WALNUT CREEK,– Four-time defending conference champion and NCAA Division II National semi-finalist Cal State San Bernardino received the maximum number of votes possible and was tabbed as the conference coaches' pick to capture the 2010 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) title, it was announced on Monday.
The Coyotes, winners of four straight CCAA titles and seven overall since 2001, totaled 121 points and 11 first-place votes. UC San Diego, which placed second a year ago, finished second in the poll after collecting 103 points and one first-place vote. Cal State L.A. was third with 98 points, Sonoma State was fourth after garnering 97 points and Chico State rounded out the top five with 82 points.
Cal Poly Pomona (63) was picked sixth and followed by San Francisco State (61), Cal State East Bay (55) and Cal State Monterey Bay (36). Humboldt State and Cal State Dominguez Hills tied for 10th with 23 points and Cal State Stanislaus was 12th after collecting 22 points.
Cal State San Bernardino is coming off one of its finest seasons in program history after recording a 33-2 overall record and advancing to the NCAA National Semifinals where it lost in four sets to eventual national champion Concordia-St. Paul. It marked the second straight season that the Coyotes season ended at the hands of the Golden Bears.
The American Volleyball Coaches Association Div. II pre-season poll comes out Wednesday and CSUSB figures to rank in the top 10. The Coyotes have been ranked 14th or better each of the past 10 years and were No. 2 each of the past two years.
Entering her 20th season at Cal State San Bernardino, head coach
Kim Cherniss (415-177 record) welcomes back All-American senior outside hitter
Jane Chafeh and junior all-American middle blocker
Samantha Middleborn along with 2009 all-CCAA picks in junior
Morgan Carty and junior
Megan Johnson, both six-foot front line players.
First-year UC San Diego head coach Ricci Luyties takes over the reigns for Tom Black, who took the head job at Loyola Marymount, and inherits a talented team that includes honorable mention All-American junior libero Roxanne Brunsting.
The 2010 campaign is slated to begin Sept. 3-4 when the Coyotes compete in the Western Oregon tournament held in Independence and Monmouth, Ore., facing Central Washington, the host team, Alaska Anchorage and Western Washington. CCAA play is slated to commence on Friday, September 10 with a full schedule of contests, including CSUSB's home opener against Cal State Monterey Bay.
2010 CCAA Women's Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll
Rank School (First-Place Votes) Points 2009 Record
1. Cal State San Bernardino (11) 121 33-2, 21-1
2. UC San Diego (1) 103 29-3, 20-2
3. Cal State L.A. 98 23-9, 17-5
4. Sonoma State 97 23-8, 15-7
5. Chico State 82 23-9, 14-8
6. Cal Poly Pomona 63 11-18, 8-14
7. San Francisco State 61 20-11, 13-9
8. Cal State East Bay 55 10-21, 8-14
9. Cal State Monterey Bay 36 13-19, 7-15
T10. Cal State Dominguez Hills 23 2-27, 2-20
T10. Humboldt State 23 7-23, 3-19
12. Cal State Stanislaus 22 10-20, 4-18
