This New Zealander Has Discovered She’s Right at Home at Cal Baptist

It was a little more than happenstance that brought Sonja Akkerman from New Zealand to play for the Cal Baptist women’s basketball team four seasons ago.

Coach Dave King says it was a case of having a good contact in the field.

Akkerman, a 6-foot-2 forward who leads the NAIA District 3 with an average of 23.5 points and 13.4 rebounds, said she had a longstanding desire to play in the United States but didn’t have a connection.

At least, not until she met former Cal Baptist star Edith Duffey, who had joined Akkerman on a club team in her hometown of Christchurch.

“When I spoke to Edith about it, she told me to send a letter to the coach and that’s how it got started,” Akkerman said.

After hurrying to complete the paper work to enroll late in the summer, Akkerman was accepted barely in time for the 1987-88 school year.

“Everything worked out pretty well,” she said. “I only had a month to organize everything, but the lines of communication were good. I actually got here a week after school started (in September).”

King said he is grateful that Akkerman decided to attend Cal Baptist because she has meant a lot to the program in Riverside.

“It was a godsend,” he said. “At Cal Baptist, I have to rely on former players to recruit. They’re probably the best recruiters I have.”

Since her arrival, Akkerman has consistently been among the team’s top scorers and rebounders. A 25-year-old senior, she has become the school’s all-time leading scorer and is second in rebounds.

Akkerman acknowledged she had a few doubts at first.

“When I first thought about coming here, I was scared about whether I’d be able to compete,” she said. “I didn’t think I’d be as effective as I have been.”

But Akkerman made an immediate impact and averaged 16 points as a freshman.

In fact, King says, one of Akkerman’s greatest strengths the past four seasons has been her consistency.

“It’s carried us through some real slumps and valleys,” he said. “We’ve had times when she was the only one playing well for us. One of the things I’ve told her is when she plays hard it makes everyone else play hard.”

She has been especially consistent in tournament play for the Lancers.

“She has either been most valuable player or all-tournament in every tournament we’ve played since she’s been here,” King said. “She’s just very consistent.”

Not that there haven’t been a few adjustments for Akkerman since she arrived.

On the court, she said, there is one noticeable difference between the game in New Zealand and the United States.

“In New Zealand, it’s a lot less physical in the post area,” Akkerman said. “Here you have to be a little stronger. You have to learn to be a lot tougher.”

Akkerman also says her biggest problem was adjusting to her new surroundings.

“My first year I was really homesick, but I’ve grown accustomed to it,” she said. “The lifestyle here is a little faster, but other than that, it’s pretty much the same. It’s mostly little differences.”

One difference is the weather. “It’s a lot hotter here,” she said. “In New Zealand, I never had a day when it was 110 degrees.”

Akkerman’s adjustment has been made easier by the presence of several other basketball players from New Zealand on campus. The men’s team had three on its squad last season, and guard Warren Daniels is the team’s leading scorer this season.

“I didn’t actually know them before we met here, but I had seen them around,” Akkerman said. “But it’s really nice to have people from your own country around.”

But King says Akkerman has made a lot of friends.

“You couldn’t find a finer person,” he said. “She fits in very well in every way and she’s done everything we’ve asked her to do.”

With her college career winding down, Akkerman said she has thought about playing pro ball next season.

“I was going to go to Europe and play, and I did get an offer to play in Holland,” she said.

However, Akkerman hinted she will probably stay in the United States for a little longer than originally planned.

“I’m graduating in May, but I want to keep going here and do some things like get my teaching credential,” she said. “I did want to play pro basketball, but it’s not so much of a priority anymore. . . . I have a lot of friends over here, so I want to make the most of my opportunity while I have it.”

Despite Cal Baptist’s 14-12 record, Akkerman is holding out hope that the team will be given a berth in the NAIA nationals, a goal that the team missed by one game during her freshman season.

“That would be a real nice way to finish,” she said. “It would be nice to win district and go to (nationals).”

Regardless, King said Akkerman has already left an indelible mark on the program.

For the Cal Poly Pomona women’s basketball team, it has been business as usual this season.

With victories over Cal State Dominguez Hills and Chapman last week, the Broncos clinched an unprecedented 10th California Collegiate Athletic Assn. title in a row.

The Broncos, ranked No. 13 in the NCAA Division II, are 8-0 in the CCAA and 17-7 overall. Pomona, which has won 21 consecutive conference games, will play host to the four-team CCAA tournament Feb. 27 and 28.

Although the race for first in CCAA women’s play is decided, perennial powers Cal State Bakersfield and UC Riverside enter the final week of men’s play tied for first at 7-3.

Bakersfield won the title last season, Riverside won the championship in 1988-89 and the teams shared the top spot in the 1987-88 season. The conference champion will play host to the four-team CCAA postseason men’s tournament March 1 and 2.

College Division Notes

The Pomona-Pitzer women’s basketball team took a big step toward the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title with a 65-55 victory over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps last week. The Sagehens are 16-8 overall and 7-1 in the SCIAC, two games ahead of Claremont and La Verne with two games to play. . . . With the final night of the men’s SCIAC regular season on Thursday, La Verne holds a half-game lead over Claremont-Mudd. La Verne is 10-2, Claremont 9-2. . . . The Cal State Bakersfield men’s swim team is favored to win its seventh consecutive title at the CCAA championships Thursday through Sunday in Bakersfield.