Wednesday, Oct. 01, 2008

CBC notebook: Volleyball looks for another title

By Ben Reynolds, Herald staff writer

PASCO -- The Columbia Basin College volleyball team's 28-match East Region win streak is over.

That ended with a five-game loss to Blue Mountain last Wednesday.

But after Friday's home win over rival Walla Walla, the Hawks (15-12, 3-1) remain in position to keep another streak alive.

CBC, the two-time defending region champion, is tied for first with Walla Walla and Wen-atchee, and has beaten them both this season.

And coach John Patrick says his team, with just three sophomores returning from last year's squad that finished 44-3, is starting to believe it can win another region title.

"We've beaten just about everyone in the coaches poll," Patrick said.

The only teams the Hawks have not beaten in the top 10 are Chemeketa (27-0), which no one has beaten, and Spokane (16-13, 2-2).

CBC will get its chance to check off the Sasquatch from that list tonight when the Hawks travel to Spokane, which has beaten CBC twice this season, both convincing wins in three games.

"There are 14 matches in the East Region and you have to play tough every time," Patrick said.

-- CBC sophomore Britny Cottrell returned Friday for the women's soccer team from a knee injury that kept her out the first seven games. After playing 25 minutes Friday afternoon, she came back and played 45 minutes against Southwest Oregon on Saturday, helping the Hawks (7-1-1) to a 4-0 victory.

Cottrell, who scored a team-high 18 goals last season, recorded an assist in the sixth minute and then scored her first goal of the season in the ninth minute.

Without Cottrell the Hawks, who expected to go through some growing pains, vaulted all the way up to the No. 2 ranking in the coaches poll after key wins over defending champion Clackamas (6-3-1) and Treasure Valley (6-3-0).

"After those wins, I thought we could be three or four," said CBC coach Matt Mills.

Mills attributes a lot of his team's early success to his defense that has allowed just eight goals in front of freshman goalie Amelia Ng, who has six shutouts in nine games.

-- The CBC men's soccer team has been less than spectacular on offense, scoring just seven goals in eight games, but it has managed to post a 5-2-1 record and trail only top-ranked Walla Walla (6-0-1) in the East Region. There are only four teams in the NWAACC that have scored fewer goals than the Hawks, and they have a combined 1-27-5 record.

-- CBC's Drew Goodman went 3-for-3 with an RBI and former Kennewick standout Keith Woelber (Walla Walla) went 2-for-5 on Saturday as the East team lost 5-3 to the West at the Sophomore Showcase at David Story Field in Longview. The West took the second game 6-1.

* Ben Reynolds: 582-1509; breynolds@tricityherald.com