Power Ratings Leave SCC Befuddled

Southern California College Coach Becky Pines thought it was a foregone conclusion that her women’s volleyball team would be making its first playoff appearance in her three seasons as coach.

After all, the Vanguards finished tied for fourth place in the Golden State Athletic Conference, and have a better overall record than their two rivals for the two remaining spots in the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics District 3 playoffs.

However, Pines has learned that when it comes to qualifying for the District 3 playoffs, things aren’t always as easy as they seem. The district uses a power rating system called a “modified-Sempert” to determine which teams make the playoffs and how the teams are seeded. The only matches that count in the power rating are those against other district teams.

“It seemed pretty apparent to me that we made it, but my husband and I sat down and tried to figure out the points and it seems that the match against Biola (tonight) could still be a contributing factor,” Pines said. “I thought it was just going to be real clear that we were going to be in but apparently it’s not so clear-cut.”

SCC’s rivals for the two playoff spots are Point Loma Nazarene (14-15, 4-8), which tied the Vanguards for fourth in the conference, and The Master’s College (20-21), an independent team that SCC (18-13, 4-8) has defeated twice this season, including a three-game sweep last week.

Pines admits it’s a close call between the Vanguards and Point Loma Nazarene, but doesn’t believe The Master’s has a case. She says The Master’s remains in contention because of vague wording in the rating system.

“It’s a little scary because it could be interpreted a couple ways,” Pines said. “I think what’s been made clear is that at our next district meeting things better be written out clearly and some changes made.”

Senior outside hitter Leslie Lastrapes was named player of the week in the district and the conference. Lastrapes had 29 kills, eight blocks and two aces in SCC’s victories over The Master’s and Cal Baptist last week. She had 23 kills against Cal Baptist.

The Vanguards are assured of their first winning season since 1982 and if they were to make the playoffs, it would be their first appearance since 1984. With a victory tonight at Biola (13-4), one of the teams with an assured playoff spot, SCC will help its chances greatly. The first time the teams met, SCC won the first two games before Biola rallied to win the next three.

“I feel like we’ve got them this time,” Pines said. “I’m not scared of them at all. I know they are a beatable team.”

The SCC men’s soccer team qualified for the District 3 playoffs for the first time since 1988, but lost, 4-3, to The Master’s in the first round Wednesday. The Vanguards (8-11-1) finished third in the conference.

Carlos Miramontes, a sophomore from Sunny Hills High, is the team’s leading scorer with 28 points (13 goals, two assists). Miramontes was a second-team all-district selection. Midfielder Greg Olson was a second-team all-district selection and an all-conference selection.

Biola, the District 3 men’s basketball runner-up last season, is favored in the district coaches’ poll to win the title this year. The Master’s was second in the poll and defending champion Westmont was third.

Southern California College was picked fifth and Christ College Irvine, which made the playoffs for the first time in school history last year, was seventh.

College Division Notes

Chapman men’s basketball coach Bob Boyd will speak at the Orange County Sportscasters’ and Sportswriters’ Assn. luncheon Tuesday at Villa Nova restaurant in Newport Beach. UC Irvine Coach Rod Baker and Cal State Fullerton Coach John Sneed will also be on the program that starts at noon. . . . For the fourth consecutive season, a cross-country runner from SCC has qualified for the NAIA national championships. Sherri Hall, who was a national qualifier the past three seasons, graduated in May. Amber Coley, a junior from Dana Hills High, qualified by finishing 11th Saturday at the District 3 championships at La Mirada Park. Coley finished the five kilometers in 19:24.7 and will run in the national championship meet Nov. 16 in Kenosha, Wis. Senior Stacey Cabral, who finished 15th in 20:25.6, and junior Nancy Bird, who finished 16th in 20:30.6, missed qualifying by three and four places. SCC’s women finished fourth and the men finished sixth with freshman Chad Heaton (29:00.9 for eight kilometers) and junior Troy Bailey (29:06.5) finishing 29th and 30th. . . . CCI’s top women’s finisher was freshman Therese Fricke (17th, 20:47.5). The Eagles’ top men’s finisher was junior Brian Aschbrenner (36th, 29:33.2). . . . The Pacific Christian women’s volleyball team lost to Moody Bible Institute of Chicago in the semifinals of the National Christian College Athletic Assn. Division II volleyball playoffs Saturday. The Royals (26-7), who finished fourth in the tournament, conclude their season this weekend in the California Coastal Conference championships at Cal Maritime in Vallejo.