City on a Hill Press » Men’s Volleyball

Slugs Advance to NCAA Quarterfinals

City on a Hill Press — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 00:28:42 +0000

Harley Frost sets himself up for a jump serve at UCSC men’s volleyball Senior Night. Photo Courtesy of Austin Einhorn.

Senior outside hitter Salvatore La Cavera III is the first to admit his team might not have as much physical talent as they had in past seasons. But this year the Slugs have something more important than talent — they have the will to compete.

“We have guys who pretty much foam at the mouth to play volleyball,” La Cavera said. “We’ve had a surplus of physical talent in years past, and this year we definitely have enough talent but we have guys who fight hardest when we get in very pressurized situations like the semi-final game [against Carthage College]. We have guys who love that chaos and aren’t afraid of it, which in my book outdoes talent any week.”

The Slugs beat Carthage College 3–1 and Fontbonne University 3–0 to advance to the semi-final round of the Continental Volleyball Conference (CVC) tournament. Carthage was on a 14-game winning streak prior to playing UCSC. La Cavera led the team with 17 kills in the game against Carthage. He was named the Sports Imports/AVCA Men’s Division III National Player of the Week in March.

The Slugs earned the No. 1 tournament seed with those wins and beat Stevenson College 3–2 to earn a spot in the championship game. Against Stevenson, La Cavera made 23 kills and libero Mauro Salinas made 25 digs. La Cavera, Salinas and outside hitter Jake Landel earned spots on the CVC All West Division Team. UCSC holds the most players from one college on the Division Team of eight players.

“We feel that we can still get better,” said head coach Todd Hollenbeck. “Every day I can see our players working together to succeed on and off the court. Being the No. 1 seed is only a number. Our goals for this season are more important than numbers and rankings.”

In the CVC Championship game, the Slugs fell to Juniata College in three close sets, 27–25, 25–22 and 25–22. With the loss their record fell to 15–7, but UCSC earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament based on their Division III No. 3 national rank and high finish in the CVC tournament.

“We went up early once again in the championship game but Juniata rallied to win the set on a couple of amazing plays,” La Cavera said. “Again we hesitated to make a move, and with the momentum that they had gained, the game never slowed down enough for us to catch back up. Our preparation for the NCAA tournament will be heavily based on our ability to refocus our efforts during the match and be able to counter the strengths of our opponents.”

The Slugs’ first NCAA game is April 26 against No. 2 Nazareth College, who is 31–1 on the season. The winner of the match will face off with the winner of Juniata and Rivier College in the semifinals the following day.

“If we are able to pass very efficiently then we can basically dictate the flow of the game, and that’s what we pride ourselves on and what we think that we are best in the nation at,” Mauro Salinas said. “So if we can be effective with that and work really well together on that, then it sets us up to do pretty much anything else in volleyball.”

Last season the Slugs lost to Carthage in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament but they hope this year their passion will allow them to have a chance in the championship game.

“We are a great team. Every player has a role and competes with confidence. We are focused and are ready to take care of business,” Hollenbeck said.

Update on UCSC’s Spring Sports

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 22:35:33 +0000

Austin Brown throws the ball into a lineout in the men’s rugby team’s last game at home for the year against Fresno State. Photo courtesy of Andrew Nakamura.

Men’s Volleyball

Men’s volleyball ended Carthage’s 14-match winning streak in a four-game match. The team continues their tromp across the country, with Continental Volleyball Conference championship semi-finals on April 13 and finals the next day.

Men’s Lacrosse

With a 2–1 record, men’s lacrosse looks to their fourth game of their season against Saint Mary’s College, a major rival in their division. The game is at the Upper Field on April 13 at 1 p.m.

Women’s Rugby

Women’s rugby continues its undefeated streak, adding another win of 20–15 against Washington State University in the first installment of nationals for the team. The team is now on to regional playoffs, the next step toward national championships, against CSU Northridge on April 13 at 10 a.m. at Stanford University.

Men’s Rugby

Men’s rugby crushed the competition in a 65–24 match against Fresno State in their first installment of conference playoffs. Chico State is the next team in store for a faceoff with men’s rugby on April 13 at Chico State.

Women’s Lacrosse

After a 9–3 overall season record and a 3–1 conference season record, women’s lacrosse has finished at the top of the Division II North Conference. This weekend on April 13 they will face off against UC Santa Barbara, a tough opponent who also finished at the top of their conference, the Division I Central Conference. Women’s lacrosse is also looking further into the future, for regional playoffs on the weekend of April 20.

Fall Sports Recap, Winter Sports Preview

City on a Hill Press — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 03:20:22 +0000

Cross Country

Evie Borchard and Tyler Hoyt represented the Slugs in the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships in the women’s and men’s competitions, respectively. In the women’s 6k race, sophomore runner Borchard took 121st with a time of 22:54.8, while senior runner Hoyt finished 139th in the men’s 8k race in 25:56.5. Both men’s and women’s cross country will graduate three seniors this year.

Golf

The women’s golf team is currently ranked 18th for Division III nationally, but have already beaten four teams with higher rankings this season. The team has finished in the top three of all three tournaments they’ve played in, including a victory at the Lady Bulldog Classic in Seguin, Texas on Sept. 11. Coach Paulette Pera is ecstatic about her team’s results.

“This is the best golf team I’ve ever had and we’re only halfway through the season,” Pera said. “All my players could be a number one player.”

The team will resume their season against Rhodes College in Santa Cruz on March 13.

Swimming

Men’s swimmer Daniel Hurst performed well for the team’s recent showing at the Finis Winter Invite held in Salinas, CA Nov. 30–Dec. 2. Hurst finished second in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 21.96 seconds and swam the second best preliminary round time of 22.35. He also finished fourth in the 100-yard butterfly and first in 100-yard backstroke preliminaries and finals.

At the same invite, women’s swimmer Josanne Van Der Wilk finished first in both the 1,650-yard freestyle and 500-yard freestyle, with times of 17:55.88 and 5:12.46 for each respective event. Van Der Wilk also placed seventh in the 200-yard freestyle, winning her final heat with a time of 2:04.55.

At the competition, the final scores for the women swimmers were UC Santa Cruz 3,130 points, Cal Lutheran 1,679 points and La Verne 1,172 points. For the men swimmers, UCSC scored 2,852 to Cal Lutheran’s 1,720 and LaVerne’s 1,164. Their next meet will be on Jan. 12 of next year against Cal State East Bay at the Office of Physical Education, Recreation and Sports (OPERS).

Volleyball

Women’s volleyball finished with a 13–14 season. Coach Todd Hollenbeck said the injuries the team sustained this season led to a weaker campaign. Returning team captain Kat Grow had to sit out eight games after sustaining an injury in the first game of this season’s Trinity National Invitational before returning for women’s volleyball’s senior night on Oct. 16. Hollenbeck acknowledged Elisabeth Trambley, Helen Milne, Jaime Weber and Kim Rabii’s contributions during the period that Grow was out. The team will graduate six seniors this season.

The UCSC men’s volleyball team finished last season ranked third in the country, according to the AVCA Coaches poll. Coach Hollenbeck singled out returning starters Salvatore La Cavera III, Kevin Crosby, Mauro Salinas, Harland Frost and Jory Hollander as having a big role in the Slugs hopes to return to Nationals. Hollenbeck expects a special performance out of La Caverra this season.

“Sal returns as two-time, all-American, our conference player of the year, and this will be his third year as team captain,” Hollenbeck said.

The team’s first game will be at Concordia on Jan. 4.

Basketball

Women’s basketball currently has a 4–3 record with their recent three-game win streak coming to an end. Forward Sarah Mackey continues her assault on UCSC record books, as she is currently ranked eighth in blocked shots per game in Division III, with 3.57 per game. The team will play at Caltech and Whittier on Dec. 7 and 8, respectively.

Men’s basketball currently has a 2–5 record in Coach Ron DuBois’ first season. The team is in the middle of their season, with an upcoming game at Redlands on Dec. 7.

Soccer

Men’s soccer finished with a 7–9–2 record. After a scandal-packed season, with several players being barred from playing due to a hazing incident, according to an email sent out from UC Santa Cruz Chancellor George Blumenthal on Oct. 4, the team quickly returned to play. Zach Hummel, Sean Sprague and DJ Fuller were named to the Division III Independents’ first team.

Women’s soccer finished with a 10–7–1 record, ending their season by outscoring opponents 30–0 in their final three games. The Slugs narrowly missed the playoffs this season.

Tennis

The men’s tennis team is currently ranked eighth in the preseason Intercollegiate Tennis Association polls. The team will open their season on Jan. 19 against Santa Clara, before returning for their home debut against Bates College on Feb. 18.

Women’s tennis will begin their season on Jan. 13 at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Their first home games will be on Feb. 16 and 17 against Chapman, Cal Tech and Mills. The team features seven returning players from last season’s nationally ranked squad.

Slugs Suffer Stinging Loss to Carthage in Semi-Final

City on a Hill Press — Fri, 04 May 2012 00:20:23 +0000

Members of the men's volleyball team at UC Santa Cruz. Photo by Morgan Grana.

The UC Santa Cruz men’s volleyball team has been within reach of winning the division championship, but has never taken it all. Last weekend, the Slugs took a six-hour flight to Springfield, Mass. to make their sixth championship tournament appearance in the last nine seasons.

After two hard-fought matches, the Slugs must wait until next year if they are to bring glory home.
The NCAA Division III men’s volleyball tournament invited nine teams to compete for the first time in 2012.

While UCSC may have ranked second nationally entering the tournament, 2012 Continental Volleyball Conference (CVC) Coach of the Year winner and UCSC coach Todd Hollenbeck said his team could win because of all the work they put in.

“At this point, it’s about team chemistry,” Hollenbeck said. “We’ve done all the technical work. Our team culture has really taken over and the guys have done a great job working together. We all have high expectations. [But] it’s playoffs — anything can happen. There’s a lot of talent.”

The tournament was troubling from the start. Against seventh-seeded Rivier College, the Slugs outlasted a difficult five-set win. In the semi-final match, Carthage College blasted their way to a 3-1 victory, ending the Slugs’ run.

“They came firing and attacking us. It wasn’t anything we weren’t expecting,” senior libero Darren Tsai said in a post-game press conference. “They just outplayed us today.”

In a rematch of the CVC tournament final held in late March, the Slugs played against a well-known Carthage College squad, which continually frustrated the team this season. Although UCSC led the regular season series 2-1, including a 3-0 sweep for the CVC championship, Coach Hollenbeck said in the post Rivier game press conference that Carthage was UCSC’s true rival despite the team’s success this season.

“Every time we face Carthage, it’s always a battle,” Hollenbeck said. “They’re a great team. The competition’s there.”

Team captain and senior setter Paul Leon knew the match would be an aggressive one.

“We expected a dogfight,” Leon said. “When you play a team four times, you pick up on their tendencies.”

Neither team could shake each other off in the first set. Smashing kills and forced errors ran up the score quickly. With a 22-22 deadlock, Carthage crawled to a first set victory, before taking the second set.

Down 2-0 by the third set, the Slugs opened with a 7-2 lead, which led Carthage to an early timeout. UCSC dominated the next several possessions with explosive kills. A late run by Carthage shaved off most of the lead, coming within three points, the closest they had been since 5-2. The Slugs answered the run by taking the set 25-20, momentarily keeping their season alive.

The fourth set finished the Slugs’ season as an early 11-7 lead disappeared quickly. Junior outside hitter Salvatore La Cavera launched an overwhelming kill, silencing loud Carthage cheers and pushing the Slugs within two points. The heroics weren’t enough to stop Carthage’s 25-18 set win, ending the Slugs’ championship aspirations.

Since 2004, the Slugs have finished in the top five of the nation five times. The team has come close to winning the championship before, finishing twice as national runners-up in 2004 and 2010. Carthage has finished no worse than third place in the past three seasons, but has yet to win the championship. The Carthage College Redmen lost in the championship match against hometown Springfield College.

Along with another post-season appearance, 2012 brought player and coach recognition to UCSC. Along with UCSC coach Todd Hollenbeck’s CVC Coach of the Year awardee, players La Cavera, Paul Leon, Darren Tsai and Jake Dietrich earned CVC All-Tournament Team honors.

Leon said he appreciated the All-Tournament Team honors.

“The season has been an unbelievable experience: being a senior and getting to be team captain and to see how we’ve grown as a team,” Leon said. “Even though we didn’t win, I wouldn’t take back a day.”

Men’s Volleyball Aims to Spike Championships

City on a Hill Press — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 21:06:57 +0000

The men's volleyball competes against Hope International at there last home game on March 9. The team won their last home game and are now preparing for the rest of the season. Photo by Morgan Grana.

In the middle of their sweep of Hope International, the UC Santa Cruz men’s volleyball team was hitting the ball hard enough that it could be heard outside the West Field House and in the neighboring dorms. With every deafening shot, the 230 attending students erupted, adding to the noise of ball hitting hardwood. These fans had reason to cheer: The Banana Slugs are now the best Division III men’s volleyball team in the nation.“It’s great to get the recognition we deserve,” senior libero Darren Tsai said. “It’s a great stepping stone for where we want to be.”The Slugs (9-4) have been on a tear since prevailing over Fontbonne University and taking the Continental Volleyball Conference (CVC) Tournament in St Louis by storm one weekend ago. In tournament play, they defeated Fontbonne, Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), Mount St. Joseph’s and previously top-ranked Carthage on their way to victory. In their streak, the Slugs have lost one of out of 13 sets played.The game against Hope International was the team’s fifth sweep in seven games played since Feb. 17.UCSC volleyball coach Todd Hollenbeck was pleased with the win but is looking ahead to the MSOE CVC Tournament. The Slugs will have to defeat four teams in two days to get a second round bye for the CVC championship, held on April 13-15 in Greenville, Pa. Should the Slugs win out, they will receive an automatic bid to the first-ever NCAA Division III Men’s National Volleyball Championship tournament. Hollenbeck said their Milwaukee trip may be this season’s turning point.“As much as it’s nice to win, it’s not big on our schedule,” Hollenbeck said. “Next up for us will be Milwaukee. Our results there will really shape the future of our season.”In particular, Hollenbeck anticipates playing a rematch against third-ranked Carthage, which he believes will be their toughest test of the tournament. Carthage is the lone team to win a set against the Slugs since the beginning their streak.

“Carthage is our biggest opponent,” Hollenbeck said. “It was a battle last time. They’re a great program with a lot of talent. This will be a great match to beat them in.”

The game was men’s volleyball’s last home game of the season. After their win, the team honored seniors Paul Leon, Thomas Davidson, Darren Tsai, Jake Dietrich, Bryce Mayer and Shane Yablonka. Each player received a standing ovation from the appreciative crowd.

“No matter what we’ll do, we’ll be champs,” senior captain and setter Paul Leon said. “Playing with this team has been very special to me.”

Despite the recent victories, Hollenbeck is targeting areas for improvement. The coach will focus on sharpening their serves to better meet their challenges. Hollenbeck said improved serving will force opposing teams to counter the Slugs’ blocking and defense, which he identified as key to their victory over Hope International.

“We could definitely improve on our serving,” Hollenbeck said. “We served well, but we are capable of doing better. The more serves in, the more chances we get to use our strengths.”

Captain Leon has been impressed by the team’s chemistry on and off the court. Leon identified teamwork as the reason the team currently sits atop the national polls.

“We have each other’s backs both in the gym and out of it,” Leon said. “We’re not just playing for a team, but for a great school that has supported us so well.”

Tsai, who plays in the position of libero, finds the team is making great strides, but shares Hollenbeck’s view that more work is needed to finish as champions. Tsai believes their ranking will be irrelevant without a championship trophy to end the year.

“We don’t worry about that — we just go one point at a time,” Tsai said. “The ranking only matters if we’re No. 1 at the end of the year. That’s what we all want.”

The Slugs will play against University of the Pacific in Stockton on March 23 before entering the MSOE CVC Tournament on March 29.

This Week in Sports

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 08:37:20 +0000

Photo by Sal Ingram

Recent Results

Men’s lacrosse

March 25: UCSC vs. UC San Diego (away) 5-3 (win)

Women’s tennis

March 26: UCSC vs. UT Dallas (away) 9-0 (win)

Men’s tennis

March 27: UCSC vs. Trinity University (away) 5-4 (win)

Upcoming Athletics

Men’s tennis

April 2: UCSC vs. Sonoma State University (home) at 10 a.m.

April 2: UCSC vs. Fresno CC (home) at 3 p.m.

Men’s volleyball

April 1: UCSC vs. Holy Names (away) in Oakland, CA at 7 p.m.

Volleyball Sets High Standards

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 10:37:41 +0000

The UCSC volleyball team plays in its weekly scrimmage on Jan. 14. With many new faces on the team, the players hope to gain better chemistry as a group and ultimately take the national title. Photo by Ryan Tuttle.

The gym is packed with fans. The team captain is arguing with the scorekeeper. The competitive fire is burning in the room. And this is only an intra-squad practice scrimmage for the men’s volleyball team.

Last season, the UC Santa Cruz Division III men’s volleyball team finished second in the nation. But since then, four seniors have graduated and five new freshmen and two junior transfers have joined the team. UCSC also hired a new head coach, Todd Hollenbeck.

So far this season, the team has lost three games and won one. But the early struggles do not seem to concern assistant coach Brad Sullivan too much.

“We’re still switching line-ups, maybe not putting in starters right away, mixing it around [and] trying to see who plays best with who,” he said.

All four of the recent UCSC graduates from the team were part of last year’s starting lineup, which gives plenty of motivation to new players to fight for starting positions.

Coach Hollenbeck, who spent two seasons as former coach Jonah Carson’s assistant, wants to continue the work of his mentor this year. So far, his focus has been on building chemistry on the new team.

“We’re putting new pieces into an old puzzle, finding the right spot for the players,” Hollenbeck said.

He hopes to have a solid starting lineup set by the end of

the month.

For now, the lack of distinction between starters and non-starters has created a much more competitive atmosphere during team practices and games.

“Everyone is competing. Everyone is pushing each other,” freshman Mike Vahradian said.

The team still needs to build trust this the season, which has been difficult because of the different formations and lineups during practices and games.

“It’s difficult to get used to each person’s set and get used to each line-up, but [the practice is] useful,” junior transfer Paul Leon said. “As a challenge we can all take it.”

The team’s outlook for this season is generally optimistic among the players.

“We’ll do really well, even though we started off slow,” said junior transfer Jake Dietrich, referring to the team’s shaky start against Stanford, Grand Canyon University and one of the team’s biggest rivals, Juniata College.

“I think we will finish first in the nation this season. That is our ultimate goal, so anything less will be disappointing,” junior Austin Kress said.

Assistant coach Brad Sullivan said that this is a talented team, but there is still more work to do.

“Most of the team is young. Inexperienced. Lots of potential rebuilding,” Sullivan said. “But this team is definitely capable to go to NCAA championships.”

With new coaches, new players and a new competitive attitude, this year’s men’s volleyball team is hoping for the same

old success.

Q&A: Salvatore LaCavera III and Brooke Atkinson

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 09:00:53 +0000

Freshmen AThletes Brooke Atkinson and Salvatore Lacavera III pose for a close-up outside the Stevenson Cafe. Photo by Andrew Allio.

Men’s volleyball outside hitter Salvatore LaCavera III, and women’s soccer center midfielder Brooke Atkinson, both freshmen, came to UC Santa Cruz in very different boats. LaCavera III was a highly-touted volleyball prospect, while Atkinson still needed to make the soccer team. Hard practice earned Atkinson a spot on the traveling squad by midseason, and she won real playing time by the end of the year. By season’s end, both LaCavera III and Atkinson were impact players on their respective squads.

Atkinson scored two goals this season, while LaCavera III earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III Newcomer of the Year award, a spot on the second team D-III All-American squad and a place on the Molten D-III Final Four All-Tournament team. City on a Hill Press had a chance to meet two of UCSC’s most talented freshmen athletes at Stevenson Café this Tuesday to ask them a few questions.

~~~~~~

City on a Hill Press (CHP): You two were both great high school athletes. How was the change from being star athletes at your old schools to being the new kids on the block at UC Santa Cruz?

Brooke Atkinson (BA): It was kind of a big transition, actually. I dealt with it and pushed myself a lot harder, and I’ve definitely seen improvement.

Salvatore LaCavera III (SL3): For me, it was a pretty easy transition. I mean, it definitely had its difficulties, but the seniors and upperclassmen on our team fought to have a mutual respect on the team, instead of this huge unbalanced seniority. That just made it really easy to play, and I think that is part of the reason why we did so well this year.

CHP: How do you two plan to help incoming freshmen with the move to Division III athletics next year?

BA: I’m definitely going to be really motivational and talk to them a lot, because coming here and seeing the seniors was super intimidating at first. Then, once you get to talk to them, you’re like, okay they’re real people — they’re not scary seniors. You want to get that comfort level, so you can build that team chemistry.

SL3: And just the whole freshman jitters thing. I think you just have to say, ‘Calm down, it’s just a game.’ If you just tell them to just have fun, talk to them about the game, you’ll take their mind off the pressure and the fear, because that’s just one of the things that comes along with being a freshman at any level.

CHP: Both of you are lucky enough to have three years of NCAA eligibility left. What are your aspirations for these next three seasons?

BA: Definitely to get a lot more playing time next year, because we lost a lot of seniors, so a lot of the freshmen this year are going to have to step it up. I’m hoping to be one of [them] and really help my team out.

SL3: Ours is a team goal. We’ve been trying to win the national championship for the past 10 years, so for us to actually do it in the three years that I would be here would be really special. It didn’t work out this year, so next year we have to go harder.

CHP: Right now, sports are not really a focal point at UCSC. How do you think the athletics at the school will change by your senior year?

SL3: I hope we can change it.

BA: Yeah, I hope we can just get the campus a lot more excited about our sports. No one knows about us, really. We’re like, ‘Hey, we have a game today, come out and watch us’ and no one really supports us at all. It’s kind of a bummer. I’m hoping that by senior year maybe we can get some funding to make some T-shirts to give out to the campus. Everyone can have slug shirts, slug wear — something to support us and support athletics.

SL3: The problem is just the funding. Did you guys have to pay for your season?

BA: No, we didn’t have to pay for anything, but we had to put in 40 charity hours.

SL3: Oh, see, we have a bill at the end of the season, which, I mean, I’m willing to pay, I’m willing to work harder, but it’s not a real collegiate program, in that sense.

CHP: If I were to have this interview with you guys three years down the road when you are graduating, what direction do you think you’ll be headed in?

BA: I’m planning on going to med school, so I’m working toward that. I know it is going to be difficult while playing soccer at the same time. It is a lot of commitment to be a health science major and to play soccer, so I’m hoping to keep playing for all four years. That’s my goal.

SL3: I’m actually looking to go to law school. Really solid academics and athletics will take us really far after graduating, because that definitely helps on your résumé. It shows that you are able to cooperate with others, that you are goal-oriented, and that you will do anything to win. That’s really important.

Men’s Volleyball Ends with Impressive Second Place Finish in D-III

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 10:01:09 +0000

Photo by Morgan Grana.

Colonel Robert Green Ingersoll once said, “The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart.”

Last Saturday, the D-III men’s volleyball team ended their season with a second-place finish in the 2010 Molten D-III Men’s Invitational Volleyball Championship, which was hosted this year by Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

“We got runner-up plaques and I know a lot of us were thinking about leaving them behind,” second-year outside hitter Austin Kress said. “We all decided to keep them and hang them up right over our beds. I mean, we’re proud of the second place, but seeing that everyday is motivation to go to the gym and do anything and everything to get ourselves a national championship next year.”

For head coach Jonah Carson, the season was hugely impressive despite the final loss.

“Winning a championship is a way to define success,” Carson said, “but the team improving and building lasting relationships are other ways to define it. It was a family dynamic this season and we all succeeded.”

After posting an impressive 15-6 record during the regular season, with four of the losses coming against Division I opponents, the Banana Slugs were granted the number one seed in last weekend’s tournament.

Several individual Slugs were showered with accolades for the team’s success in D-III. Fourth-years Austin Einhorn, Brad Sullivan, Justin Lam and Eric Rowell were all chosen as First Team All-Americans and freshman Salvatore La Cavera III was chosen as a Second Team All-American and as D-III Men’s Newcomer of the Year.

“It was kind of a surprise this year that we even got this many All-Americans,” middle hitter Einhorn said. “In past years we never got this much respect.”

Einhorn said that most of the strong programs in D-III men’s volleyball are located on the East Coast, making it difficult for a California team to get noticed nationally.

“Not many schools get to watch us, so we’re not really on a lot of people’s radar,” Einhorn said. “When they see us play, it’s a reality check.”

Since taking over, head coach Carson has led the Slugs to four Molten Division III Men’s Invitational Volleyball Championships over his six year tenure. This year was their third straight.

“I have a real sense of pride in the program,” Carson said, “And a real sense of pride in the guys in the program.”

It won’t be easy to win the title next year, though. The Slugs will lose Sullivan, Lam and Rowell, three First Team All-Americans, leaving some big shoes for incoming recruits to fill.

Still, Kress is confident that the returning stars and younger players will make the Slugs a force next year.

“Everyone is going to think that we are not going to be as great, but we are planning on having the same type of season we did this year.”

“Coach always talks about everyone having a common goal and if everyone knows it, they’ll all work towards achieving that goal,” Einhorn said. “Everyone’s primary goal is winning this national championship.”

The reality of college athletics today is that there is no off-season; to be competitive, players must constantly go to the gym and practice their craft. Being so close to achieving their goal could be demoralizing, but with their coaching staff and a strong core of returning players, expect the Slugs to bear their defeat against Springfield without losing heart.

“We’re going to relax this week,” Kress said, “but as of next week, it’s back to work.”

This Week in Sports

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 10:01:07 +0000

{Last Week’s Results}

Men’s Volleyball
4/16 vs. Nazareth College (away) 3-0 (Win)
4/17 vs. Springfield College (away) 3-1 (Loss)

Women’s Tennis
4/17 vs. Mills College (home) 9-0 (Win)
4/17 vs. Chapman University (home) 5-4 (Loss)

{Upcoming Athletics}

Men’s Tennis
4/23- 4/25 at Ojai DIII Tournament (away)

Women’s Tennis
4/22-4/25 at Ojai Valley Tournament (away)

This Week in Sports

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 09:34:50 +0000

{Last Week’s Results}

Men’s Tennis
4/10 vs. UC San Diego (away) 5-2 (Win)

Men’s Volleyball
4/9 vs. Holy Names (away) 3-0 (Win)

Women’s Tennis
4/13 vs. San Jose State University (away) 0-7 (Loss)

{Upcoming Athletics}

Men’s Tennis
4/16 vs. Nazareth (away) at 5 p.m.

Women’s Tennis
4/17 vs. Mills College (home) at 10 a.m.
4/17 vs. Chapman University (home) at 3 p.m.

This Week in Sports

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 08:13:20 +0000

{Last Week’s Results}

Women’s Tennis
3/11 vs. University of the South (home) 7-2 (win)
3/20 vs. Whitman (home) 7-2 (win)
3/22 vs. Whittier (home) 9-0 (win)
3/24 vs. UC Riverside (home) 1-8 (loss)
3/26 vs. Occidental (away) 8-1 (win)
3/27 vs. University of Redlands (away) 1-8 (loss)
3/28 vs. Claremont M-S (away) 7-2 (win)

Men’s Tennis
3/11 vs. University of the South (home) 9-0 (win)
3/20 vs. Cal Lutheran (home) 4-5 (loss)
3/21 vs. Pomona Pitzer (home) 8-1 (win)
3/21 vs. Whitman College (home) 6-3 (win)
3/23 vs. Middlebury (away) 1-8 (loss)
3/23 vs. Whitworth College (away) 9-0 (win)
3/24 vs. Occidental College (away) 8-1 (win)
3/25 vs. Claremont M-S (away) 1-8 (loss)
3/27 vs. University of Redlands (away) 7-2 (win)

Men’s Volleyball
3/13 vs. Philadelphia Biblical (away) 3-1 (win)
3/13 vs. Cal Baptist (away) 2-3 (loss)
3/19 vs. Cal Baptist (home) 3-2 (win)

{Upcoming Athletics}

Men’s Volleyball
4/2 vs. Holy Names University (home) at 7 p.m. (Senior Night)

This Week in Sports

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:54:54 +0000

{Last Week’s Results}

Men’s Tennis
2/21 vs. American River (home) (did not play)

Men’s Volleyball
2/26 vs. Holy Names (home) 3-0 (win)

Women’s Tennis
3/10 vs. Gonzaga (home) 6-1 (loss)

{Upcoming Athletics}

Women’s Tennis
3/11 vs. University of the South (home) at 2 p.m.
3/20 vs. Whitman (home) at 3:30 p.m.
3/22 vs. Whittier (home) at 10 a.m.
3/24 vs. UC Riverside (home) at 2 p.m.
3/26 vs. Occidental (away) at 4:30 p.m.
3/27 vs. University of Redlands (away) at 2 p.m.
3/28 vs. Claremont Mudd-Scripps (away) at 9 a.m.

Men’s Tennis
3/11 vs. University of the South (home) at 2 p.m.
3/20 vs. Cal Lutheran (home) at 9:30 a.m.
3/21 vs. Pomona Pitzer (home) at 9:30 a.m.
3/21 vs. Whitman (home) at 2 p.m.
3/23 vs. Middlebury (away) at 9 a.m.
3/24 vs. Whitworth (away) at 9:30 a.m.
3/24 vs. Occidental (away) at 3 p.m.
3/25 vs. Claremont Mudd-Scripps (away) at 6 p.m.
3/27 vs. University of Redlands (away) at 10 a.m.

Men’s Volleyball
3/13 vs. Philadelphia Biblical (away) at 1 p.m.
3/13 vs. Cal Baptist (away) at 4 p.m.
3/19 vs. Cal Baptist (home) at 7 p.m.

UCSC Men’s Volleyball Handles Hawks

City on a Hill Press — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:00:18 +0000

UC Santa Cruz’s men’s volleyball team swiftly defeated Holy Names University in three games on Friday night, Feb. 26.

Rain and cold weather did not deter the Slugs, as they soundly handled Holy Names (from Oakland), beating them 30-17, 30-20, and 30-23. Santa Cruz’s win against the Hawks is the first of three meetings between the two teams this year. The next meeting, on April 2, will be Santa Cruz’s Senior Night.

Inside the West Field House, the lights shone brightly as fans gathered to watch the boys quickly defeat the Hawks.

During the first set, the players moved systematically, easily drawing first blood. In the second set, however, Holy Names kept tight with Santa Cruz early, holding their ground and matching the Slugs point-for-point until Santa Cruz broke the game open, increasing their lead to more than five. Most of Santa Cruz’s starters remained for the second game, but setter Mauro Salinas took over.

By the third set, the Hawks started fighting to stay alive. Holy Names started the third set following up each Santa Cruz point with one of their own, but eventually the Slugs were too much to take; Santa Cruz pulled ahead yet again and finished the match with a tip from Alex Merutka.

Starring at the top of the stat sheet was Justin Lam with an impressive 13 kills out of 17 attempts, Austin Einhorn with 9 kills out of 13 attempts and Austin Kress with 9 kills out of 10 attempts. Salinas contributed heavily to the Slugs’ win as well, with 31 assists in two games.

“I think we did a great job of bouncing back from our loss on Wednesday. It was definitely a good win to have going into our last regular season DIII game,” Salinas said. “Our strongest quality was to be able to rebound and side out – basically what we did the whole game, and we came out on top.”

Earlier in the week on Feb. 23, the boys played second-ranked Division I Stanford in Palo Alto, but unfortunately lost 3-0. However, after their second loss of the year the to nation’s then second-best college program, Santa Cruz rallied together to face their next opponent with a certain fierceness and authority.

“We played great, everybody stepped in, the team passed amazing and passing is the first key to volleyball,” outside hitter Austin Kress said. “We hit well as a team – nothing that night was a very big let-down. We lost a few points here and there but really came together as a team to get the next point.”

This Week in Sports

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:49:05 +0000

{Last Week’s Results}

Men’s Tennis
2/21 vs. American River (home) (did not play)

Men’s Volleyball
2/26 vs. Holy Names (home) 3-0 (win)

Women’s Tennis
2/23 vs. Sonoma State (away) (did not play)

{Upcoming Athletics}

Women’s Tennis
3/10 vs. Gonzaga (home) at 2 p.m.
3/11 vs. University of the South (home) at 2 p.m.

Men’s Tennis
3/11 vs. University of the South (home) at 2 p.m.

Men’s Volleyball
3/13 vs. Philadelphia Biblical (away) at 1 p.m.
3/13 vs. Cal Baptist (away) at 4 p.m.

This Week in Sports

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 09:55:53 +0000

{Last Week’s Results}

Men’s Tennis
2/19 vs. Mission (home) 7-2 (win)
2/20 vs. Foothill (home) 5-4 (win)
2/21 vs. American River (home) (did not play)

Men’s Volleyball
2/24 at Stanford (away) 3-0 (loss)

Women’s Basketball
2/18 at Cal State Maritime (away) 72-52 (loss)*

Women’s Tennis
2/21 at NDNU (away) (did not play)

{Upcoming Athletics}

Women’s Tennis
3/10 vs. Gonzaga (home) at 2 p.m.
3/11 vs. University of South (home) at 2 p.m.

Men’s Tennis
3/11 vs. University of the South (home) at 2 p.m.

Men’s Volleyball
2/26 vs. Holy Names (home) at 7 p.m.

* Indicates last regularly scheduled game of year.

This Week in Sports

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 08:12:09 +0000

{Last Week’s Results}

Men’s Basketball
2/11 vs. La Sierra (away) 83-67 (win)
2/13 vs. Chapman (away) 80-63 (loss)*

Men’s Tennis
2/13 vs. Fresno City (away) (results not yet posted)
2/13 vs. Fresno Pacific (away) 8-1 (loss)

Men’s Volleyball
2/12 vs. Stevens (away) 3-0 (win)
2/12 vs. Medaille (away) 3-2 (win)
2/13 vs. Rivier (away) 3-0 (win)
2/13 vs. New Paltz (away) 3-2 (win)

Women’s Basketball
2/6 vs. Pacific Union (home) 58-55 (win)

Women’s Tennis
2/13 vs. Mills (away) (results not yet posted)

{Upcoming Athletics}

Women’s Basketball
2/18 vs. Cal State Maritime (away) at 7:30 p.m.*

Women’s Tennis
2/21 vs. NDNU (away): time TBA
2/23 vs. Sonoma State (away) at 2 p.m.

Men’s Tennis
2/19 vs. Mission (home) at 2 p.m.
2/20 vs. Foothill (home) at 2 p.m.
2/21 vs. American River (home) at 2 p.m.

Men’s Volleyball
2/24 vs. Stanford (away): time TBA
2/26 vs. Holy Names (home) at 7 p.m.

*indicates last regularly scheduled game of the season

This Week in Sports

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:18:08 +0000

{Last Week’s Results}

Men’s Basketball
2/6 vs. UC Merced club (home) 83-37 (win)

Men’s Tennis
2/7 vs. Westmont (home) 8-1 (win)

Men’s Volleyball
2/5 vs. Stanford (away) 3-1 (loss)

Women’s Basketball
2/4 vs. Simpson (away) 51-46 (win)
2/6 vs. Pacific Union (home) 58-55 (win)

Women’s Tennis
1/31 vs. CSU Bakersfield (home) 5-4 (win)

{Upcoming Athletics}

Men’s Basketball
2/11 vs. La Sierra (away) at 7 p.m.
2/13 vs. Chapman (away) at 7 p.m.

Men’s Tennis
2/13 vs. Fresno City College (away) at 9:30 a.m.
2/13 vs. Fresno Pacific (away) at 2 p.m.

Men’s Volleyball
2/12 vs. Stevens (away) at 2 p.m.
2/12 vs. Medaille (away) at 6 p.m.
2/13 vs. Rivier (away) at 10 p.m.

Women’s Basketball
2/18 vs. Cal State Maritime (away) at 7:30 p.m.

Women’s Tennis
2/12 vs. Sierra (home) at 2 p.m.
2/13 vs. Mills (away) at 12 p.m.

This Week in Sports

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 09:54:43 +0000

{Last Week’s Results}

Men’s Basketball
1/22 vs. Chapman (away), 79-60 (loss)
1/23 vs. La Sierra (away), 56-55 (win)
1/24 vs. University of Dallas (away), 58-57 (loss)

Men’s Tennis
1/29 vs. Cabrillo (home) 9-0 (win)
1/29 vs. Lewis and Clark (away) 8-1 (win)
1/30 vs. University of Idaho (away) 6-3 (loss)
1/30 vs. De Anza (home) 9-0 (win)
1/30 vs. Whitman (away) 8-1 (win)
1/31 vs. Linfield (away) 9-0 (win)

Men’s Volleyball
1/29 vs. Baruch (home) 3-2 (win)
1/30 vs. Baruch (home) 3-1 (loss)

Women’s Basketball
1/28 vs. Bethany (home) 63-46 (win)

Women’s Tennis
1/31 vs. CSU Bakersfield (home) 5-4 (win)

{Upcoming Athletics}

Men’s Basketball
2/6 vs. UC Merced (home) at 8:30 p.m.

Men’s Tennis
2/6 vs. University of Nevada-Reno (home) at 9:30 a.m.
2/6 vs. Westmont (home) at 1 p.m.

Men’s Volleyball
2/5 vs. Stanford (away) at 7 p.m.

Women’s Basketball
2/4 vs. Simpson (away) at 7 p.m.
2/6 vs. Pacific Union (home) at 6:30 p.m.

Women’s Tennis
2/6 vs. NDNU (away) at 2 p.m.

This Week in Sports

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:44:21 +0000

{Last Week’s Results}

Men’s Basketball
1/22 vs. Chapman (away), 79-60 (loss)
1/23 vs. La Sierra (away), 56-55 (win)
1/24 vs. University of Dallas (away), 58-57 (loss)

Men’s Tennis
1/16 vs. UC Davis (away), 5-1 (loss)

Men’s Volleyball
1/16 vs. Cal Baptist (home), 3-1 (win)

Women’s Basketball
1/23 vs. University of Dallas (away), 78-67 (loss)
1/24 vs. Chapman (away), 61-49 (loss)

Women’s Tennis
1/23 vs. Santa Clara (away), 1-0 (loss)

{Upcoming Athletics}

Men’s Basketball
2/6 vs. UC Merced (home) at 8:30 p.m.

Men’s Tennis
1/29 vs. Lewis and Clark (away) at 6 p.m.
1/30 vs. Whitworth (away) at 10 a.m.
1/30 vs. Whitman (away) at 6 p.m.
1/31 vs. Linfield (away) at 9 a.m.

Men’s Volleyball
1/29 vs. Baruch (home) at 7 p.m.
1/30 vs. Baruch (home) at 3 p.m.
2/5 vs. Stanford (away) at 7 p.m.

Women’s Basketball
1/28 vs. Bethany (home) at 6 p.m.
2/4 vs. Simpson (away) at 7 p.m.

Women’s Tennis
1/31 vs. CSU Bakersfield (home) at 12 p.m.
2/6 at NDNU (away) at 2 p.m.

Rowell Sets Stellar Example

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:44:20 +0000

Senior setter Eric Rowell is an important asset to the men’s volleyball team, and was recently named AVCA Men’s Division III Player of the Week. Photo by Morgan Grana.

On a rainy Monday in the lower plaza of College Eight, the West Field House doors were propped open slightly by a pile of magazines. The loud ruckus filtered out into the evening through the crack: faint sounds of young men shouting and chanting. Inside the gym, the bright lights shone down on the UCSC men’s volleyball team as they practiced late into the night, working toward their goal of another National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Final Four berth.

The team’s setter, senior Eric Rowell, has stood out lately throughout the league for his spectacular play.

“Eric’s like the quarterback of the team,” head coach Jonah Carson said. “He’s touching the ball every round, every point.”

Indeed, Rowell is considered a team leader — he returns as one of three starters, and one of the few who have been here long enough to experience playing in the DIII Final Four playoffs.

“Eric could be one of three setters to take their team to the Final Four three times,” Carson said.

Many of his team members have high praise for Rowell, but since the beginning, he has been an integral part of the UC Santa Cruz men’s volleyball team.

Even as a freshman, Rowell could feel the pressure mounting on his shoulders.

During his first year at UCSC, the men’s volleyball team battled their way into the Final Four and Rowell acknowledges he felt anxious in the spotlight.

“As a freshman setter, I was extremely nervous,” Rowell said. “I didn’t want to screw it up for all the older players on the team.”

But even being a freshman setter stands as evidence for his talent and prowess. Rowell is one of only a handful of players to earn starting spots all four years on the team, and recently accepted an award naming him the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s DIII National Player of the Week. With all that Rowell accomplishes for the team, coach Carson sees his player as someone who epitomizes what an athlete should be.

“I think in the time that we train, the time that we practice, it’s clear that he’s a champion, just as we’re a championship team,” Carson said. “His commitment level to volleyball shows that working harder and getting better is something that Eric enjoys every day.”

Rowell is now the center of attention in the world of college volleyball, but his start in the sport was a family affair.

“I started playing volleyball in the sixth grade,” Rowell said. “My sister played in high school, I followed her into the sport and I just enjoyed it a lot.”

While residing in Los Gatos during his childhood years, Rowell played for one of Northern California’s most prestigious volleyball clubs, Bay to Bay, and participated in his high school’s spring team and Los Gatos’ champion football team.

Although he is now a senior in college, Rowell has not forgotten his roots. He practices in Santa Cruz every night, but also finds time to drive back to San Jose on weekends in order to coach at Bay to Bay and the San Lorenzo High School girl’s JV volleyball team.

According to Carson, nothing compares to the amount of dedication Rowell puts into the program, but what is most evident in Rowell is his knowledge and love of the game.

“What defines Eric as one of the best is his ability to deal with adversity,” Carson said. “He can deal with bad calls or when the team isn’t playing as well, and that is characteristic of a champion.”

Taking Away the Pride

City on a Hill Press — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:44:57 +0000

Men’s Volleyball Defeats Top-Ranked Springfield College

The UC Santa Cruz men’s volleyball team had nothing but smiles on as they were cheered off the court in the “Slug Dome” after an impressive 3-0 victory over Springfield College on Saturday, January 16.

The Banana Slugs’ opponent, the Springfield Pride, was ranked second among Division III schools before the start of this game, just slightly better than UCSC’s third-place standing in the country. However, it was UCSC who came out on top.

“I think we definitely get the home crowd advantage here in the Slug Dome,” said assistant head coach Todd Hollenbeck with a laugh. “This is the first time we have ever played against Springfield, and they are ranked two or three and are one of our top competitors. … We were definitely gunning for them.”

The Slugs were dominant in the first set, despite the fact that the Springfield front line towered over most of the men on UCSC’s team. However, the Slugs’ own big man, junior middle blocker Rick Schroeder, held strong in the center, coming up with huge blocks for the team as UCSC easily took the first set 30-24.

Cheers ran throughout the crowd as the Slugs came back on the floor with what was to be a different second set. The two teams went back and forth early on, with Springfield able to take an early 7-6 lead due to some misplays by Santa Cruz, but UCSC was able to put the pressure on and eventually surged ahead 15-11. Perhaps this was thanks to support from the crowd, which cheered loudly and taunted Springfield with chants of “Overrated!” Although Springfield was able to come back and tie it again at 23-23, the Slugs stormed them and eventually finished off the set 30-25, which allowed them to take a 2-0 lead on Springfield.

At this, the crowd was ecstatic and on the edge of their seats, hoping to watch the Slugs finish off their opponent in the third set. Although the third set saw Springfield take an early 10-6 lead, the Slugs were able to get some lucky calls and tie it up 13-13, then took the lead back at 14-13, which put the pressure on Springfield and caused them to call another timeout. From there the Slugs didn’t look back, and although their opponent fought back to come within two, UCSC kept their composure late and finished off the third set 30-28 to win the game.

“It was an excellent win tonight. We did a really great job getting the ball to our pin hitters and controlling the middle of the court,” head coach Jonah Carson said. “This is a very important win for us in terms of Division III volleyball, so the team deserves to enjoy every minute of it.”

Senior outside hitter Justin Lam, who had 10 kills and 10 digs for the night, was equally enthusiastic about the team’s win and credited Springfield for not backing down.

“I think that Springfield just kept coming back [because] they were not ready to give up, but we were able to preserve and keep up the pressure and the lead,” Lam said. “They were ranked higher than us, so it’s a good statement for us as a team, just to prove to ourselves that we can take down a team that has a lot of talent and are strong competitors.”

Assistant head coach Hollenbeck said that this was a statement game, which shows other teams in Division III volleyball that UC Santa Cruz should be recognized for their talent.

“We’re not just some random team on the West Coast,” he said. “… We are a team that can compete with the best and should be reckoned with.”

This Week in Sports

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 10:30:41 +0000

{Last Week’s Results}

Men’s Basketball
1/14 vs. Pacific Union (home) 68-52 (win)
1/16 vs. Menlo (home) 75-56 (win)
1/19 vs. Holy Names (home) 60-57 (win)

Men’s Tennis
1/16 vs. Santa Clara (away) 4-0 (loss)
1/16 vs. UC Davis (away) 5-1 (loss)

Men’s Volleyball
1/15 vs. Springfield (home) 3-0 (win)
1/16 vs. Cal Baptist (home) 4-1 (win)

Women’s Basketball
1/16 vs. Menlo (away) 65-63 (loss)
1/19 vs. Holy Names (away) 57-52 (loss)

{Upcoming Athletics}

Men’s Basketball
1/22 vs. Chapman (away) at 12:30 p.m.
1/23 vs. La Sierra (away) at 8 p.m.
1/24 vs. University of Dallas (away) at 3 p.m.

Men’s Tennis
1/29 vs. Lewis & Clark (away) at 6 p.m.
1/30 vs. Whitworth (away) at 10 a.m.
1/30 vs. Whitman (away) at 6 p.m.
1/31 vs. Linfield (away) at 9 a.m.

Men’s Volleyball
1/29 vs. Baruch (home) at 7 p.m.
1/30 vs. Baruch (home) at 3 p.m.

Women’s Basketball
1/23 at Dallas Tourney (away) at 6 p.m.
1/24 at Dallas Tourney (away) at 3 p.m.
1/28 vs. Bethany (home) at 6 p.m.

This Week in Sports

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:29:03 +0000

{Last Week’s Results}

Men’s Basketball
1/8 vs. Bethany University (home) 64-55 (win)

Women’s Basketball
1/7 vs. William Jessup (home) 53-48 (win)

Men’s Volleyball
1/8 at Grand Canyon (away) 3-0 (win)
1/8 at University of Pacific (away) 3-0 (loss)
1/9 at Grand Canyon (away) 3-0 (win)
1/9 at University of Pacific (away) 3-0 (loss)

{Upcoming Athletics}

Men’s Basketball
1/14 vs. Pacific Union (home) at 7 p.m.
1/16 vs. Menlo (home) at 7 p.m.
1/19 vs. Holy Names (home) at 7:30 pm.

Men’s Tennis
1/16 at Santa Clara (away) at 9:30 a.m.
1/16 at UC Davis (away) at 4 p.m.

Men’s Volleyball
1/15 vs. Springfield (home) at 7 p.m.
1/16 vs. Cal Baptist (home) at 3 p.m.

Women’s Basketball
1/16 at Menlo (away) at 5:30 p.m.
1/19 at Holy Names (away) at 5:30 p.m.

This Week in Sports

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 09:30:21 +0000

{Last Week’s Results}

Men’s Basketball
12/3 vs. Chapman (away) 74-44 (loss)
12/4 vs. Willamette (away) 93-90 (win)
12/5 vs. Menlo (away) 79-75 (loss)
12/11 at Whitworth (away) 80-58 (loss)
12/12 at Whitman (away) 88-73 (loss)
12/19 vs. Cal Lutheran (away) 65-67 (win)
12/30 vs. William Jessup (away) 80-68 (loss)
1/2 at CSU Maritime (away) 75-60 (loss)

Women’s Basketball
12/4 vs. Claremont Mudd-Scripps (home) 76-67 (loss)
12/5 vs. Redlands (home) 75-60 (loss)
12/11 at La Verne (away) 62-48 (loss)
12/12 at Whittier (away) 72-61 (loss)
12/13 at Occidental (away) 65-48 (loss)
12/19 vs. Cal Lutheran (away) 63-49 (loss)
12/20 vs. Chapman (away) 72-52 (loss)
12/31 vs. Messiah (away) 68-48 (loss)
1/2 vs. Howard Payne (away) 75-51 (loss)

{Upcoming Athletics}

Men’s Basketball
1/8 vs. Bethany University (home) at 7:30 p.m.
1/14 vs. Pacific Union (home) at 7 p.m.
1/16 vs. Menlo (home) at 7 p.m.

Women’s Basketball
1/7 at William Jessup (away) at 5:30 p.m.
1/16 at Menlo (away) at 5:30 p.m.

Men’s Volleyball
1/8 vs. Grand Canyon (away) at 1 p.m.
1/8 at University of Pacific (away) at 4 p.m.
1/9 vs. Grand Canyon (away) at 4 p.m.
1/9 vs. University of Pacific (away) at 7 p.m.

Men’s Volleyball Seeks National Championship

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:34:05 +0000

Rick Schroeder practiced spiking the ball at a practice on Tuesday night. Photo by Morgan Grana.

Last year the UC Santa Cruz men’s volleyball team ended its season ranked third in Division III play. While this was a significant accomplishment, this year the team is coming back with its eyes on the ultimate prize.

“The ultimate goal is to win a national championship,” said head coach of five years Jonah Carson. “And on that journey we have other things, either individually or as a team, we want to accomplish — but the big jewel is the national championship.”

Coach Carson believes the team will have to play well in several difficult junctures of the season in order to meet its aspirations of becoming a national champion team.

“We have a pretty tough schedule. We play Stanford two times, we’re going all the way to Rochester for a set of DIII games, and then Springfield College, who are ranked fourth in the nation,” Carson said. “Those matches though are key to us becoming national champs.”

Third-year middle blocker Austin Einhorn thinks that the first week of games may dictate how the team plays for the rest of the season.

“In our opening week we play four games in two days, so opening up the season strongly with a set of wins is important to our team,” Einhorn said. “It’s also going to say a lot about our character and team chemistry.”

Coming out of the first few weeks of practice, the team feels positive about the prospects for the upcoming season.

“We have a really good incoming class and a lot of returning players,” Einhorn said. “The recent practices have been really strong — some of the best I’ve been in actually — and we have a lot of good team chemistry going on.”

First-year middle blocker Jeff Matyas agrees with his teammate.

“We’re definitely a good team, regardless of whether it’s all the starters out there or not,” Matyas said. “The competition is very high around here, but so far it’s been really great. Everyone is getting along and the coaching staff has been really awesome, [and] I’m really excited about this year.”

The team’s main source of motivation comes from its success in last year’s prestigious postseason Molten Division III Invitational, where the players finished third out of four teams.

“It was a championship where we felt we could have done even better, so it’s also a real motivator,” said third-year Ronald Chau.

Coach Carson feels there are a few aspects of last season’s play that he would like to see the team improve upon this season in order to better its chances of being successful.

“We had a very aggressive service but it was a bit streaky, so we’re hoping to become more consistent in that aspect,” Carson said. “I would also like to see us come up with more blocks.”

He also believes leadership from the team’s veteran players will be key.

“We have some really great upperclassmen,” Carson said. “It’s up to the older guys to take on leadership roles for sure.”

Regardless of how the team does this season, Carson said he will take pleasure just from being able to coach the team he was once a part of as a UCSC student.

“Coaching this team is a blast — I went to school here, I played here, [and] I have been a part of the program’s growth, which really brings me a lot of joy,” Carson said. “The players really make it a great experience. They are dedicated and committed and really push themselves to very high standards as student athletes.”

UCSC Coaches Focus on Recruiting

City on a Hill Press — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 09:12:46 +0000

Illustration by Justin Martinez.

UC Santa Cruz’s athletics department is becoming renowned nationwide, and even globally, for its success in sports such as men’s volleyball and tennis. A growing number of high-school athletes are reaching out to Slug coaches with hopes of calling Santa Cruz their new home.

“You get a lot of letters when students are interested in Santa Cruz,” said men’s tennis head coach Bob Hansen, “… and in tennis a lot of players are foreign. It’s such an international sport.”

Hansen pointed out several players over his nearly-30-year career coaching at UCSC, including senior and assistant head coach Justin Dorfman, who is from Hong Kong.

“I definitely feel like sports has brought a lot of international students to the U.S.,” said Dorfman, who contacted Hansen after hearing about his reputation for player development during a visit to a tennis academy in Boca Roton, Fla. “Tennis has grown a lot and other countries don’t really have college tennis. But in other sports you see a bunch of people from other countries starting to go [to the United States], like basketball and swimming.”

The rest of the student athletes who end up considering UCSC are recruited by coaches.

“Recruiting is the lifeblood of the program, and the focus is to match our goals as a program with the goals of prospective student athletes,” said men’s volleyball head coach and UCSC alumnus Jonah Carson.

There will be several talented athletes entering the freshman class this fall, such as volleyball league MVP Erik Liederbach and Erich Conan, a tennis player who is ranked 221st in the country out of roughly 1,600 high-school seniors.

A coach can hear about a player in several different ways, such as perusing high school athletics websites and scouting games. The recruitment process varies, however, depending on the sport.

“With some sports like golf and swimming, you don’t have to see them because you know times and scores,” athletics director Linda Spradley explained. “If they golf 100 you know they’re not going to make the team, but if they golf 80 you grab ’em.”

Some coaches also take advantage of the usefulness of technology as they look for possible recruits.

“I would say the manner in which kids are recruited now versus before has changed, but it is still basically the same goal: to get the best UCSC-eligible athletes,” said men’s tennis assistant head coach Bryce Parmelly. “Most recruiting these days is done online.”

For men’s tennis in particular, there is a recruiting site (www.tennisrecruiting.net) which gives extensive information about players, from their rankings by section and nationally to what colleges they’re interested in. “It’s all pretty precise and easy,” tennis head coach Hansen said.

Yet recruiting is by no means a simple process for coaches.

“Coaches spend a lot of time recruiting,” Spradley said. “It’s very time-consuming and difficult. We may get 500 students who want in and coaches have to answer all of them.”

Spradley added that recruiting occurs year-round, not just around college decision time. This means coaches have to juggle looking at prospective players at the same time as managing their current ones.

This is made all the more difficult by the lack of finances dedicated to recruitment.

“Coaches have no recruiting dollars,” Spradley said. “None. No budget for it, no distinct money set aside for them, and most teams don’t reimburse a drive to Southern California [to recruit a student].”

Spradley also points to the fact that there is little money in the athletic department in general as the more overlying issue.

“We need money and we don’t have it,” she said. “Our ability to recruit depends on money.”

In addition, because UCSC is a Division III school, it cannot give out athletic scholarships. Whether or not this plays a significant factor is debatable. But Spradley believes the general consensus is that an athletic scholarship shouldn’t make or break a student’s decision if they really love UCSC.

“I’m sure there are students who need financial aid or feel entitled to an athletic scholarship because they’re a good athlete, and will go to a school irrespective to location or major,” she said.

Volleyball head coach Carson added that the lack of athletic scholarships is not synonymous with a lack of talent.

“It’s still important to remember we’re a championship team with elite athletes,” he said. “Just because we don’t have scholarships doesn’t mean we’re not a good school. In fact, I think it makes us better.”