NOTEBOOK / GARY KLEIN : NCAA Volleyball Action Opens Tonight at La Verne

The University of La Verne will play host to Claremont-Mudd- Scripps tonight in the first round of the 24-team NCAA Division III women’s volleyball tournament.

La Verne, which tied Claremont and Occidental for the championship of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, is host team for a six-team regional that also includes Colorado College, Trinity (Tex.) UC San Diego and Menlo College.

UC San Diego has a first-round bye and will meet the winner of the match between La Verne and Claremont. Menlo also received a bye and will play the winner of the match between Colorado College and Trinity.

The winner of the regional advances to the semifinals Nov. 20 at a site to be determined.

The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men’s soccer team, champion of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, was eliminated in the NCAA Division III Far West-North Central regional last weekend at Claremont.

Claremont lost its first-round game against Cal Lutheran, 1-0. Colorado College defeated Cal Lutheran, 2-0, to advance to a match against Washington University (Mo.) at St. Louis.

Claremont finished its season 15-3-2.

Claremont forwards Patrick Gorgue and Steve Barbarich, midfielders Chad Noyes and Corwin Senko and defender Jon Byers were selected first-team all-conference. Pomona-Pitzer forward Tony Mercado, midfielder Robert O’Leary and defender Marc Garcia were also selected to the first team.

In women’s soccer, Claremont forward Maril Davis, midfielder Allegra Danna and defenders Elizabeth Koenn and Sharon Swatik were selected All-SCIAC. Pomona-Pitzer forward Annabel Toren, midfielder Alison VanderPloeg also was named to the first team.

The Cal State Los Angeles women’s cross-country team earned its fifth berth in six seasons in the Division II national championships in the Western Regional meet Saturday at Portland State.

Marisol Cossio, Rosa Cazares and Maria Paramo finished third, sixth and seventh to lead the Golden Eagles to a second-place finish behind 12-time national champion Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

The Cal Poly Pomona men finished third in the men’s race behind third- and fifth-place finishes of Brandon Dederich and Jaime Ortega. James Moore was sixth for seventh-place Cal State L.A.

Jesus Gonzalez of the Cal State Los Angeles men’s soccer team was named player of the year in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn.

Gonzalez, a sophomore halfback from Montebello, scored 23 goals in 19 matches to lead the NCAA West Region in scoring. Cal State L.A. won the CCAA title and finished the regular season with a 15-1-3 record.

The Golden Eagles, ranked fifth in Division II, are unbeaten in 13 consecutive matches. They will play host to Grand Canyon University in a first-round playoff match Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Leonardo Cuellar of Cal State L.A. was selected conference coach of the year.

Cal State L.A. midfielder Mehran Molkara, midfielder Carlos Sanchez and forward Adrian Cortez were named to the all-conference first team.

Forward Carlo Casella of Cal Poly Pomona was also selected to the first team.