Volleyball drops match to rival Slugs

by Chrissy Zehrbach
Sports Editor

The University of La Verne men’s volleyball team dropped to a No. 4 national ranking this week after a 3-1 upset from the University of California Santa Cruz Saturday night in Santa Cruz.

Looking to establish Division III West Coast superiority with a second win over the rival Banana Slugs, the Leopards could have clenched a bid to the Molten Invitational Tournament to be held April 16-17 at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisburg, Va.

Instead, the Leopards faced a side of Santa Cruz they have not see since the 2001 season – the last time ULV suffered a loss to the Slugs.

“Some guys on our team have never lost to them,” head coach Morgan Coberly said.

After a steady climb up the rankings this season the Slugs sat at the Leopards’ heels in the No. 4 position heading into the weekend’s contest. Santa Cruz will replace ULV in the Division III national rankings at No. 3 – the Slugs’ highest ranking since debuting on the list at No. 7, Jan. 20, the first poll issued this year.

ULV made its first poll appearance at No. 3 and had not moved until this weekend.

The Santa Cruz match set the Leopards back, but Coberly believes there is still a chance for ULV to receive the bid to the national tournament. A committee will now decide who gets the bid. The team’s Division III record, strength of schedule, home and away records and previous poll rankings are among the criteria considered by the committee.

“I would hope that we still go,” Coberly said. “I know we’re a better team than the other teams. We had it in our hands had we beat Santa Cruz. It’s up to a committee now, so you never know.”

Santa Cruz has never made a Final Four appearance while ULV has received the bid the last two years.

In the two teams’ second match-up this season, the Leopards were defeated, 3-1 (28-30, 23-30, 30-28, 22-30).

“Santa Cruz played completely out of their minds. They can’t possibly play any better than they did,” Coberly said.

When comparing Saturday’s match to the first contest with Santa Cruz, Jan 16, where ULV won, 3-0, Coberly said Santa Cruz “wasn’t even the same team.”

After dropping the first two games Saturday, ULV picked up its intensity in the third. Down 12-9, the Leopards went on a 12-3 run to take the 21-15 lead that they would not relinquish, taking the game.

“They did what they had to do, they started playing defense like we had asked them to do between games,” Coberly said.

ULV had turned up the heat in the match and headed into the fourth game with hopes of a turnaround.

“It’s not that we stopped playing defense in the fourth, they were just swinging as hard as they could and it was just going down,” Coberly said.

The momentum carried over into the fourth game as, for the first time in the match, the Leopards took the first two points. But once the score was tied at 4, the Leopards watched Santa Cruz put away 10 straight points and never regained a lead.

“We felt like we were the better team the whole match and we should have beat them,” said junior outside hitter Dwayne Wibeto.

“They played above average for them and we didn’t play up to the level to beat them. They’re a lot better team at home.”

“It’s a different atmosphere going up there, it’s a little bit different,” said senior libero Scott Alley. “They always play harder for their fans. They wanted it more than we did, and they outplayed us.”

Sophomore outside hitter Matt Cornell recorded a game-high and personal season-high 22 kills, followed by Wibeto, who chipped in 16 kills in the match.

Santa Cruz recorded four players in double figures in kills, but as a team hit a mere .189 in the victory.

“We were all disappointed, but we all know it’s something that happens,” Wibeto said about the loss to Santa Cruz. “The rest of the season we have to work hard to try and earn the West Region selection.”

On their Northern California roadtrip, the Leopards also faced Division I opponent Stanford University (6-11). Stanford (No. 12 in Division I), upset ULV, 3-0 (30-19, 22-30, 30-24), Friday night in Burnham Pavillion.

“They’re probably one of the most beatable Division I teams we’ve played this season,” Alley said. “We have to learn to capitalize more on the other teams’ mistakes.”

The Cardinal dominated the match, and showed its strength with a .453 team hitting percentage.

ULV hit .234 in the match, spearheaded by Cornell who hit .481 with a game-high 15 kills. Wibeto also contributed 10 kills to the Leopards’ offense.

In the first game, the two squads traded the first 10 points before Stanford went on a 15-4 run, taking a 20-10 lead. The Leopards gave the Cardinal a good run, but could not pull out a win.

“It’s what has hurt us all year,” Coberly said. “In every game we play, we give up a run and we can’t make that up against good teams. You can’t give up streaks like that to good teams.”

“We played inconsistently,” Wibeto said. “They’re a team you can’t let get a big lead on you.”

After a week off, ULV takes on Lees-McRae College at 7 p.m. Monday in the Supertents.