Yote Notes – Aug. 22, 2007

Mike Safford Jr. – Sports Info. Director

msafford@collegeofidaho.edu

ATHLETIC NEWS:

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY TEAM RANKED NO. 14 IN NAIA POLL: The Albertson College of Idaho men’s cross country team was ranked No. 14 in the NAIA Top-25 Preseason Poll, released yesterday. The Coyotes were ranked on three occasions last season and have been ranked as high as No. 8 in the past. The ACI men were second in the first regional poll of the season, while the ACI women were sixth – their highest regional mark ever. Both teams will report for preseason training next week.

COYOTE OPEN SET FOR SEPTEMBER 28: The 23rd Annual Coyote Open Golf Tournament is set for Friday, September 28, at Falcon Crest Golf Club in Kuna. Year in and year out one of the top events in the Treasure Valley, the Coyote Open has 175 players and over 110 sponsors per year that help support athletics at Albertson College of Idaho. To secure your spot in the tournament for yourself or your team, or to support the tournament as a sponsor, contact Dave Hahn at 459-5835 or go online at https://www.collegeofidaho.edu/media/_secure/coyoteopen.asp.

GOLF TEAM TO HOST FALL TOURNAMENT: The ACI golf team will begin play in the newly formed Cascade Conference golf division this fall, hosting a 54-hole event on September 17 and 18 at River Bend Golf Course. Concordia, Corban, and Northwest Christian join the Yotes as members of the CCC, while it is expected that Treasure Valley CC and Northwest Nazarene will also compete in the event. The four CCC teams will play two fall and two spring events to determine the league champion.

BASEBALL ALUMNI GAME SET FOR SEPTEMBER 29: The annual Albertson College of Idaho baseball alumni game has been scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 29, at Simplot Stadium in Caldwell. A home run derby will begin at 11:30 a.m., with the game to begin around 1 p.m. For alumni and their families, food and drinks will be provided throughout the day - with a $30.00 fee per player to help pay for t-shirts, derby prizes, and the post-game barbeque. For more information, contact head coach Shawn Humberger at 459-5861 or shumberger@collegeofidaho.edu.

ROACH STILL HAVING SUCCESS IN IDAHO FALLS: Former Coyote baseball player, Jason Roach, is currently playing for the Idaho Falls Chukars in the Pioneer League, the Advanced Rookie affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. Roach has seen action in 15 games this summer, going 2-0 with a 4.09 ERA and two saves. He has allowed just five walks and struck out 25 batters in 22 innings of work.

VOLLEYBALL: No. 6 ranked Coyotes set for trip to Salt Lake for NAIA Tournament of Champions

COMING UP: at NAIA Tournament of Champions, Salt Lake City – Friday vs. No. 25 Westminster, 11 a.m., vs. No. 23 Great Falls, 3 p.m.; Saturday vs. No. 1 National American, 9 a.m., vs. No. 16 Point Loma Nazarene, 3 p.m.

SEASON TICKETS: ACI head coach Liz Mendiola has announced that season passes for the 2007 volleyball season are currently on sale at the J.A. Albertson Activities Center. Season passes are available for $20.00 (a savings of $40.00) for the 12-game home slate, with a family pass available for $50.00 (a savings of $142.00 for a family of four). To purchase season passes, contact ACI sports information director Mike Safford at msafford@collegeofidaho.edu or (208) 459-5681.

SCHEDULE CHANGE: The Coyotes and Northwest Christian have announced a time change for the Sept. 22 contest in Eugene, Ore. Instead of the originally scheduled 7 p.m. start time, the game will begin at 1 p.m. in the afternoon – to accommodate an NCC soccer game that evening.

ONE WEEK OF PRACTICE IN THE BOOK: Mendiola was pleased with the first week of practice, as the 17-member squad shuffled through two-a-day practices. “The team worked hard every day, trying to improve with each practice,” said the reigning NAIA Region I Coach of the Year. “I have been really impressed with the work of our setters – they all have worked hard and will make my decision tough. Everyone on the team knows things will not be handed to them, they will have to work every practice, every game.”

COYOTES RANKED NO. 6 IN NAIA POLL: After back-to-back appearances at the NAIA National Tournament, the Lady Yotes earned respect from national raters, as ACI was ranked No. 6 in the NAIA Top-25 Preseason Poll, released last week. The No. 6 mark was the highest by an ACI volleyball team in school history – higher than the No. 8 ranking in last season’s final poll, and the No. 7 seed heading into the NAIA National Tournament. Defending NAIA champion, National American (S.D.) was No. 1, followed by Fresno Pacific (Calif.), Cal Baptist, Concordia (Calif.), and Dickinson State (N.D.). Besides National American and Fresno Pacific, seven other Coyote opponents were in the Top-25 and others receiving votes – No. 10 Savannah College of Art & Design (Ga.), No. 11 Biola (Calif.), No. 16 Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.), No. 23 Great Falls (Mont.), and No. 25 Westminster (Utah), along with both Vanguard (Calif.) and Southern Oregon. In all, ACI will begin the season facing all nine opponents – in a row.

HELP IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS: Many teams in the NAIA benefited in the initial national poll due to unfortunate clerical mistakes. Regional raters from NAIA Region V, VI, VII, and X did not report their regional rankings by Aug.13, making teams from those regions ineligible for the preseason national poll. Absent from the rankings were national powers Columbia (Mo.) and Missouri Baptist – both of Region V, who spent all of last season in the Top-10. The first regular-season poll is scheduled to be released Sept. 5.

PREVIOUS NATIONAL POLLS: The Coyotes have been ranked in the Top-25 on 18 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, and the 2007 preseason poll. In all, ACI has been ranked in the last 13 tabulations released by the NAIA.

STILL TOPS IN THE REGION: For the second-straight season, ACI opened the season as the No. 1 team in the NAIA Region I Top-10 report – the eleventh-straight week the Lady Yotes were in the top spot. Behind the two-time defending regional champs are Great Falls, Westminster, Southern Oregon, and Montana Tech. Rounding out the Top-10 are Concordia, Carroll, Oregon Tech, Rocky Mountain, and Eastern Oregon.

UNANIMOUS PICK TO WIN THE CCC: Also last week, the Lady Yotes received news from the Cascade Conference that they were the unanimous choice of the coaches in the loop to defend their 2006 league title, as the CCC Preseason Coaches’ Poll was released. ACI claimed all 11 first-place votes, a year after picking up seven first-place votes in the poll. Southern Oregon, Concordia, Oregon Tech, and Eastern Oregon comprised the rest of the Top-5, followed by Northwest, Corban, Warner Pacific, Evergreen State, Northwest Christian, and Cascade.

TOUGH TEAMS AWAIT IN SALT LAKE: The toughest schedule in ACI volleyball history begins Friday in Salt Lake City, as the Lady Yotes compete for the second consecutive season at the Ramada Inn NAIA Tournament of Champions. A pair of crucial NAIA Region I contests open the season on Friday, as the Yotes meet Westminster and Great Falls. The Griffins (22-10 in 2006) were eliminated by ACI in the regional semifinals last season, but begin 2007 ranked No. 25 in the NAIA. Westminster returns Frontier Conference Player of the Year Angie Johnson (4.7 k/g, 1.5 d/g) and All-Frontier setter Monica Shorts (10.6 a/g) – and had an outstanding recruiting class. The Griffins look to defeat ACI for the first time ever, as the Coyotes have won all 14 previous meetings, dating back to 1995. The Argonauts (21-8 in 2006) earned their first-ever national ranking in the NAIA Preseason Poll (No. 23) and look for revenge after ACI topped UGF in four games to claim the Region I title in 2006. Sophomore middle blockers Cali Buck (2.8 k/g, .346 %) and Samantha Bull (2.4 k/g) headline a big Argo front line as the Montana school looks to repeat at Frontier champs. ACI holds a 1-0 all-time series edge. Saturday, the Lady Yotes look for their first wins ever against National American and Point Loma Nazarene. The road is tough against the Mavericks (41-0 in 2006), the defending NAIA national champions, and preseason No. 1 team in the nation. Todd Lowery’s bunch is a veteran crew, led by five returning All-Americans – all hailing from Brazil. First-Team All-Star outsides Leslie DaSilva and Daniela Oliveria are complimented by honorable mention selections Carla DeMarqui, Thamy Viana, and Juliane Viera. NAU handed ACI one of their four losses last season – the only previous meeting between the teams. The Sea Lions (20-9 in 2006) battle in the Golden State Athletic Conference, the premier NAIA volleyball league, and must replace All-American outside Kate Alderson and their setter Natalie Rentz. However, Point Loma returns outside Melissa Boer (341 kills, 45 blocks) and libero Jill Konderik (482 digs) – two of four starters back in 2007. ACI dropped all three previous meetings with the California school.

AROUND THE LEAGUE: Three other Cascade Conference teams will open up the 2007 season this weekend, all at the Fresno Pacific Invitational. Southern Oregon, Oregon Tech, and Concordia will each play four matches in the Golden State, squaring off against four Top-25 teams – No. 2 Fresno Pacific, No. 3 Concordia (Calif.), No. 8 Azusa Pacific, and No. 11 Biola.

ROSTER MOVE: Mendiola has announced that a first-year player, Hailee Garrett (Homedale, Idaho / Homedale HS), has left the program. Garrett, a defensive specialist, had transferred to ACI from the College of Southern Idaho, where she did not play volleyball.

ABOUT THE COACH: Liz Mendiola will begin her seventh season as the ACI head volleyball coach. During her first six seasons at the helm, the Coyotes have advanced to six consecutive Cascade Conference tournaments, four NAIA regional tournaments, and back-to-back trips to the NAIA National Championships, amassing a record of 136-56, the most wins and highest winning percentage in school history. Last season, she led the Lady Yotes to their best season in program history, compiling a 35-4 record - earning CCC and NAIA Region I Coach of the Year honors. ACI won their first Cascade Conference championship in 24 years, becoming just the second school to complete the league schedule without a loss. The Coyotes also captured their second-straight CCC Tournament title, along with their second-straight NAIA Region I Tournament title, before placing ninth at the NAIA Championships. Her team set a school-record with 22 straight wins and heads into the 2007 season with a 25-game home win streak and a 45-game win streak against non-ranked opponents, dating back to 2005. Mendiola was an assistant for the Coyotes on two separate occasions – from 1995-96 and from 1999-2000, before elevating to head coach. She has also coached club volleyball at Emmett High, for the Treasure Valley Volleyball Club, the Boise River Volleyball Club, and various camps in the Northwest. A native of Jerome, Mendiola graduated from ACI in 1996 with a degree in elementary education, and taught kindergarten in Nampa before becoming head coach in 2001. A two-year member of the Coyotes, Mendiola set school records for kills per game (4.86) in 1994, and holds the school mark for kills per game in a career (4.46). She earned All-CCC honors following her senior season with the Yotes. Mendiola is married to former Coyote baseball standout and current ACI softball coach Al Mendiola. The Mendiola’s have two children, Aleah and Micah, and live in Caldwell.

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

WOMEN’S SOCCER: Lady Yotes set to open season in Montana and date with No. 6 ranked Carroll

COMING UP: at Carroll Classic, Helena, Mont. – Friday vs. No. 6 Carroll, 4 p.m., Saturday vs. Rocky Mountain, 2 p.m.; at Great Falls, Monday, 11 a.m.

SEASON PASSES: ACI soccer fans can avoid paying an admission charge at all home matches again this season by purchasing a season pass, good for all men’s and women’s soccer games at Symms Field. A single person season pass is just $20.00 (a savings of $45.00) for 13 games this season, with a family pass available for $50.00 (a savings of $154.00 for a family of four). To purchase the season pass, contact ACI SID Mike Safford at msafford@collegeofidaho.edu or (208) 459-5681. Single-game ticket prices are $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for seniors and students.

LOOKING BACK AT OPENING WEEK OF PRACTICE: The Lady Yotes reported for fall camp on August 13 and held two-a-day training sessions throughout the week. Luckily for the 25 members of the team, temperatures in the Treasure Valley were below the normal 91-degree average, keeping the squad away from the perils the 17 100-degree days the area had in July. “The team reported in pretty good shape,” said second-year head coach Niki Taylor. “We spent the first week focusing on conditioning and working on our defensive scheme. I am pleased at how focused the team is and how excited they are for the upcoming season.”

LADY YOTES PICKED SIXTH IN CCC: The Cascade Conference coaches released the 2007 Preseason Poll last Monday, with the Lady Yotes earning the No. 6 spot in the 11-team league. Defending champion, Concordia, was the unanimous pick to win the title, followed by Evergreen State, Eastern Oregon, Corban, and Southern Oregon. Following the Yotes were Oregon Tech, Cascade, Northwest, Warner Pacific, and Northwest Christian. Concordia was also the lone CCC to be ranked in the NAIA Top-25 Preseason Poll, sitting in the No. 3 spot.

TOUGH OPENING TOURNEY IN HELENA: The Lady Yotes now play for real, heading to Helena, Mont. for the two-day Carroll Classic. ACI meets No. 6 ranked Carroll in the opener, a team that qualified for their first-ever NAIA National Tournament berth in 2006. The Saints (12-6-1 in 2006) have a new head coach in David Thorvillson, but return an experienced group – led by All-American striker Jenni Annicchiarirco (9 goals), All-Region keeper Nikki Skaggs (1.04 GAA), and All-American defender Katie Joseph. Carroll played a friendly last weekend at the University of Montana, dropping a 2-0 decision to the NCAA Division I squad. ACI dropped a 3-0 match with the Saints last season and are 0-6 all-time against Carroll, dating back to the 1998 season. Saturday, ACI rekindles its rivalry with Rocky Mountain out of Billings. The Bears (11-6) are coming off their best season in program history, advancing to the NAIA Region I Tournament for the first-time ever. Richard Duffy returns All-America striker Anna Clark (12 goals) and brought in junior college standout Abby Jenkins (43 goals, 14 assists in college career) – both to complement keeper Vanessa Peters. Rocky has faced the Lady Yotes on five previous occasions, dating back to 1998, with the series deadlocked at 2-2, with one tie.

FRIENDLY IN SHADOW OF WORLD’S SHORTEST RIVER: As the Missouri River winds through the Electric City, the World’s Shortest River, the Roe River, is in shouting distance of the playing field at Great Falls, where the Yotes will battle on Monday morning. The Lady Argos (2-14-1) are in their third season of intercollegiate soccer and coach Jamie Rizzuto returns 17 players from last season – including top scorer Bethany Peterson and top defender Sam Senne. The two teams met for the first time last season in Caldwell, with ACI scoring an overtime goal to prevail, 1-0.

AROUND THE CONFERENCE: Ten of the 11 teams in the CCC will open up the season this week – with Northwest and Northwest Christian battling Monday to a 0-0 draw. Other games of importance are Cascade traveling to Great Falls, Concordia meeting No. 2 ranked Azusa Pacific, Corban battling Northwest Nazarene, and Oregon Tech and Southern Oregon squaring off on Friday. Only Eastern Oregon will not be in action this week.

ABOUT THE COACH: Niki Taylor is in her second season has head coach of the Albertson College of Idaho women's program. In her first season with the Coyotes, she helped ACI to a 6-10-2 record and just their fourth-ever postseason berth, losing the Evergreen State, 2-1, in the Cascade Conference playoffs. A graduate of Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo., Taylor was an honorable mention all-conference player for the Bulldogs in 1999 and 2000, helping the squad to an NCAA Division II regional championships. She went on to assist coach Mike Cannon during the 2001 season, helping TSU to the regional finals, then moved West, where she was an assistant for Steve Lucas at Boise State for three seasons. She has also been involved with the Les Bois United Soccer Club for the past four years, while serving as a head coach in the Idaho Olympic Development Program. Taylor has received her USSF "B" Coaching License.

.FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on the ACI women’s soccer program, head to the official homepage of the Lady Yotes, www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wmenssoccer.htm.

MEN’S SOCCER: Coyotes a week away from season opener at Westminster

COMING UP: at Westminster Invitational, Salt Lake City – 8/29 vs. Westminster, 4 p.m.; vs. Biola, 2 p.m.; vs. Olivet Nazarene, Noon.

YOTES PICKED SECOND IN CCC, FOURTH IN REGION: The Cascade Conference men’s soccer coaches released their 2007 Preseason Poll, and the Coyotes were picked to finish second in the eight-team league. ACI earned 57 points in the balloting, including two first-place votes, finishing behind defending regional champion, Concordia. Corban, Warner Pacific, Northwest, Cascade, Warner Pacific, and Northwest Chrisitan.

A WEEK OF PRACTICE IN THE BOOKS: After reporting for fall workouts on Aug. 13, the Yotes conducted two-a-day training sessions all last week. “The team came in fit,” said head coach Brian Smith. “In fact, we were well ahead of the game at the end of the week, compared to my first three seasons as coach in the program.”

LOOKING AHEAD: ACI has time to prepare for their annual trip to Salt Lake City and the Westminster Invitational. The Yotes will work on a wide field throughout the week to prepare for Dumke Field – with a possible practice date on an artificial surface to acclimate the team to Field Turf for the first time this season.

AROUND THE CONFERENCE: Earlier in the week, Evergreen State, Corban, and Concordia opened with victories – while the remaining five teams in the league will wait until next week to open the season. The key game among CCC squads this weekend is a battle between Simon Fraser and Concordia – being played in Langley, B.C.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on the ACI men’s soccer program, head to the official homepage of the Coyotes, www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/menssoccer.htm.

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