got seven kills from Brooke Stribling, but could not overcome 26 attack errors.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on The C of I volleyball program, head to the official homepage of the Lady Yotes, www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/vball.htm.

 

CROSS COUNTRY: Coyote men set for NAIA Championships in Wisconsin

 

COMING UP: NAIA Championships, Kenosha, Wisc. – Saturday, 10 a.m.

 

COYOTE MEN SET FOR NATIONAL MEET: The College of Idaho men’s cross country team was one of four teams from the NAIA Region I to earn berths to the NAIA Championships, set for this Saturday in Kenosha, Wisc.  The Yotes join regional champion Simon Fraser, and at-large selections Eastern Oregon and Lewis-Clark State in the national meet.  It marks the second time in three seasons that the Yotes will compete as a team at Nationals – the 2005 squad placed 19th overall.

 

TRAVEL PLANS: The Yotes will travel seven runners to the meet – leaving Boise for Chicago on Thursday and traveling back to the Treasure Valley immediately following the race. 

 

WHO IS FAVORED: A trio of Upper Midwest teams look to take home the hardware in 2007, as Malone (Ohio) has been the top team in the NAIA throughout the season.  Right at their heels are a pair of Michigan schools – Aquinas and Cornerstone, while Region II champion, Cal State-San Marcos, looks to make noise.

 

HELM HEADED AS AT-LARGE RUNNER: Also headed to Nationals is women’s standout, Stephanie Helm (Challis, Idaho / Challis HS), who earned one of the five Region I at-large berths after placing ninth at the NAIA Region I Championships.  Helm, the 2007 Cascade Conference Women’s Runner of the Year, will be the second Lady Yote to compete at Nationals – joining Shannon Edwards, who ran in the NAIA Championships in 2004 and 2005.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on The C of I cross country program, head to the official homepage of the Yotes, www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/xc.htm.

 

SWIMMING: Three Lady Yotes earn NAIA marks in home dual

 

LAST WEEK: Women vs. Boise State (L 156-80), Women vs. Mesa State (L 152-100)

 

COMING UP: at Northwest Invitational, McMinnville, Ore. – November 30 and December 1.

 

YOTES SWIM WELL IN HOME DUAL: Three College of Idaho swimmers met NAIA Automatic qualifying times Saturday afternoon, as the Lady Yotes held their first home dual of the season against Boise State and Mesa State.  In the team scoring, BSU topped The C of I 156-80, while Mesa State stopped the Yotes, 152-100, in the long-course dual.  Alphonsina Savell (Caldwell, Idaho / Caldwell HS) was the top Coyote in the meet, winning both the 100-breaststroke and the 200-breaststroke events.  Her time in the 100-breast (1:13.24) was her fastest of the season, while her 200-breast time (2:38.49) met the NAIA standard.  Savell was joined in the 200-breast by Ellen Judd (Missoula, Mont. / Sentinel HS), who met the NAIA standard with a time of 2:41.44.  Ashlee Byrnes (Vancouver, Wash. / Columbia River HS) had a great swim in the 200-fly, setting a school-record in an NAIA qualifying time of 2:33.47. 

 

RECORDS FALL: Two other school records fell in the meet, as Annie Younggren (Island City, Ore. / La Grande HS) broke her own record in the 200-free (2:09.38), with Mariel Davis (Santa Fe, N.M. / Laurel Springs School) breaking her mark in the 100-fly (1:05.51).

 

NAIA AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS: Casey Walker (Caldwell, Idaho / Skyview HS) – 100-backstroke; John Green (Pleasanton, Calif. / Foothill HS) – 50-freestyle; Alphonsina Savell – 100-breaststroke, 200-breaststroke; Ellen Judd – 200-breaststroke; Ashlee Byrnes – 200-butterfly; Men’s 200-freestyle relay; Men’s 200-medley relay; Women’s 200-freestyle relay; Women’s 200-medley relay.

 

NAIA BONUS CUT QUALIFIERS (must have at least one “A” qualifying time): Casey Walker – 100-butterfly, 200-IM; John Green – 100-freestyle; Alphonsina Savell – 200-IM; Ellen Judd – 100-breaststroke.

 

OFF UNTIL AFTER TURKEY DAY: Both the men’s and women’s swim teams will compete next at the Northwest Invitational, to be held this year at Linfield College in McMinnville, Ore.  The meet will bring together the nine NCAA Division III Northwest Conference schools, along with the Coyotes for the two-day, meet.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more on the Coyote swim team, head to the official homepage of The C of I, www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/swim.htm.

 

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