Cal Poly Names Winning Coach to Guide Women’s Volleyball

Gene Krieger, who guided Cal Baptist of Riverside to fifth place in the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics in women’s volleyball last season, has been named women’s volleyball coach at Cal Poly Pomona.

Krieger replaces Paul Gabriel, who resigned after his team finished the 1989 season at 16-18 overall and 4-8 in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn.

In Krieger, the Broncos have added a coach who is accustomed to success. He posted a two-year record of 64-17 at Cal Baptist.

At Western Oregon State in 1983-85, he compiled a 56-21 record and guided the school to its first NAIA district title. He coached Warner Pacific of Oregon in 1981 and 1982. His team won an NAIA district title in 1982 and he was selected national coach of the year.

“We are excited to have a person of Gene’s experience and enthusiasm join our staff,” Pomona Athletic Director Karen Miller said. “Gene possesses some outstanding attributes that most certainly will benefit our volleyball program.”

The Cal State Los Angeles women’s volleyball team has signed four junior college transfers and three high school players to national letters of intent for next season.

The junior college transfers are Rhonda Boyd from Miami Dade, Michele Wilkes from Southwestern in Chula Vista, Jennifer Kretschmar from Cerritos and Michelle Maher from Fresno City. The prep players are Esther Arbiso from Magnolia in Anaheim, Theresa Blom from Gahr in Cerritos and Marie Motil from Alemany in Mission Hills.

The top JC transfer might be Boyd, a 5-10 middle blocker who led Dade to the National Junior College Athletic Assn. title. “She has All-America potential as a middle hitter,” Coach Mark Massey said. “She is the strongest middle hitter at the JC level I’ve seen this year and opposing blocks are no problem for her. She is also a put-away outside hitter.”

Kretschmar, a 5-7 setter and outside hitter, and Wilkes, a 6-0 right-side hitter and middle blocker, also starred at the JC level. Kretschmar was a two-year starter for a Cerritos squad that finished fifth in the state and Wilkes was a two-time All-Pacific Coast Conference selection at Southwestern.

Topping the list of prep players is Blom, a 5-10 middle blocker and outside hitter who made her all-league team the last two seasons and helped lead Gahr to the CIF 4-A title in 1988.

“This should be the strongest hitting and blocking team I’ve ever had,” said Massey, whose team was 5-19 overall and 2-10 in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. last year. “I think we have the talent to be in the top 20 or better nationally. I hope we can put it all together and make an impact. The new players are stable and (now) we have the depth to overcome injuries.”

The Cal Poly Pomona women’s softball team, which has been struggling most of the season, will try to get back on the winning track when it plays Cal State Long Beach and Cal State Fullerton in Big West Conference double-headers today and Saturday.

The Broncos, 26-27 overall and 9-15 in the Big West, play Long Beach at 4 p.m. today at Mayfair Park in Lakewood and Fullerton at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

Pomona played well in a double-header against second-ranked Fresno State last week, winning the first game by a 2-1 score before dropping the second, 1-0.

The victory in the first game also marked a milestone for longtime Pomona Coach Carol Spanks, who recorded her 500th victory. She has a record of 500-220 in 12 seasons and has averaged more than 43 wins a season.

On the field, the Broncos have been led by sophomore shortstop Shellie McCall, who has a .282 batting average, and junior infielder Tammy Rodriguez, hitting .281. The team has also received good offensive production from junior first baseman Stephanie Fleischaker, who has 14 runs batted in.

The Cal Poly Pomona women’s tennis team has climbed to No. 1 in the latest NCAA Division II rankings selected by the Intercollegiate Tennis Coaches Assn.

The Broncos, ranked fourth in Division II in the previous poll, entered the week with a 21-1 record and a 17-match winning streak. Pomona defeated California Collegiate Athletic Assn. rival Cal State Bakersfield, 6-3, in its last match.