WSU Ties Best Start Ever Defeating Arizona

Washington State, ranked 12th nationally, swept past Arizona 15-6, 17-15, 15-8 in the McKale Center in Tucson Friday to remain undefeated and atop the Pacific-10 Conference volleyball standings.

WSU (3-0 conference, 10-0 overall) tied the best start in school history since the 1991 Cougars. The win over No. 13 Arizona (0-2, 8-2) gives WSU its third straight win over a top 20 team, and the fourth this season.

Junior Sarah Silvernail had 19 kills, 14 digs and five blocks.

Idaho ran its home-match winning streak to 37 by defeating Idaho State 15-7, 15-9, 15-9 in front of 1,113 fans at Memorial Gym.

In the Big Sky opener for the Vandals (11-2 overall), senior Tzvetelina Yanchulova pounded out 17 kills with only three errors for a .412 hitting percentage.

At Cheney, Boise State beat Eastern Washington 15-8, 12-15, 15-8, 15-5 as both teams opened the Big Sky Conference season. The Eagles are 3-9 overall.

EWU was led by the 14 kills of freshman Kim Exner and the 10 kills by Juli Carlson.

Hockey

Spokane Chiefs defenseman John Shockey was suspended for two games this week by the Western Hockey League for a match penalty he received in an exhibition game in Lethbridge, Alberta.

Shockey, who sat out the Chiefs’ final exhibition game, will miss the WHL opener at Tri-City tonight. He was cited after cross-checking Lethbridge’s Travis Brigley from behind in the head area Sept. 15.

He will return for the Chiefs’ Wednesday night game in Kelowna.

In a related note, it was reported that WHL president Ed Chynoweth is heading the expansion franchise in Calgary, the Calgary Hitmen.

The new team is to join the WHL next season. Chynoweth still presides over both the WHL and the Canadian Hockey League, the umbrella organization under which the WHL, the Ontario Hockey League and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League operate.

Softball

Sports Cellar of Coeur d’Alene opened the ASA Class B Men’s Slowpitch National Tournament Friday in Shreveport, La., with a 30-20 victory over Food Mart of Evansville, Ind., 30-20.

WTB/CdA RV Resort lost to Red Dog/Smokes/TPS of Texas 13-1.

, DataTimes