Advertisement

THE COLLEGES / MIKE HISERMAN : CSUN Becomes Top Volleyball Draw

Share

There is confetti on the carpet and little doubt as to how it got there.

The Cal State Northridge gym used to be a safe place in which to see an athletic event. It was not so long ago that students occasionally were seen studying during a game, seemingly having chosen the solitude and quiet of an intercollegiate sporting event over the hustle and bustle of the school library.

Not anymore. It is men’s volleyball season, and at Northridge volleyball is not a sport reserved simply for those cursed with overactive thyroid glands.

The same old rules of the match still apply--six string beans to a side. It’s just that Northridge crowds, which range from 500 to 2,500, play right along with the home team.

Advertisement

“It’s like they’re emotionally involved in every point,” Northridge Coach John Price said. “They don’t just sit back and watch, they get involved.”

School administrators talk about basketball being the priority sport in CSUN’s move to the NCAA Division I level. Others talk about the Valley region being a baseball hotbed.

Let’s talk about the numbers.

The Northridge basketball team, which benefits from constant promotion, drew an average of 721 spectators to the same court where volleyball now attracts an average of 975. At the same time, a baseball team that is nationally ranked and might be playoff bound in its first season of major-college competition, draws about one-third of that.

There are explanations for this, of course. The Northridge volleyball team is, after all, ranked fourth in the nation. The Matador basketball team, by one computer account, was rated 271st (out of a possible 296). As for baseball, Northridge has played four of its eight home games on weekday afternoons.

For a home volleyball match against top-ranked USC last month, a crowd of 2,421 packed the gym. Just last week, 2,632 came out to watch the Matadors defeat UCLA for the first time in 20 regular-season tries.

The turnout for the UCLA match pushed Northridge past Brigham Young and into the top spot in the nation for home attendance. BYU averages 927 fans per match, USC 819, UCLA about 800.

Advertisement

Second-ranked Cal State Long Beach attracts an average of 429. Price says he would not be surprised if Northridge brings that many fans along for tonight’s match at the Long Beach gym.

“Most of the time we’ve been on the road this year we’ve had more fans there than the home team,” Price said. “We have a great following.”

Only two years ago, Northridge drew a total of 2,519 customers to 11 home volleyball matches, an average of 229. Last season the number was 5,856 in 13 matches, an average of 450.

And so the Matadors’ fan--remember, that’s short for fanatic--following grows, becoming ever the more enthused.

“The crowd kind of reflects the personality of our team,” Price said. “We have some emotional players. Maybe the people relate to that. It seems like they feed off each other.”

In the past few weeks Northridge volleyball players report that they have made an effort to take a more cerebral approach to volleyball.

Advertisement

Riding an emotional roller coaster, they have found, can make one nauseated.

To that end, there is an effort being made to play on a more even keel, showing neither great exultation nor despair.

Matador fans have not followed suit. Lately they even are using props, some of which had to be vacuumed from the carpet.

Charitable acts: Did The Master’s lose in the National Christian College Athletic Assn. championship game, or did the Mustangs have it taken from them? John Brown (a school, not a player) shot 52 free throws to the Mustangs’ 31 and defeated Master’s, 92-85.

This is not to say the crew of officials favored John Brown. Any two teams combining to shoot 83 free throws in a college game--a championship game no less--is absurd.

John Brown won by seven points because it outscored Master’s, 38-17, at the free-throw line. The Mustangs were whistled for 35 fouls and three Master’s players fouled out.

Quality counts: Having only 19 players on its roster might hurt the Northridge baseball team in the short term, but it might actually help the Matadors in the long run.

Advertisement

In the NCAA playoffs, teams are limited to a 20-player roster, placing a premium on players who can play multiple positions.

Craig Clayton and Scott Sharts, Northridge’s top pitchers, both are regulars. Clayton usually plays outfield or first base when not pitching and he can also fill in at other infield positions. Sharts is the regular first baseman.

Even Ken Kendrena, CSUN’s No. 3 pitching starter, could help out in an emergency. He originally signed with Texas A&M; as a shortstop out of Bishop Amat High.

Briefly: Ventura’s 16-6 record is the best of any junior college baseball team in the region but the Pirates have won only three of seven Western State Conference games. Meanwhile, College of the Canyons is 10-10-1 overall but 7-1 in conference games. . . .

Coach Bill Kernen is right, 40 wins probably will be enough to vault the Northridge baseball team into the playoffs. However, it is not a guarantee. In 1988, Creighton won 44 games and placed second in the Missouri Valley Conference behind powerful Wichita State yet still was denied a playoff invitation. . . .

With all due respect to Scott Sharts, two of the three longest home runs I’ve seen hit by a Northridge baseball player this season came off the bat of Denny Vigo.

Advertisement

The injury to Northridge catcher Mike Sims, who has been sidelined with what was believed to be tendinitis in his left wrist, has now been diagnosed as a deep bruise. He is listed as day to day.

Advertisement