SportsScope : Cal Poly Women Spikers Take On UC Riverside, Rated No. 1 in the Country

It will be a match-up of two of the top women’s volleyball teams in NCAA Division II when Cal Poly Pomona plays host to UC Riverside in its California Collegiate Athletic Assn. opener at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Poly Pavilion.

Pomona, which had a 7-5 record going into this week, is ranked No. 9 in the Division II coaches poll. Riverside, 7-5, is No. 1.

“We’ll have to play a dynamite match against Riverside to win,” Coach Paul Gabriel of Pomona said. “If we keep chipping away at the old stone, maybe the block will cave in. UCR has more depth, more height and more seniors than we do and is No. 1 in the nation. We’re tested every time we go on the floor. We have to go out and play a good match.”

The Broncos have been hindered by ankle injuries to hitter Kelly Bouwman and middle hitter Gayle Deisinger. Bouwman is not expected to play against Riverside.

Deisinger returned last week and was one of her team’s stars, along with hitter Terri Dias, in a victory over Biola.

“We’ve done a lot adjusting because of injuries,” Gabriel said. “Mentally we are doing the best that we can. We’re still very young.”

The Cal State Los Angeles women’s volleyball team, off to one of its best starts ever, opens California Collegiate Athletic Assn. play against a strong opponent when it visits Cal State Northridge at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Northridge, a perennial power, is ranked No. 3 in the nation in Division II and has lost only one conference match in three years.

Cal State L.A. is 10-5 after finishing fourth in the Regis College Classic last week in Denver.

Cal State L.A. will play host to Azusa Pacific in a non-conference match at 7:30 tonight. The Golden Eagles defeated Azusa in three straight games last week in Azusa.

After an eighth-place finish in the 28-team San Diego State Aztec Invitational last week, the Cal Poly Pomona men’s cross-country team is expected to have its most difficult meet of the season when it competes in the 10-K Stanford Invitational at 10 a.m. Saturday at Palo Alto.

“This is a big meet for us,” Coach Jim Sackett said. “A lot of the northern schools are going to hide from us and not compete. But we will get to see Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Cal State Northridge, UC Davis and San Francisco State. It’s our last 10-K meet before the NCAA regionals.”

Despite competing without their top runner, Eddie Toro, the Broncos were the top finisher among Division II teams at the Aztec Invitational. Toro had shin splints but is expected to return for the Stanford meet.

Pomona was led by Abel Mota’s 10-K time of 31:35 (38th place). Other top runners were David Loud (31:38) and Paul Gianetto (31:54).

“I was pleased with our time gaps,” Sackett said. “Loud competed well. He put himself in position and didn’t fall off.”

The Pomona women’s team is also hoping for a strong performance in the 5-K women’s division of the Stanford Invitational at 10 a.m. Saturday.

The Broncos, who turned in a strong fifth-place showing in the UC Riverside Invitational two weeks ago, are led by Joann Howard. The senior from Mira Loma broke her school record at that meet in 17:06.4.

Other top runners for the Broncos are Sherrie Roach and Karen Farley.

Coach John Turek said the Stanford meet will provide an indication of his team’s strength. “It will be the toughest meet of the year. There will be a good cross section of Division I and II teams, including a lot of teams from the Midwest and East.”

The undefeated Azusa Pacific University football team, ranked No. 10 in NAIA Division II, will be at home against Menlo College at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

Azusa Pacific, which rolled to a 36-7 victory over Whittier last week, is 2-0-1 and Menlo, in its first season as a four-year college, is 2-1 after dropping a 17-15 decision to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps last week.

Leading Azusa Pacific is 6-3, 250-pound running back Christian Okoye, who broke the school’s career rushing record with 210 yards against Whittier. Okoye, a senior, has rushed for 2,357 yards in 355 carries for the Cougars.

In other games matching four-year colleges Saturday, La Verne plays host to Redlands at 1:30 p.m. and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps visits Occidental and Pomona-Pitzer entertains the University of San Diego in 7:30 p.m. games.

Darryl Brown, coach of Chaffey High last year, has been named an assistant for the Cal Poly Pomona men’s basketball team, Coach George Fisher has announced.

Brown is Pomona’s second full-time assistant along with Bruce Victor. Brown, a resident of Montclair, began his coaching career at East Waterloo High in Iowa in 1974. He has also coached at Los Pinos in Lake Elsinore, Dana Hills in Dana Point and at Montclair from 1983-85.

Brown will also coordinate the Bronco Academic Network, which assists athletes with studies, and help with scouting and recruiting.