Utah State upends Idaho in four
One of the Big West Conference’s also-ran volleyball teams slowed down the University of Idaho’s quest for first place on Thursday night.
Zuzana Cernianska finished with 19 kills, seven digs and a .375 hitting percentage while leading eighth-place Utah State (7-11, 3-7) to a 30-24, 18-30, 30-20, 30-23 win over the Vandals (13-6, 6-4) at Dee Glen Smith Spectrum in Logan, Utah.
The Vandals entered the night tied for fourth place with Long Beach State and UC Irvine, one match behind co-leaders UC Santa Barbara, Cal State Northridge and Pacific.
Idaho hit .514 while winning the second game, but the Vandals had a negative hitting percentage during their third-game loss.
Sarah Meek and Kati Tikker combined for 29 kills for the Vandals. Idaho sophomore Amanda Bowman came off the bench to record a season-best 10 kills with a .375 hitting percentage.
•Lizzy Mellor totaled 27 kills and 13 digs to guide Eastern Washington (13-6) to a 39-37, 28-30, 30-22, 30-18 non-conference win over visiting Boise State (15-7) at Reese Court.
Keva Sonderen added 20 kills with a .444 hitting percentage for the Eagles, who won their fourth consecutive match and 12th in 13 attempts.
The Eagles hit .424 while winning the fourth game. EWU broke to a 14-5 lead before the Vikings scrambled back with an 8-1 run. Mellor then served four consecutive points, including an ace, assisted by Ashley Jensen’s two kills.
The first game was tied from 31 to 37 before kills by Mellor and Christina Albers settled matters.
EWU returns to Big Sky Conference play Saturday night at home against Portland State. The Eagles swept PSU on Sept. 25.
Basketball
Gonzaga University fans – those with tickets, at least – will get a chance to meet the Bulldogs men’s and women’s teams and then watch the men’s team scrimmage on Saturday.
The team introductions and scrimmage will be held in conjunction with the McCarthey Athletic Center grand opening, which will also include prize giveaways and a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially dedicate GU’s new $25 million, 6,000 special events arena.
Doors will open at noon, with festivities scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. But no tickets will be available for purchase by the general public.
“Every season ticket holder had a ticket to the grand opening included in their season ticket packets,” Bulldogs athletic director Mike Roth explained, “and no tickets remain following the university ticket allocation process (for students and faculty).”
Football
The six-team Northwest Conference, which includes Whitworth College, has accepted Menlo College of Atherton, Calif., as an affiliate member for football, announced NWC commissioner Chuck Lindemenn.
Menlo may join the NWC football schedule as early as 2005. NCAA Division III conferences with at least seven teams receive an automatic berth into the playoffs.
The NWC’s other teams are Lewis & Clark, Linfield, Pacific Lutheran, Puget Sound and Willamette. Menlo would have to be a part of the NWC for two years before the automatic playoff bid kicks in.
Women’s soccer
Washington State University junior goalkeeper Katie Hultin, the reigning Pacific-10 Conference player of the week, was named to the weekly Soccer Buzz 2004 Elite Team.
Hultin recorded 14 saves during wins over eighth-ranked UCLA and No. 22 Southern California last weekend. The Cougars travel to play Oregon and Oregon State this weekend.