Cal State San Bernardino's women's volleyball team begins its non-traditional season workouts on Tuesday with two goals in mind -- a three-peat of its 2006 and 2007 CCAA conference championships -- and making another run at a national championship.
        The Coyotes, 27-3 in 2007 with a fifth CCAA championship banner and an eighth-straight appearance in the NCAA Pacific Region title match to its credit, returns six of its top eight players and prepares to welcome a solid 2008 recruiting class when fall drills begin in August.
        CSUSB, ranked No. 9 in the nation in the final coaches poll, lose only two veteran players off last year's team but they were major contributors -- second-team all-America middle blocker Sharea Drawn (Sun City) and outside hitter Lindsey Olhausen (Poway).
        The returners that will begin spring drills include first-team all-American Jessica Granados, a 6-1 right-side hitter from Beaumont who was the CCAA conference and Pacific  Region player of the year; third-team all-America setter Sara Hoffman (San Clemente), all-CCAA first team middle blocker Sara Rice (Yucaipa); all-CCAA second-team outside hitter Ashtin Hall (Yucaipa); third-year libero Meghan Haas (Menifee), and impressive freshman outside hitter Jane Chafeh (Fontana).
        Despite all this front line talent, Head Coach Kim Cherniss has gone out and recruited some more top talent to not only replace Drawn and Olhausen but to deepen the bench strength of the Coyotes who went 19-1 in the CCAA last  year en route to their fifth title in eight years.
        The 2008 recruiting class includes:
    -- Morgan Carty, a 6-foot middle blocker from Upland High School, who led her team to a 28-6 season in 2007 and was an all-CIF Southern Section Division I first-team pick as well as the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and San Bernardino Sun player of the year and the Baseline League MVP. She set school records for digs and kills. "We are very excited to have Morgan join our program," said Cherniss. "She is a very talented athlete who has the potential to be an six-rotation player fo rus. She has one of the best arm swings of anyone we've ever recruited. She is very court-savvy and her elite club level experience will have her ready to compete for playing time as a freshman."
        Carty had 438 kills in 2007, averaging 4.5 kills per game in 98 games. Her kill percentage was 43 percent.
    -- Megan Johnson, a 6-footer from Cactus High School in Scottsdale, Ariz., who helped her volleyball team win a state championship in 2006 and then play on a state championship basketball team in 2007. The 2007 volleyball team went 26-4 overall and won its league at 10-0. She was Arizona Republic's West Valley player of the year in 2007 and an all-state Class 4A-1 selection. "Megan is a very special recruit. She is tall and fast with a quick arm. She has a very intense competitive spirit. She will contribute much to our team, not just from a skill standpoint, but also in terms of enhancing the competitive atmosphere in the gym."
    -- Camille Smith, a 5-9 setter from Norco High  School. Smith earned second-team, all-Mountain View League honors and second-team all-Riverside County honors and served as team captain for the Cougars, 17-9 last season. "Camille is a very exciting prospect. She can play (and has played) just about any position on the court. She is incredibly quick and has amazing defensive abilities. She will give us depth in the setting position." 
         Smith averaged 8.3 assists per game in 84 games with 697 total assists.
    -- Kelcie Tolan, a 5-6 libero from Alta Loma High School (15-11 in 2007) who earned second-team all-Baseline League honors and was her team's MVP. "Kelcie is a terrific fit for our program. She has such passion and enthusiasm for the game. She is very well-trained and her skill level will allow her to contribute for us in the gym immediately from a defensive and ball-control standpoint."
    -- Samantha Middleborn, a 6-1 middle blocker from Carter High School in Rialto. Middleborn is a three-time all-Citrus Belt League first-team selection and the team's MVP. "We are really thrilled with what Samantha can bring to the table for us. She is a tremendous athlete gifted with height, jumping ability and speed. She will fight for a spot on the court immediately. She will be a force at the net as a blocker and an attacker."
    The Coyotes will open up the 2008 season by hosting a tournament on Aug. 28-30 in Coussoulis Arena. The season-opening opponent will be Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.), the 2007 NCAA Division II champion. The Golden Bears (36-4) defeated Pacific Region champion Western Washington, 3-1, in the title match last December and will most likely be ranked No. 1 in the 2008 AVCA pre-season poll.
    CSP defeated the Coyotes, 3-2, in the semifinals of the 2003 NCAA Division II national championship in Coussoulis Arena before losing to North Alabama in the title match. Other CSUSB opponents in the tournament will be Lewis University (32-4 and ranked No. 11 in the nation last season), and Shippensburg (30-11 but unranked in the final AVCA poll in 2007).