Caserta selected SWAC Player of the Year

Scenic West Athletic Conference Player of the Year Garga Caserta led six North Idaho College Cardinals who earned All-Region 18/All-Conference honors Friday.

Joining the Brazilian midfielder on the All-Region/All-Conference first team were fellow sophomore midfielder Peter Hiel, forward Manuel Arceo and defenders Lamar Kumangai-McGee (North Central) and Chase Robeson. Freshman forward Mike Vredenberg (Coeur d’Alene) earned honorable mention.

•Redshirt freshman midfielder Scott Meslin scored his first collegiate goal with 55 seconds left in the first overtime to give Gonzaga a 2-1 victory over Saint Mary’s (7-9-1, 4-6-0) in a West Coast Conference match at Martin Field.

Grant Lundberg tied the match in the 15th minute and assisted on Meslin’s goal for the Bulldogs (6-7-4, 4-4-2), who got seven saves from goalkeeper Vito Higgins.

Women’s soccer

Eight North Idaho College Cardinals, including six freshmen, were honored with All-Region 18/All-SWAC accolades.

Sophomore defender Laura Heath (Central Valley) led three first team players, along with freshman forward Meghan Kahnle and midfielder Lacey Salisbury.

Earning honorable mention were sophomore defender Ariel Roop (Lake City), freshman midfielders Nicole Yeggy and Katie Douglas (Lakeland), forward Lara Wessman and goalkeeper Makayla Desjarlais (Post Falls).

•Carmen Anderson’s header off a Megan Hyte corner kick in the 41st minute gave Washington State a 1-0 victory over rival Washington in the final Pac-10 Conference game for both teams.

Katie Hultin had five saves for the Cougars (11-7-2, 4-4-1), who handed the Huskies (0-17-3, 0-9-0) their 13th one-goal loss and 10th 1-0 defeat of the season.

Men’s basketball

Puget Sound has been unanimously selected to win its third straight Northwest Conference title in the coaches’ preseason poll.

UPS (22-4, 15-1 in 2004-05) earned the maximum 90 points, followed by George Fox (18-7, 13-3) with 62 points and Whitworth (13-11, 9-7) with 61.

Women’s basketball

George Fox, which was picked fifth in last season’s NWC coaches’ preseason poll but won the title, has been selected to repeat this season.

The Bruins (22-6, 14-2 in 2004-05) received seven of nine first-place votes and 86 points. Whitman (14-11, 9-7; 66 points) and Pacific Lutheran (14-11, 10-5; 60 points) received the other two. Whitworth (22-3, 13-3) was picked fifth with 41 points.

Volleyball

Christie Dawson had 19 kills and four blocks to lead No. 22 San Diego to a 30-16, 30-24, 30-23 sweep of Gonzaga in a West Coast Conference match at the Martin Centre.

Erin Wiskar added 12 kills for the Toreros (17-5, 6-4), who hit .414 for the match. Becky Jones had 15 kills and Heather Dunn added eight kills and 31 assists for the Bulldogs (10-16, 2-7), who lost their fifth straight match.

•Kristin Richards had 31 kills and 16 digs as reigning national champion Stanford defeated Washington State 26-30, 30-22, 30-22, 30-25 in a Pac-10 match at Bohler Gym in Pullman.

Katie Goldhahn led the fourth-ranked Cardinal with 68 assists and a pair of aces. True freshman Brittany Johnson led the Cougars (8-18, 1-12) with 16 kills, while Jen Barcus (Lakeside-Nine Mile) and Natalia Owens added 14 apiece.

•Christina Albers had 46 assists and 10 digs to lead Eastern Washington to a sweep over Montana in a Big Sky Conference match at Reese Court in Cheney, winning each game 30-26.

Ashley Jensen led the Eagles (18-8, 8-4) with 14 kills, while Lizzy Mellor (Colfax) added 13 kills and Addie Webster 12.