Yote Notes – Nov. 20, 2007
Mike Safford Jr. – Sports
Info. Director
ATHLETIC
NEWS:
16 COYOTES EARN SCHOLAR-ATHLETE
HONORS: The College
of Idaho announced Tuesday that 16 student-athletes, representing five
fall sports teams, were named Daktronics/NAIA
All-America Scholar-Athletes. The
recipients needed to be of at least junior status and maintain a cumulative
grade point average of 3.50 or greater. Last
year, the Yotes had a school-record 29 scholar-athletes and are on pace to
shatter that number during the 2007-08 season.
The honorees (by sport) - Men's Soccer - Stephen Reinschmidt (Mountain Home), Derek Erstad
(Boise),
Cameron Johnson (Eagle). Women's
Soccer - Kat Becker (Salt Lake City, UT), Katie Ball (Boise), Laura Fink
(Boise), Ryann Lagomarsino
(Fair Oaks, CA), Nikki Anderson (Citrus Heights, CA). Men's Cross Country - Jesse Chlebeck (Eagan,
MN), Sam Hardy (Eagle), Rich
Hatch (Emmett). Women's Cross Country -
Megan Longo (Couer d'Alene), Genny
Gerke (Boise), Megan Haenszel (Eagan, MN), Tegan Troutner
(Lake Fork)
Volleyball - Catherine Everist (Portland, OR).
PENROD NAMED MEN’S SOCCER
ALL-AMERICAN:
Junior forward, Alex Penrod, was named today to the
NAIA All-America Men's Soccer Team, announced today at the NAIA Championships
in Olathe, Kan. The
Las Vegas
native, who led the Yotes with nine goals this season, was listed as an
honorable mention selection. He was also a first-team All-Cascade
Conference and first-team All-NAIA Region I selection.
EVERIST NAMED LIBERO OF THE YEAR: Catherine Everist
was honored today by the NAIA Region I as Libero of
the Year, as the All-Region teams were announced by information director, Sam Ghrist. The senior
from Portland, Ore.,
became the first College
of Idaho player to record
back-to-back 600 dig seasons and averaged 5.53 digs per game this year.
She holds the No. 1 and No. 3 spots on the single-season dig list and now holds
the school record for digs per game average in a career. Joining her on the All-Region team were
seniors Katie Hogue and Katie Zillner. Hogue,
an All-Region selection for the third-straight year, set a new school record
with 161 total blocks on the season. She finishes her C of I career among
the Top-10 all-time in six career categories - including a school record 571
blocks. Zillner, who is a two-time All-Region
selection in softball, was an honorable mention selection this year in
volleyball. She ranked second on the team in kills per game this season
and finishes her career with 590 kills.
YOTES RECEIVE VOTES IN NAIA BASEBALL
PRESEASON POLL: The
College of Idaho
baseball team earned five votes in the NAIA Preseason Top-25 Coaches Poll,
released last week by the national office in Kansas City, Mo. The Yotes, who were picked second in the NAIA
Region I poll, open up the season in early February at home against Whitworth University.
MEN’S BASKETBALL: Yotes head off to Salt Lake City for Westminster Holiday
Classic
COMING UP: at Westminster
Holiday Classic, Salt Lake City, Utah – Friday vs. Carroll, 5 p.m.; Saturday vs. Westminster, 7 p.m.
LAST WEEK: Exhibition vs. Northwest Nazarene (W
60-54), vs. Willamette (L 72-63), vs. Westminster
(L 69-68).
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,
however, neither game this weekend will be carried on the Internet.
OFF
TO SALT LAKE:
The Coyotes head to the Beehive State for the eighth-consecutive season,
as The C of I will compete in the annual Westminster Holiday Classic. In their previous tourneys, the Yotes have
compiled an 11-5 record, including a 1-1 mark last season. The Coyotes swept their games at the
tournament three times and have lost both games just once.
ABOUT
CARROLL AND WESTMINSTER:
The Yotes will square off with
the same two teams they met at last season’s Classic. The C of I opens up with Carroll, whom the Yotes defeated 89-77 last season. The Saints (7-2) have played a preseason
schedule heavy on Canadian teams and NAIA Division II – with their two losses
coming to the University
of Calgary and Dixie
State College. Gary Turcott’s
club is led by
a pair of sharp-shooters – Chad Vaculin (16.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 46% 3FG) and Eder
Zuniga (13.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg,
49% 3FG), a solid point-guard, Eric Henkel (10.8 ppg,
3.8 apg), and a quality post, Chris Kaschmitter (10.0 pgg, 6.4 rpg, 67% FG). It is
the 24th meeting between the teams, dating back to 1954, with the
Yotes holding a 12-11 series edge.
Saturday, it’s a rematch with Westminster, whom topped the Yotes, 69-68, to win the Golden Rule Shoot-Out last
weekend. The Griffins (5-1) have won
four in a row, with their lone loss coming at the buzzer to The Masters. Danny Stosich (23.7
ppg, 6.8 rpg)
is among the top big men in the entire NAIA, with point-guard Danny Reeder
(12.2 ppg, 8.0 apg) and
Blair Prowse (11.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg)
leading the back-court. It is the 32nd
meeting between the teams, dating back to 1947, with the Yotes holding a slim
16-15 series lead.
MCGEE
OUT INDEFINITELY: The Coyotes
took a big blow last weekend, as leading scorer Craig McGee (Boise,
Idaho / Centennial HS) was injured early in the first half of Friday’s game against Willamette. Early
diagnosis was a fractured bone in his right hand, with the junior set to see a
specialist this week to determine if surgery would be needed. Three players,
senior J.R.
Maggard (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS), sophomore Tucker Long (Pocatello, Idaho / Century HS), and freshman Andy Maxwell (Nampa,
Idaho / Skyview
HS) are expected to fill the
void. McGee, a 2007 honorable mention
All-Cascade Conference selection, was averaging 16 points a game this season.
THREE
PLAYERS LEAVE THE TEAM: Last week, the
Coyotes saw three players leave the team due to personal reasons. Two of them, freshmen Daniel Vahradian
(Santa Cruz, Calif.
/ Harbor HS) and Jaron Tietsort (Caldwell, Idaho
/ Caldwell HS), had not
played in a game this season and were not on the travel squad. The other, transfer Phillip Matcham
(Fresno, Calif.
/ Fresno City CC), left the team following the Willamette
game on Friday. Matcham
had struggled in his five games this season, connecting on just 1-of-30
three-point attempts.
YOTES
RALLY TO STOP NNU: Despite not converting a field goal for the first ten
minutes of the game, the Yotes rallied from a 17-point first half deficit
to defeat Canyon County
rival Northwest Nazarene, 60-54 in the Sixth-Annual United Heritage TipOff, before 3,892 fans in the Idaho Center,
last Tuesday. The exhibition win for the
Coyotes was their third-straight against their neighbors from Nampa and improved The C of I to 5-1 in the series.
With the game tied at 44-44, Bryan
Champ (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS) canned
a three-pointer at the 5:16 mark to give the Yotes the lead for good, as The C
of I went on a 15-4 run to take control of the contest. The Purple and
Gold connected on 57-percent of their field goals in the second half, including
5-of-7 from outside the arc. It wasn't
easy for the Coyotes, as the Crusaders connected on their first four
three-point attempts, building a 20-3 edge with 10:47 left in the first
half. However, a Donnel Garner (Scottsdale, Ariz. / Chaparral HS) trey, ending a 0-for-10 start
for The C of I, helped the Yotes go on a 14-2 run to cut the margin to 22-17 -
but trailed 28-18 at halftime. The Yotes would score the first seven
points of the second half, and took their first lead since early in the game at
34-33. The game would see three
lead changes and four ties until Champ's triple. Josh
Owen (Caldwell, Idaho
/ Vallivue HS) had 13 points and three assists in
the win, with Craig McGee adding 12 points. Champ had seven points, six
rebounds, and three steals, with Garner recording five steals.
PERFECT NIGHT FOR YOTE
FANS: Not
only did the Coyotes win the annual basketball game against their rivals (which
was seen on live television across the Treasure Valley),
but they swept the in-game promotions.
The C of I softball team dominated NNU in a dodge-ball game that helped
awareness for breast cancer, while the baseball team ended a 0-fer streak in
the annual tug-o-war with the Crusaders.
WILLAMETTE RUN BURIES COYOTES: The Yotes shot just 5-for-34 from
outside the arc, as Willamette
University topped the
Yotes, 72-63, in Friday’s late game of the 21st Annual Duane Wolfe Memorial Golden
Rule Shoot-Out. The Coyotes broke a
27-27 halftime tie by getting five Steffen
Spinks (Manteca, Calif. / East Union
HS) points to open the second half, then went ice cold, as Willamette went
on a 21-3 run to take a 45-32 lead with 10:42 remaining in the game. The
C of I would close to 54-51 on a Josh Owen trey with 4:18 remaining, but could
not get closer. The Division III
Bearcats (1-0) got 17 points and 12 rebounds from Redlands transfer Cameron Mitchell and 17
points from Michael Smith in the win, avenging a 116-77 loss to the Yotes last
season. Owen led the Yotes with 21
points and six rebounds and Spinks added 11, but were outrebounded
47-32, and shot 19-for-64 from the floor.
WESTMINSTER WINS TITLE ON
LATE SHOT: Danny Reeder hit a fadeaway 10-foot
jumper with 25 seconds remaining, lifting Westminster College
to the championship of the 21st Annual Duane Wolfe Memorial Golden Rule
Shoot-Out, topping the Yotes, 69-68, on Saturday
night. The Coyotes had taken a 68-67
lead with 38 seconds left on a pair of Bryan Champ free throws, but the
Griffins worked the ball to Reeder, who backed Champ to the left elbow and hit
the jumper. The C of I had a final chance at the horn, but Josh Owen
missed a runner, giving Westminster
their fourth tournament championship.
Danny Stosich was the story for the Griffins,
scoring 34 points and nine rebounds. The junior set a new tourney record
with 16 field goals made and recorded the third-highest scoring game in the
win. Reeder had 13 points and had 12 assists. Steffen Spinks had a career-high 17 points
for the Yotes, fueling a 10-2 run with a coast-to-coast lay-up, giving The C of
I their biggest lead at 53-46 with ten minutes left. But Stosich would score eight straight to put the Griffins on
top as the teams battled to the wire. Kurt Nielson (Rexburg, Idaho
/ Eastern Utah CC) had 17 points in loss
for the Yotes, with Champ scoring 11.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: Although no tournament
MVP was selected, Danny Stosich would probably have
earned the title, after scoring 57 points in Westminster’s two games. Joining him on the all-tournament team was
teammate Danny Reeder, Willamette’s Kyler McClary, Eastern Oregon’s
Mark Carollo, and the Yotes Josh Owen.
YOTES DROP TWO FOR FIRST
TIME: The
two losses by the Coyotes were the first time in the 21-year history of the
Golden Rule Shoot-Out that The C of I went 0-2 in their own tourney. On the flip side, the Yotes have won their
own tournament eight times, including the 2006 season.
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.
CASCADE CONFERENCE TEAM STATS: The Yotes rank seventh or worse in
ten of 12 statistical categories compiled by the CCC league office. The Yotes are No. 3 in turnover margin
(+3.8), No. 5 in steals per game (9.0), No. 7 in assists per game (12.0) and
free throw percentage (.659), No. 8 in team defense (73.5) and field goal
percentage (.425), No. 9 in blocked shots (1.7), No. 10 in team offense (66.5),
scoring margin (-7.0), and three-point percentage (.255), and No. 11 in rebound
margin (-7.0) and opponents field goal percentage (.498).
CASCADE CONFERENCE LEADERS: Scoring Average – Wade Douglas (CRB)
22.0, Josh Jarrett (NCC) 21.5, Scott O’Gallagher (20.0),
Marc Carollo (EOU) 18.9, Eric Taylor (CAS) 17.8;
Rebound Average – Brent McKee (NCC) 9.0, Ryan Barker (CAS) 8.6, Cody Aker (CU)
8.0, Greg George (NU) 7.8, O’Gallagher 7.5; Field
Goal Percentage – Douglas .808, Joshua Wetzler (OIT)
.750, Craig McGee (C of I) .676, Matt Ochs (CU) .667, Ryon
Pool (SOU) .667; Assist Average – Ryan Fiegi (OIT)
6.6, Jesse Alvarez (CU) 6.0, Jguwon Hodges (OIT) 5.2,
Kyle Masten (CRB) 4.5, Jeremy Templeton (EOU) 4.4.
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 go 3-0 on Rocky Mountain
road trip, Rossi wins her 100th game
COMING UP: vs. Oregon
Tech, Nov. 30, 5:30 p.m.; vs. Southern Oregon,
Dec. 1, 5:30 p.m.
LAST WEEK: at Townhouse Inn Classic, Great
Falls, Mont. – vs. Montana State-Northern (W 75-62), vs. Great Falls (86-59);
at No. 24 Westminster (W 93-82)
INTERNET/RADIO: All 20 College of Idaho
women’s basketball Cascade Conference games will be carried live on the
internet at www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/caa/radio.htm
with Mike Safford Jr. calling the action.
In addition, all ten CCC road games will be broadcast live on the radio
in the Treasure Valley on 1490 KCID-AM.
ROSSI WINS #100: The victory on Monday against Westminster was the 100th
career win by C of I head coach Reagan Rossi. The
seventh-year head coach has a career mark of 100-86, and trails former coach,
Todd Corman, by 23 wins to become the all-time wins
leader in Lady Yote basketball history.
LADY YOTES PERFECT ON ROAD TRIP: The trip was long – 542 miles from Caldwell to Great Falls,
587 miles from Great Falls to Salt Lake City, then 365 miles home. However, it was well worth it for the Lady
Yotes, as The C of I won all three games, including one against a Top-25 team
and another against a team receiving votes.
In fact, it was the first time the Lady Yotes have won three games on
the same weekend since a 2000-01 trip to Maine
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS: For the Lady Yotes, it means turning
up the defensive pressure – and causing their opponents to make mistakes. Over the weekend, The C of I forced 96
turnovers in the three games, as their three NAIA Division I opponents averaged
32 turnovers a game. The Yotes also had
a (+0.3) rebound margin over their opponents, took 30 more shots, and 16 more
free throw attempts. Overall, the
Coyotes outscored their foes by 17 points a game.
HILL HAS MONSTER TRIP: Leading the Yotes was post Denise Hill (Eugene, Ore. / Boise State U.), who scored in
double figures in all three wins. Hill
had a career-high 20 points in the win at Great Falls,
then upped it to 24 points, to go along with a
career-high 16 rebounds in the upset win at Westminster.
Overall, the senior averaged 19 points and nine rebounds in the three
games, while converting 56-percent of her field goal attempts.
VANDER ESCH CONSISTENT: It wasn’t flashy, but she got the
job done. Forward Christon Vander Esch (Riggins, Idaho / Treasure Valley CC) was solid on both ends of the
floor on the trip, averaging nine points and nine rebounds in the wins, while
averaging four steals per game. The
junior also hit 3-of-6 from outside the arc and canned 5-of-6 free throws.
CANNING THE TREY: Getting an extra point for a shot
can jumpstart a team, and that is what the Yotes did this weekend. The C of I hit nearly nine three-point
baskets per game, knocking home 41-percent of their three’s. Whitney
Clark (Jerome, Idaho / Northwest
Nazarene U.) and Kayla Brewer (Arco, Idaho / Butte County HS) each
connected on five treys, with Whitney
Owen (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS) and Ashley
Wolfe (Boise, Idaho / Walla Walla CC) each converting four.
SKYLIGHTS STOPPED BY COYOTES: The C of
I forced 34 turnovers, jumping out to a 44-27 halftime edge and coasted to a
75-62 victory over Montana State-Northern in the opening game of the Townhouse
Inn Classic on Friday night. The Lady
Yotes hit nine first-half three-point baskets in the win over the Skylights,
who received votes in the NAIA Division I preseason poll. Whitney Clark led The C of I
with 17 points, while Whitney Owen had 14 points and four steals, with Josie Pugsley
(Park
Valley, Utah / Snow
CC) and Denise Hill each scoring 13 points. Christon
Vander Esch had a good all-around game, scoring five
points, nine rebounds, and seven steals.
Northern got 14 points from Kelly Sorenson and 12 points and nine
rebounds from Stacie Barker in the loss.
GREAT FALLS NO MATCH FOR C OF I: Denise Hill scored 20 points, as the
Yotes completed a sweep at the Townhouse Inn Classic, stopping host Great
Falls, 86-59, on Saturday. The C of I
broke open a 36-31 game at the break by hitting 18-of-31 shots in the second
half, including six three-point baskets. The Yotes also forced 36
Argonaut turnovers in the win. Twelve different Coyotes scored in the win, with Kayla
Brewer scoring ten, Christon Vander Esch recording nine points and nine rebounds, ShaNae Horner (West Jordan, Utah / Snow CC) chipping in with eight, and Whitney
Clark tallying eight points and five steals.
REMATCH GOES WAY OF COYOTES: A 31-5 run midway through the first
half erased an early Westminster College lead, as The C of I completed a
perfect three-game road trip through the Frontier Conference with a 93-82
victory over the No. 24 ranked Griffins Monday in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Lady Yotes trailed early 13-4 and were
behind 20-11 with 13:52 remaining in the half, but dominated the NAIA Division
I club over the next eight minutes, taking a 42-25 lead with 5:42 left in the
period. Westminster would cut the margin to 74-71
with four minutes left, but ShaNae Horner canned a three
and the Yotes hit their free throws down the stretch. Denise Hill had career highs in both scoring
and rebounding - scoring 24 points and grabbing 16 rebounds. Whitney
Clark added 24 points and Christon Vander Esch had 14 points and eight rebounds, as the Yotes ended a
three-game losing streak to the Griffins.
OVER 90 EQUALS WINS: The 93 points scored by the Lady
Yotes on Monday was the 21st time in program history that The C of I had scored
over 90 points in a game. In those
games, the Coyotes have a perfect 21-0 record.
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.
CASCADE CONFERENCE TEAM NUMBERS: As a team, the Lady Yotes rank in
the top-five in ten of 11 stat categories, compiled by the CCC. The C of I leads the league in steals per
game (19.3), is second in both field goal percentage (.458) and three-point
percentage (.410), and are third in scoring offense (83.2), scoring margin
(+11.5) and turnover margin (+7.8). The
team ranks fourth in assists per game (16.0), is fifth in rebound margin (-1.5)
and blocked shots (2.3), is sixth in free throw percentage (.670), and is
seventh in scoring defense (71.8).
CASCADE CONFERENCE INDIVIDUAL
TOP-FIVE: Scoring
Average – Emily Gray (NCC) 22.8, Raquel Morin (CAS) 19.4, Brittany Bowsher (NU) 19.0, Denise Hill (C of I) 16.8, Jenna Ball
(OIT) 16.3; Rebound Average – Te Awhina Aranui (CAS) 11.4, Cora McVey (OIT) 10.8, Gray 9.5, Hill
9.0, Crystal Idrogo (OIT) 8.8; Field Goal Percentage
– Jenny Fiso (EOU) .647, Morin .625, Emily Goette (CRB) .625, Danielle Clausen (CU) .622, Hill, .595;
Assist Average – Meagan Miyasaka (OIT) 6.3, Jenny Fiso (EOU) 6.0, Phieban Mulata (CAS) 5.0, Robin Swain (CAS) 4.8, Kailey Bostwick (CRB) 3.7.
ABOUT THE COACH: Reagan Rossi is in her
seventh season as head coach of the Lady Yotes. During her
tenure at The College of Idaho, the native of Mukwonago, Wisc.
has compiled a 100-86 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:
Season Recap
LAST WEEK: at NAIA Region I Tournament – vs.
Rocky Mountain (W 3-0), vs. No. 22 Westminster
(W 3-0), vs. Montana Tech (W 3-1), vs. No. 20 Lewis-Clark State (L 3-2)
LEWIS-CLARK STATE ENDS YOTES SEASON IN
SEMIFINALS:
Lewis-Clark State rallied from a two games to one deficit to end The College of
Idaho's bid for a third-straight NAIA Region I title, stopping the Coyotes
22-30, 30-12, 23-30, 30-24, 15-5, in a regional tournament semifinal match in
Spokane Valley, Wash., late Friday night
The C of I dominated Game 1, using a seven-point push to build a 23-11
lead to earn the win. L-C would battle right back, using a 20-2 run to
open Game 2 to even the score. Game 3 was tight, but the Yotes used a 6-0
run to close out the set. Game 4 saw the Yotes rally from 8-3 down to
take an 11-9 lead, but L-C would take the lead for good at 13-12 after
back-to-back Katie Zillner (Emmett, Idaho
/ Chicago State U.) errors. The deciding Game 5 was all
Warriors, sprinting out to a 12-3 lead to notch the upset. The loss for the Yotes was eerily similar to
2003, when The C of I was stopped by L-C in a five-game match in the regional
semifinals. Cintia
Alessi had 15 kills and 20 digs in the win, with
Anile Clemente recording 13 kills, 13 digs, and five blocks. Libero Lindsey Scott had 24 digs. Zillner had a
match-high 13 kills in the loss, with Kristin Henning (Boise, Idaho / Boise HS) recording 11 kills and eight blocks,
while Sarah Buhler (Middleton,
Idaho / Middleton HS) added
ten kills and eight blocks. Catherine Everist
(Portland, Ore.
/ Chicago State U.)
led
all players with 26 digs.
WHY THE COYOTES DID NOT RECEIVE NATIONAL
BERTH: Unlike
most other sports the NAIA sponsors, volleyball at-large berths are not
dependent on the National Poll. The
Volleyball Coaches Association determines at-large scenarios based on the
strength of certain regions – with Region II (California) earning three of the five
at-large berths, thanks to having the Top-5 teams in the NAIA hailing from the
Golden State Athletic Conference. Four
scenarios determined the remaining two berths, since Columbia College took the
host berth to the National Tournament – in three of the four scenarios, the
runner-up in the Region I Tournament (Westminster) earned a spot, while one of
the scenarios allow the NAIA to pick the teams, based on performance and
national ranking. Unfortunately for The
C of I, they did not choose that scenario, and the
Yotes were left at home (as was No. 5 Azusa Pacific and No. 7 Dickinson State).
POOL PLAY RECAP: The Yotes opened up NAIA Region I
Tournament play with a 30-28, 30-28, 30-17 victory over Rocky Mountain at the
Spokane HUB, Thursday morning, then followed it up with a 30-27, 30-25, 30-28
victory over No. 22 Westminster. The No. 8 ranked Coyotes got a game-high 15
kills from Kathryn Ely (La Grande, Ore.
/ La Grande HS) and ten kills from Katie Zillner
in the opening win. Freshman Naomi Reimer (Killarney, Man.
/ Killarney SS) led The C of I with 25 assists, while libero Catherine Everist had 14
digs. Rocky got seven kills from Sarah Madinger, with Hailey Pearce recording 23 assists, and
Jessica Overstreet recording eight kills, 15 digs, and four blocks. The
two-time defending regional champs then upended the nationally-ranked Griffins
in the afternoon match, as Ely continued her torrid play, blasting 15 kills to
lead the C of I. Kristin Henning had ten kills and five blocks, with Madie Machurek
(Eagle,
Idaho / Eagle
HS) recording 23 assists, six digs, and four aces. Everist had 20 digs in the win. The Yotes completed Pool Play with a 3-0
record after upending Montana Tech, 26-30, 30-25, 30-17, 30-21
on Friday morning. Machurek
was the story in the match, as the freshman setter recorded the most aces by a
C of I player in the rally scoring era, recording nine aces, to go along with
20 assists and five digs. Only the 17 aces by Ana Amaral
during the 1991 season against Warner Pacific eclipsed Machurek's
total. Three Coyotes were in double
figures in kills - Henning spiking 12 balls, to go along with five blocks, Zillner added 11, and Sarah Buhler had ten. Reimer
had 26 assists, three aces, and four digs, while Everist
led the Yotes with 20 digs.
WIN STREAKS HEAD INTO 2008: Two of the longest win streaks in
the NAIA will roll into the 2008 season.
The C of I extended their streak against teams not receiving votes in
the NAIA poll to 63 in a row with their victory over Rocky Mountain – 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.
GAME AND SEASON RECORD BOOK: Two single-game school records fell
by the wayside this season, as Katie Hogue (Sparks, Nev.
/ Reed HS) established the new mark for blocks in a match (13) and
block assists in a match (11) – both coming in the Yotes victory over Northwest
on Sept. 29. Six new entries in the
single-season book were also written – Hogue setting a new school record with
161 total blocks on the year, while ranking second all-time with a 1.39 blocks
per game average. Kristin Henning set
the new record for blocks per game average, stuffing 1.55 balls per game, while
Madie Machurek ranked sixth
on the single-season ace chart with 58.
Rounding out the new marks was Catherine Everist,
who recorded 647 digs at a 5.53 per game clip – both third-best in C of I
history.
CAREER RECORDS: Katie Hogue finished her career at
The C of I among the career leaders in six different categories – first in
blocks (571), second in blocks per game (1.27) and attack percentage (.312),
third in kills (1,309), fourth in aces (183), and fifth in games played
(450). Anne Parker (Pocatello,
Idaho / Century HS) finished her career ranked fourth all-time in
blocks (386) and ninth in kills (901), while Catherine Everist
now holds the school record for digs per game (5.94) is third in overall digs
(1,437), and tenth in aces (100). Tiffany Sower (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS)
finishes with 1,200 digs in her career – fourth-most in C of I history, while
ranking fifth in aces (182), and sixth in games played (449). Two others will return with a chance to move
up the charts – Kristin Henning, who is No. 8 in blocks (251), and Kathryn Ely,
who is No. 5 in kills (1,156).
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: Season Recap
LAST
WEEK: at NAIA
Championships, Kenosha,
Wisc. - Men place 23rd out
of
HELM
PLACES 31ST AT NATIONALS: Stephanie Helm
(Challis, Idaho / Challis HS) ran
the fastest 5,000-meter time in College of Idaho history, as the freshman
placed 31st at the NAIA Cross Country Championships in Kenosha, Wisc. She recovered from a slow start to finish the
race in 18:26, besting her personal best by 13 seconds - nearly becoming the
first Coyote to earn All-America honors, as the Top-30 finishers receive the
award.
WHAT
A YEAR FOR THE FRESHMAN: It was a banner year for Helm, who was named in October the
Cascade Conference Women's Runner of the Year, after outdistancing the field at
the CCC Championships. She also solidified herself as the top women's
runner in the short history of the program - recording three of the five
fastest 5,000-meter times, along with the fastest 4,000 and 5,000-meter times
in program history.
MEN
PLACE 23RD IN WISCONSIN:
The C of I
men's team competed at the event for the second time in three seasons, placing
23rd out of 28 teams. Tyler
Hopper (Caldwell,
Idaho / Caldwell HS) and Jesse Chlebeck
(Eagan, Minn. / Eagan
HS) were the lone Yotes in the Top-100, with Hopper placing 75th in
26:04.3 and Chlebeck placing 78th in 26:05.8.
They also got a great race from freshman Paul
Sartin (Meridian, Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS), who
placed 120th overall in 26:25 - his fastest 8,000-meter time of the season.
SENIORS
GO OUT ON BIGGEST STAGE: It was a great send-off for the three seniors on the
Coyote men's team, as each got to finish their cross country careers at the
NAIA Championships. For Tyler Hopper, it was his third NAIA meet - and by
far his best finish, as he placed 200th in 2004 and 151st in 2005. For
Jesse Chlebeck, it was his second NAIA meet, and he
bested his National finish by 25 spots (the Minnesota native placed 100th in
2005). It was also special for Tyler
Gross (Buffalo, N.Y. /
Springfield Griffith Inst.), who participated at Nationals for the
first time, placing 248th overall.
NATIONAL
POLLS: The
2007 season saw both C of I teams ranked in the NAIA Top-25
rankings in eight of the ten polling periods. The Coyote men were
ranked as high as No. 14 in the poll and were in never lower than No. 23, while
the Lady Yotes received their first-ever national ranking in early September,
rising as high as No. 14 in the poll.
LOOKING AHEAD: The Yotes switch gears to track season early this year, as
The C of I will compete on December 1 at the Jackson's
Open in Nampa, hosted by Boise State.
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.
- C of I -
