THE COLLEGES : Aggressiveness Pays for Northridge Volleyball Team in Upset

There were no fiery speeches. No tantrums. What was said was done so in a very matter-of-fact fashion.

Cal State Northridge had just been buried, 15-5, by top-ranked UC Riverside in the first game of a California Collegiate Athletic Assn. women’s volleyball match Tuesday. CSUN’s 52-game conference winning streak at home was in jeopardy.

So what did Coach Walt Ker say to his team in the huddle?

“My quote was, I think, ‘Throw that game out,’ ” Ker said a day after the Lady Matadors had regrouped to win, 5-15, 15-10, 9-15, 15-12, 15-8. “I said, ‘I know we can play better volleyball than that.’ ”

A few minor adjustments were made to Northridge’s blocking patterns and its receiving patterns for Riverside’s serves. But the biggest message Ker delivered was, “We can do better. Let’s be aggressive and not wait for Riverside to make mistakes.”

Knute Rockne it was not. But it worked.

Northridge (18-9 overall, 6-3 in the CCAA), currently ranked seventh in Division II, handed Riverside its third loss in 19 matches.

Arreola’s options: Although a foot injury might prevent Darcy Arreola of Cal State Northridge from running in the NCAA Division II West regional cross-country championships in McKinleyville, Calif., on Saturday, she still might be able to compete in the Division II championships Nov. 18.

The regional usually serves as a qualifying meet for the national championships, but Arreola, two-time champion of the California Collegiate Athletic Assn., could petition Monday for an at-large berth.

“Based on her past accomplishments and her stature I think a pretty good case could be made for giving her a berth at nationals,” said Don Strametz, Northridge’s coach. “She’s clearly one of the best runners in the nation when she’s healthy.”

If the Lady Matadors finish among the first three teams Saturday, Arreola won’t have to petition. She would qualify as a member of the Northridge team.

“Even without her, I feel like we’ve got a good chance at qualifying,” Strametz said. “This year’s team is better without Darcy than it was last year without her. And last year’s team qualified for nationals.”

Arreola redshirted the 1988 cross-country season after placing 11th in the 1986 Division II meet and fifth in 1987.

Tight trio: The Northridge soccer team has shared or won outright the past five CCAA championships, but the Matadors will need some help to secure title No. 6.

After losing, 2-0, to Cal State Dominguez Hills on Sunday, the Matadors (9-4-4, 6-2-1 in the CCAA) are tied for second with Cal State Bakersfield (16-3-1, 6-2-1), one point behind first-place Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (9-2-6, 6-1-2) with one conference match to play.

For Northridge to win the title outright, Dominguez Hills must defeat San Luis Obispo on Friday and the Matadors have to defeat Bakersfield on Saturday.

San Luis Obispo, Northridge and Bakersfield would share the championship if the San Luis Obispo loses to Dominguez Hills and the Matadors tie Bakersfield. But CSUN would then enter the Division II playoffs as the conference’s top-seeded team because of its 1-0-1 records against San Luis Obispo and Bakersfield.

If Bakersfield defeats Northridge, the Matadors would finish third in the CCAA and have little chance of being invited to the playoffs.

Streakbusters: Dominguez Hills’ victory over Northridge snapped the Matadors’ 32-match unbeaten streak in CCAA matches at North Campus Stadium.

Northridge, runner-up in the past two Division II championships, was 28-0-4 during the streak. Its most recent home defeat was a 2-1 loss to Cal Poly Pomona on Oct. 12, 1983.

The Serge: Serge Mezheritsky lost his first match of the season last week, dropping a 2-0 decision to Antonio McKee of Cerritos. Mezheritsky had won 17 in a row.

Ranked first in the state at 150 pounds, Mezheritsky was the state runner-up at 142 last year, when he finished 32-3 and lost to McKee in the final.

Mezheritsky likely will move back down to 142 before the end of the season. At that weight, he is more likely to have another shot at McKee, who is ranked No. 1 at 142.

“(Serge) keeps getting better and better,” said Moorpark Coach John Keever, whose 7-1-1 team is ranked fourth in the state. “He’s a very good athlete, and he has great love and desire for the sport.”

Gary Klein and staff writers Mike Hiserman, John Ortega and Brendan Healey contributed to this notebook.