In 2003, Elaine Benditson inspired the concept and the Cal Lutheran Scholar-Athlete Society was created to acknowledge the academic achievements of CLU athletes. The institution believes it is important to give special emphasis to those students who are competing rigorously to achieve excellence in the classroom and in their chosen sport. The Kingsmen and Regals honored during the ceremony have each proven to bring equal dedication and discipline to both the classroom and chosen fields of play.

Boasting a 3.40 or higher cumulative grade point average during the academic year, the 2013 induction class was the largest in the 10-year history of the society. The inaugural class had 36 inductees.

Of the student-athletes who participated in 2012-13, 62% (307 of 493) earned a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher. Nearly 30% (144) produced a 3.5 or higher GPA. The total GPA for all CLU sports teams this year was 3.147. Offering 20 intercollegiate sports, 16 of those teams produced higher team GPAs in 2012-13 than in 2011-12. Additionally, during the fall semester 12 athletes earned a perfect 4.0.

Following the presentation of gifts to those inducted, a pair of distinguished student-athletes was recognized. Senior golfer and bioengineering major Chad Kimmelshue and senior swimmer and liberal studies major Cortney Jordan were selected by the CLU Faculty Athletic Policies Committee as the Male and Female SCIAC Scholar Athlete, respectively.

While Kimmelshue was in Florida competing at the NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Championships, Jordan, a two-time Paralympian and S7 American Record Holder in 17 events, took to the podium.

Going on to be an ambassador and speaker for the Paralympics, Jordan stepped up to the microphone where she engulfed the audience with a sincere and strong message. She spoke to four phenomenal points:

1. The gift of being in the moment.
2. Passion for what you are doing.
3. Focusing on teammates and how others will remember you and how you can make others feel good.
4. Never-Ever giving up!

During her speech she also touched on the notion of cherishing differences, respecting others, assuming responsibility and having no regrets.  

Cal Lutheran attracts students from all walks of life and areas of the world. Its diversity is unique and the passion that each and every student possesses is special. For many, one of those passions is sport, in turn producing amazing student-athletes for the Kingsmen and Regals year in and year out.

Scholar Athlete Society: 2013 Induction Class
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Rohach figured she got enough functional work done during practices for volleyball, basketball and track and field at Moorpark High.

But once Rohach arrived at Cal Lutheran, she realized it would take a more intense training plan to be a multisport athlete at the collegiate level.

Rohach has managed to keep her body in prime shape to balance the demands of volleyball and track and field at CLU.

The junior’s efforts were rewarded last week when she was named an All-American Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year by the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

CLU football player Chris Cabrera was honored on the men’s side.

“It was exciting because I feel I have been kind of working hard and staying dedicated,” Rohach said. “It’s nice after three years to be noticed for something like that. I definitely take it more seriously now than I did at first.”

After helping CLU’s volleyball team capture the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title in the fall, Rohach has extended her run of success on the track.

She set a school record in the long jump last month with an NCAA qualifying mark of 18 feet, 9¼ inches. Last week, Rohach helped Cal Lutheran’s 4x100 meter relay team break the school record with a winning time of 47.87 seconds.

“Lauren is one of those special athletes that very rarely come around and into your program,” CLU track and field coach Matt Lea said. “She is an incredible person to work with. Her personality and attitude on and off the track are what I aspire all my athletes to be like. She carries herself in such a way that her teammates are always looking up to her.”

In setting the program’s long jump record, Rohach edged CLU teammate Kendall Sauter (18-1½).

“It was really just a matter of time before me or Kendall broke it,” Rohach said. “We’ve both been pushing each other every single week, so the camaraderie on the team as well as the competitiveness is really nice.”

Rohach has managed to excel in track while still juggling offseason volleyball workouts and academics.

“I have been working with the coaches about cutting down on some workouts so I am not as tired,” Rohach said. “I think there is an understanding between the coaches now that if I want to do big things in both sports we have to cut down a little bit of the time. It’s pretty much day by day on how my body feels.”

Rohach believes switching from outside hitter to middle blocker in volleyball has benefited her in track.

“I think jumping all the time might have something to do with my marks improving,” she said. “Overall I am getting stronger physically and mentally knowing what I can do even on a semi-bad day. I think it’s just been a growing process with my body and the mental aspect of track.”

Cal Lutheran will be participating in the SCIAC Championships in Los Angeles on April 26-27. Then, the Regals are hoping to have a large contingent traveling to the Badger State for the NCAA Championships on May 23-25.

“Everyone wants to go to Wisconsin,” Rohach said. “We talk about it every day at practice now. We just have to keep getting better every single weekend and keep our rankings up.”

Student-athletes at both the collegiate and high school levels are recognized for athletic accomplishments and dedication to strength training and conditioning, as determined by the strength and conditioning coach at the given institution. Honorees are also selected based on academic and personal accomplishments as well as overall integrity as student-athletes. 

Cabrera earned First Team All-SCIAC honors at linebacker this past season after being selected to the Second Team in 2011. The Los Angeles, Calif. native finished with 55 tackles including 27 solo tackles as Cal Lutheran captured its fourth consecutive conference title and advanced to the NCAA Division III playoffs. Cal Lutheran strength and conditioning coordinator Dr. Pat Holmberg said of Cabrera, “Chris is a tireless worker and relentless competitor. Everyday he shows up ready, willing, and excited to put in the work needed to improve.”

Also honored was Rohach, a standout two-sport athlete in track & field and volleyball. The Moorpark, Calif. native received All-SCIAC honors for her second place finish in the long jump and third place finish in the 200 meter dash at the SCIAC Championships last spring. She also ran the third leg of the 4x 400 meter relay team that broke a 14-year old SCIAC conference meet record. Currently, Rohach holds the school record in the long jump, 4x 100 meter relay and is second in the 200 meter dash. During the fall, Rohach developed into one of the top middle-blockers in the SCIAC, finishing eighth in the conference for blocks with 77. The third-year player was also fourth on the team with 252 kills. “Most people don’t realize the dedication that is needed to compete at a high level in one sport. Here is an athlete who is a standout in two sports.” Holmberg continued, “Along with her athletic accomplishments, Rohach is a two-time member of CLU’s Scholar-Athlete Society. She is a pleasure to coach.”

Boyd Epley, Founder of the NCSA adds, “The advantages of strength training and conditioning cannot be denied in collegiate and high school athletics. The NCSA is pleased to recognize student-athletes that put forth and effort to improve their performance though strength and conditioning. They are to be applauded for their hard work and dedication.”

The NSCA All-American Athlete of the Year program has been in existence for 34 years and is made possible by a grant from Power Systems, Inc., a Knoxville, Tenn. Fitness product leader.

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There are 178,441 DIII student-athletes as compared to 459,253 in Division I and II combined from coast to coast. Division III, however, represents the largest division in the NCAA at 40 percent of the total membership.

The NCAA sponsors 28 Championship events with 14 for men and 14 for women. There are also eight National Collegiate Championships. Overall, CLU sponsors 20 intercollegiate athletic programs, which is above the average (17) of like institutions.

Cal Lutheran is one of the 80 percent of active institutions that are private with 20 percent of DIII schools on public campuses. Across the board the average enrollment of Division III schools is 2,734.

All of the schools that fall in the Division III category are expected to promote the model of discover, develop and dedicate. CLU is right on track with that mantra by succeeding academically and athletically while giving back to the community.

In 2013 there will be CLU 147 student-athletes inducted into the Scholar Athlete Society by holding a 3.40 or higher cumulative grade point average. This number is higher than it has ever been and numerous student-athletes throughout the season have earned both Academic All-SCIAC and other sport specific academic accolades.

CLU teams have been just as successful on the field, court, course and in the pool with 10 teams earning national rankings in 2012-13. Both men’s golf and women’s water polo have held No. 1 rankings in their respective polls this year. CLU teams have claimed four Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) titles thus far with four teams and one athlete advancing to NCAA Championship play. The spring sports have much hope to increase those numbers with more than half of the teams in the hunt for a league title.

Beyond those two areas, CLU students have also taken time to give back. One example is the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) that is headed in 2012-13 by Lauren Rasmussen. She and the other SAAC members have put together a community service project in conjunction with DIII Week.

The group is scheduled to do a Ball and Old Sports Equipment Drive throughout the week of April 8-12. Items will be collected both at the Welcome Desk of the Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center during all hours of operation and in the Athletics Offices during operating business hours (9-5). Additionally, SAAC members will be stationed at the flagpole on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. to collect items. All donations will be delivered to the Boys and Girls Club of the Greater Conejo Valley.

“The biggest thing with this event is that it is something that the SAAC wants to turn into an annual event during DIII Week and we are really excited about it,” Rasmussen said. “The connection to athletics with equipment collection, plus the opportunity to give back to the community by donating items that student-athletes are involved with competitively every day is very rewarding.”

Student Life will be sponsoring a series of student giveaways at a variety of athletic events during Division III Week as well.

Cal Lutheran sunglasses will be given out at Men’s Tennis against No. 1 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Friday at 2:00 p.m. at the Poulson Tennis Center to kick off the weekend. On Wednesday, April 10 the water polo team will host Caltech and rally towels will be handed out at the entrance to the Samuelson Aquatics Center. Women’s Tennis fans will have a chance to claim sunglasses on Friday, April 12 when the Regals host Occidental at 2:00 p.m. At Hutton Field softball will host Redlands where seat cushions will be available for student fans at 2:00 p.m. At 3:00 p.m. in Ullman Stadium baseball fans can obtain a stadium cup as the Kingsmen host Whittier. Additionally, free Shave It coupons will be distributed to the first 250 students at any of the games.

Finally, the dining commons will be offering sports themed meals and snacks throughout the week, including a nacho bar, Dodger Dogs, peanuts and popcorn, BBQ Tri-Tip sandwiches and soft pretzels with cheese sauce.

“Excitement is beginning to be generated around Division III week on campus,” Director of Athletics Dan Kuntz shared. “We are looking forward to being a part of this unique campaign to promote Division III and the student-athletes we support year in and year out.”

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Division III members passed legislation at the NCAA convention last Saturday allowing private communication with recruits through social networking sites like Facebook.

Coaches have been limited to phone calls, text messages, faxes and emails.

"There are not a lot of phone conversations that go on anymore and I don't think some kids even know what a fax is," CLU athletic director Dan Kuntz said. "Students are living and communicating in social media and I think the schools and coaches realize that. The one concern was privacy and not being intruded upon, but students are pretty savvy. When they don't want to be contacted, they know how to say not now."

Kuntz and James McHugh, the special assistant to the president for athletic affairs at CLU, represented the university at the convention in Grapevine, Texas.

Division III members considered 13 legislative proposals during the convention business session.

Along with the social media proposal, another proposal adopted was requiring confirmation of sickle cell trait status for all student-athletes no later than the 2014-15 academic year, including mandatory confirmation of status for all incoming student-athletes in 2013-14.

People with sickle cell trait have been shown to be more vulnerable than those without the trait to heat stroke and muscle breakdown when subjected to strenuous exercise under unfavorable environmental conditions.

Athletes can opt out of having the test, but will have to receive education regarding sickle cell trait status.

Given the concerns about costs, logistics and how the proposal related to other medical issues, the vote was close (254-200-15).

Not much will change at CLU as the university already required athletes to have the sickle cell trait test.

"There were a lot of conversations around this issue, but in the end it's really about the well-being of the student," Kuntz said. "If there is something we can do to help the well-being of the student, our mindset at CLU is to always do it. Our first priority is always to take better care of our students."

Kuntz said a topic he expects to be discussed in the future is establishing boundaries at the Division III level, where there are no athletic scholarships.

"Being less intrusive on students and offering a better work-life balance for the staff is huge," Kuntz said. "Division III is intended to have more restrictions because the emphasis is to allow student-athletes to be students. They need opportunities to study abroad and not have coaches on them year-round. We need to allow them to have a well-rounded experience."

Kuntz was attending the NCAA convention for the eighth time and can't wait to go back next year when it comes to San Diego.

"I think it's all fascinating because I can learn so much," Kuntz said. "There are so many good things and different ways to think about things and talk about these social issues that are in sports."

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McLogan led Cal Lutheran this season with a school-record 471 kills and her 4.49 kills per set ranked fourth in the country for Division III. The 2012 SCIAC Volleyball Athlete of the Year was also a force defensively, finishing second on the team with 380 digs and third in blocks with 42.  The outside hitter played some her strongest volleyball in the post season as CLU captured their second SCIAC Championship in three years and reached the NCAA Tournament Regional Championship game for the second year in a row. During the five post season matches, McLogan averaged more than 19 kills and 14 digs per game. In just two seasons, the Upland, Calif. native has already moved into seventh place in school history for career kills with 879.

Pearson moves to the Third Team after being named AVCA Honorable Mention in 2011. The  Thousand Oaks, Calif. native finished third on the team in kills with 292, hitting for a .278 average. She also led Cal Lutheran with 86 blocks during the season. In addition to being named to the Third Team, Pearson earned AVCA First Team All-West Region and First Team All-SCIAC awards for the second year in a row. Pearson finished her two-year career with CLU with 599 kills and 163 blocks.

Cal Lutheran finished this season 29-5 including 15-1 in the SCIAC. CLU’s 29 wins are second most in school history for a single season.

The Cal Lutheran women's volleyball team seemed to be cruising to another Elite Eight appearance, having captured the first set and gaining a sizable lead in the second.

But seventh-ranked CLU couldn't hold on, losing to No. 12 Puget Sound 14-25, 26-24, 25-21, 27-25 in the NCAA Division III West Regional final on Sunday afternoon at Gilbert Arena.

As Puget Sound (22-5) prepared to make travel plans toHolland, Mich., CLU (29-5) prepared for a longer than expected off-season.

"I thought we had a good start, but just kind of let it go a little bit there," CLU head coach Kellee Roesel said. "We had too many unforced errors and tried to do too many things. I told this team all year long that the only team that could beat us is us, and unfortunately we beat ourselves today. Not to take anything away from Puget Sound."

CLU appeared to have everything working in the first set, with a strong defense and a diversified offensive attack.

The Regals jumped to a 4-1 lead and expanded it to 17-7 on a powerful kill by Kylie McLogan.

CLU closed out the set when Lesley Smith rose high alongside McLogan for a block.

The Regals got off to another quick start in the second set, taking a 4-0 lead and pushing it to 10-3.

But Puget Sound mounted a rally to tie the set 20-20 on an ace by Jenni Brehove, and began gaining confidence. The Loggers took their first lead at 23-22 when a kill by Pearson went long.

CLU managed to fend off one set point, but couldn't fight off a second as McLogan's kill attempt went into the net.

"I think maybe the first set got into our heads a little bit and we let off a little in the second set and let them in," CLU freshman Pua Mo'okini-Oliveira said. "We fought as hard as we could to get it back, but we couldn't get it going as strong again."

CLU once again captured the first four points in the third set, but failed to hold the lead for long and never recovered.

Puget Sound bucked the trend in the fourth set, winning four of the first five points. But CLU recovered and went ahead 11-7 on a kill by freshman Allie Eason.

Puget Sound tied it 22-22 on the point of the match that featured several great defensive plays during an extended rally.

The Regals staved off three match points before Puget Sound clinched the regional title when Emily Convery blocked Eason's kill attempt.

"We had confidence going into this match. Even when we got down we always focused on the goals we had set," said Eason, a Buena High graduate. "We wanted to keep fighting and keep working because we knew we could do it. We just have such strong team chemistry, we never want to give up."

Eason finished with 16 kills on 36 swings and 19 digs.McLogan had 24 kills and 15 digs. Both were selected to the regional all-tournament team.

Jena Chavez had 52 assists for CLU and senior Rachel Smith, a Newbury Park High graduate, closed her career with 24 digs.

Regional Most Valuable Player Jackie Harvey led Puget Sound with 16 kills.

After Puget Sound secured the upset, CLU watched the Loggers celebrate with a regional championship trophy CLU earned last season.

But the future appears bright for the three-time defending SCIAC champions, with many underclassmen contributing to this season's run.

"Our young kids did great. I just feel bad for our seniors," Roesel said. "I told them I know they are disappointed, but the only reason they need to be upset is because they don't get to play with these girls every day anymore. But if they looked up in the stands they could see all our former players sitting there, so we will never lose them."

No. 12 Puget Sound (22-5) erased an early 1-0 deficit as No. 7 Cal Lutheran (29-5) took a commanding first set 25-14. The Loggers chopped away and came back winning the final three sets by 26-24, 25-21 and 27-25 margins.

The Tournament MVP Jackie Harvey finished with 16 kills in the match to lead the Loggers, adding a pair of service aces, a solo block and six digs. Also reaching double figures for UPS with 10 kills was Emily Convery, who hit .320 in the match, and led the squad with two solo blocks. She tacked on two block assists, though Nicolette Reynaud led all players with six assisted stops and Jordan Bird chipped in with four. As a team Puget Sound posted 11.0 total blocks. Christina Chun had a team-high 21 digs with Marissa Florant and Karly Edwards tallying 15 and 13, respectively. Jenni Brehove was responsible for 42 assists while earning a pair of service aces. Edwards also finished with two aces.

Both Convery and Chun were selected to the All-Tournament Team.

Cal Lutheran got a pair of double-double performances from Kylie McLogan and Allie Eason who were both named to the All-Tournament team. McLogan posted a match-high 24 kills with 15 digs while Eason finished with 16 kills and 19 digs. Senior libero Rachel Smith led all players with 24 digs and Kennedy Peters also finished in double figures with 12. Five different Regals put down a service ace today, including Jena Chavez who handed out a match-high 52 assists. CLU combined for 17 block assists, led by McLogan and Lauren Rohach with five apiece.

Rounding out the All-Tournament Team were Kate Ferrin from Chapman and Kendall Kraiss from La Verne.

Puget Sound punched a ticket to Holland, Mich. to play Nov. 15-17 for a National Title while CLU finishes their 2012 campaign 29-5 overall.

NCAA Regional: Bracket
Tournament Central: Cal Lutheran Regional

Facing a fellow conference opponent is helpful in terms of familiarity, but can be hurtful in terms of motivation.

The Cal Lutheran women's volleyball team withstood that challenge Saturday night.

Behind Kylie McLogan's 28 kills and 27 digs, seventh-ranked CLU defeated La Verne 25-22, 19-25, 25-18, 28-26 in the regional semifinals of the NCAA Division III Championships at Gilbert Arena.

CLU (29-4) plays Puget Sound (Wash.) in the regional final Sunday at noon for a chance to advance to the Elite Eight for the secondstraight season.

"It was a slugfest out there and we knew that going in," CLU head coach Kellee Roesel said. "It was a very dangerous match. They have great senior leadership and have been through so much adversity. We had a huge target on our back and we had a lot of pressure on us. They had no pressure on them."

CLU swept its two matches against La Verne in SouthernCalifornia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play, and was aware of the old adage it's hard to beat a team three times.

But the Regals managed to accomplish the feat by keeping their composure in the momentum-flipping showdown.

CLU trailed 16-13 in a tight first game, but rallied to tie it 20-20 on a kill by McLogan.

The Regals took the lead for good on two La Verne attack errors, and clinched the game on a La Verne service error.

La Verne (22-6) led from start to finish in the second game to even the match at a game apiece on a service ace by Kendall Kraiss.

CLU jumped to a 4-0 lead in the third game on back-to-back kills by Allie Eason.

The Regals expanded their advantage to as much as 10 points and weathered a La Verne rally to win the game when Lauren Rohach put away aball at the net.

In the fourth game, CLU trailed 11-5 before mounting a comeback. An ace by McLogan gave CLU the lead at 16-15 and the game remainedtight throughout.

CLU had two match points, but couldn't secure the win. The Regals survived a game point by La Verne before letting another match point slip away.

They finally captured the match on a kill by Eason.

"I think we were a bit apprehensive going into the game knowing it was worth so much and we were playing them a third time," McLogan said. "It's hard playing a team that many times because they know what you are going to do. But we just focused on our side rather than focusing on what they were doing on their side."

Eason finished with 19 kills and eight digs. Shannon Pearson had 13 kills and Rachel Smith added 21 digs. Jena Chavez dished out a career-high 59 assists.

CLU won't have to worry about the familiarity factor in the regional final. The Regals haven't faced Puget Sound this season.

"They were able to watch us tonight and have been resting three or four hours and we have to turn around and play at noon," Roesel said. "But I am pretty hard on these kids and expect them to be in really good condition. They have trained for this all year long."

In the first of two semifinal matches today, No. 12 Puget Sound (21-5) upset second regionally ranked and nationally No. 21 Chapman (24-7) in three sets to move on to the final.

The Loggers cruised to a first set victory, 25-18, and after earning the second set by a 28-26 margin, stole the third, 25-22, to advance to play another day in the single-elimination tournament. The Puget Sound defense proved to be too much for Chapman.

UPS came up with 18 block assists, led by four apiece from Harvey and Nicolette Reynaud. Kristin Best and Brehove each finished with three block assists. The Loggers were led by a 14-kill, 16-dig double-double from Jackie Harvey, whose kill tally led all players. She hit at a .344 clip with just three errors in 32 swings, adding a pair of service aces. Jenni Brehove set the ball 40 times to lead the field. Christina Chun led the match with both 20 digs and four service aces. Marissa Florant also reached double figure digs with 12 for the winning squad.

For the Panthers, Ashleigh Gideon and Kate Ferrin each recorded 13 kills with Gideon adding 13 digs for a double-double. Ferrin hit .423 in the match with just two errors on 26 attempts. Corrine Ostrovsky also earned a double-double by finishing with 37 assists and 10 digs for the Chapman. In total, four CU players recorded double figure digs with Carleigh Mueller leading the team with 18 and Morgan Slater chipping in with 15. Chapman came up with just one solo block in the contest with Ostrovsky and Val Geiger combining for the stop. Slater also added two service aces in the loss.

The second semifinal match marked the third meeting between No. 7 Cal Lutheran (29-4) and No. 25 La Verne (22-6) with the Regals earning a 3-1 victory to move on to the Regional Championship match on Sunday.

Cal Lutheran got out to a hot start, taking the first set 25-22, but La Verne evened the score in the second, dropping the Regals 25-19. CLU rallied back, opening the third set with a 4-0 run but the Leopards would not go away without a fight. They battled back into it, but the home squad pulled away for the 25-18 win. The final set would need extra points, despite CLU holing an early 10-point advantage. ULV chipped away before the Regals stole the set 28-26.

Kylie McLogan showed why she was named the SCIAC Athlete of the Year, recording a 28-kill, 27-dig double-double, adding the only CLU service ace and combining for two of 10 CLU block assists. Lauren Rohach was responsible for three block assists while Shannon Pearson and Pua Mo’okini-Oliveira tallied two apiece. Pearson hit .368 with nine kills and McLogan finished at a .362 clip on 58 swings. Allie Eason also had a solid game with 19 kills and the only CLU solo block of the match. Jena Chavez handed out a career-high 59 assists and Rachel Smith added 21 digs in the win.

The Leopards were paced by a 22 kill night from Brittany Yaxley, who finished with a .362 hitting percentage. Randi Taylor-Toomay was the only other ULV player in double figure kills with 10. Kendall Kraiss assisted on 43 points and finished with 13 digs for a double-double of her own. Morgan Donohue led the Leos with 18 digs and had their only solo stop of the night. Kayla Cribbs was responsible for four block assists and Catie Logan tallied a trio of service aces for ULV.

The 2012 NCAA Division III West Regional Championships match will take place Sunday, Nov. 11 at noon in the Gilbert Arena with the winner advancing to the Elite Eight and punching a ticket to Holland, Mich. to play Nov. 15-17 for a National Title. CLU and UPS have not met on the court in 2012.

NCAA Regional: Bracket
Tournament Central: Cal Lutheran Regional
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THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – It could have happened during a preseason tournament.

It could have happened during a conference match.

But it seemed only fitting that Kellee Roesel's milestone moment came during the one-and-done format of the playoffs.

It's the kind of pressure-packed environment the ultracompetitive Cal Lutheran women's volleyball coach loves most.

Roesel became the program's all-time career leader in coaching victories Friday night as the No. 7 Regals defeated Southwestern (Texas) 25-16, 25-13, 22-25, 25-18 in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Championships at Gilbert Arena.

Roesel improved to 169-48 in seven seasons at CLU to move ahead of James Park, who compiled a 168-65 record from 1993 to 2001.

"It was great to win it for Coach," CLU senior Shannon Pearson said. "We were yelling at her in the locker room for a speech and she said she owed it all to her coaching staff and to us. But we know she worksjust as hard as we do every day, so it was awesome to do it for her."

The connection between Roesel and Park goes beyond just their records at CLU. Park coached Roesel at Moorpark High.

"If anybody is going to break the record, it might as well be one my ex-players," said Park, who now coaches the Thousand Oaks High girls volleyball team. "She has been very successful, and it's good to see the program doing well."

After her postgame talk with her team, Roesel emerged from the locker room with a bouquet of sunflowers.

"I am truly honored. James Park is the reason I started playing volleyball and I really do try to emulate him," Roesel said. "He is a great coach and he pushed me farther than I thought I could go as a high school player. That is why I chose to play volleyball in college."

CLU (28-4) was never threatened in capturing the first two sets against Southwestern (20-16). But the Pirates wouldn't let their season end without a fight.

They pushed CLU into a fourth set, where the Regals jumped to an early lead and held on for the victory on a kill by Shannon Pearson.

Pearson finished with a team-high 16 kills while Kylie McLogan had 14. Jena Chavez recorded 46 assists and Rachel Smith had 29 digs.

CLU advances to play fellow Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference member La Verne today at 6 p.m. in the regional semifinal. CLU won both regular-season meetings with La Verne.

"They are a well-coached team with a lot of good seniors," Roesel said. "It will be a great challenge for us. We will be ready."

In match one of the weekend No. 21 Chapman (24-6) cruised to a 3-0 victory over No. 16 Pacific Lutheran (20-6), winning 25-13, 25-15 and 25-22.  

The Panthers were paced by Ashley Gideon and Kate Ferrin with 12 kills apiece and McKenna Roice chipped in with 11 and hit at a .500 clip with just one error in 20 swings. Corrine Ostrovsky handed out 40 assists for Chapman. Carleigh Mueller led all players with 22 digs as the Panthers placed four players in double figure digs. Morgan Slater finished with 14, as did Gideon for a double-double. Roice was responsible for two block assists and Gideon had a solo block.

Pacific Lutheran had one player in double figure kills as Amy Wooten tallied 10 while Brianne Vincent dished out 21 assists. Blair Bjorkman recorded a team-high 20 digs and Bethany Huston had five block assists in the match.

Chapman will face Puget Sound tomorrow at 3:30 p.m.

The second match was a battle with the No. 12 Puget Sound (20-5) Loggers chopping down No. 18 Colorado College (23-10) 3-0 to advance. UPS earned 27-25, 25-13, 24-25, 25-22 victories.

Marissa Florant led all players with 14-kills and added 13-digs for the only double-double of the match. She and Christina Chun recorded three service aces apiece. Joining Florant in double figures kills was Jackie Harvey with 12. Jenni Brehove handed out 38 assists for the Loggers. Defensively, five players broke double digit digs with Chun tallying a team-high 19. Danielle Westerman assisted on four blocks for UPS while Nicolette Reynaud finished with three block assists. Emily Convery was responsible for the only solo stop of the match.

Colorado College was paced by 10 kills from Kristen Liberty who also had a pair of block assists. Laura Goldsmith and Courtney Birkett had nine kills apiece and Kate Squires recorded match-highs with 40 assists and five service aces. Defensively, five players had double figure dig performances with Sophie Merrifield finishing with a team-high 18. Squires and Birkett each had 15.

The third match saw the No. 25 La Verne (22-5) end a 25-match win streak by Hardin-Simmons (29-4) to advance to the 6:00 p.m. final on Saturday. The Leopards took the first set before HSU stormed back to win sets two and three. ULV rallied in the fourth to even the score a two games apiece, forcing a decisive set.

The Leopards were led by 15 kills from Randi Taylor-Toomay while Brittany Yaxley recorded 13. Kendall Kriss was credited with 31 assists in the match and also led all players with 21 digs for a double-double. She added seven kills and two block assists to her stat line tonight. Taylor-Toomay also posted a team-high two service aces.

Three players, Christine Sas, Hannah Hornsby and Madison Reyes, recorded 12 kills apiece for the Cowgirls. Molli Owens and Meghan Molitor split the setting duties with 29 and 18 assists, respectively. Morgan Watts put down a match-high three service aces while Molitor and Gabi Martinez each earned two aces. Addison Zaya had a team-high 21 1digs with Reyes recording 17. She and Sas, who had 13 digs, both finished the season with double-double performances. Tori Martinez had two solo blocks and six block assists with Hornsby tallying seven block assists in the match.

La Verne and Cal Lutheran, familiar foes, will meet on the court at 6:00 p.m. tomorrow evening.  

A loud and rowdy home crowd got behind No. 7 Cal Lutheran (28-4) propelling the Regals out to a quick 2-0 lead, but Southwestern (24-12) put up a fight, taking the third set to force a fourth game. CLU regrouped and went on to win 3-1 by 25-16, 25-13, 22-25 and 25-18 margins.

Cal Lutheran placed four players in double figure scoring with Shannon Pearson recording 16 kills followed by Kylie McLogan with 14 and Allie Eason and Lauren Rohach tied with 13 apiece. Pearson and Rohach hit at .448 and .455 clips, respectively for the Regals. Jena Chavez dished out 46 assists in the win. Pearson put down three aces and McLogan finished with a pair. The defense was led by a 29 dig performance from Rachel Smith while McLogan added 14 digs for a double-double. Pearson and Chavez combined for three blocks while Pearson and McLogan joined forces for a fourth.

The Pirates were led tonight by Rachel Thibodeau who had 14 kills and Olivia Drummond who chipped in with seven. Meredith Rollins accounted for 10 assists while Lacey Strickland handed out nine and Ashley Alfaro tallied eight. Lorin Froetschel had a pair of service aces for SU tonight. The defensive efforts from Southwestern were spread between three players. Kaitlyn Foster had a team-high 12 and Rollins had 10 while Thibodeau added 10 as well, for a double-double. Drummond and Froetschel each recorded a solo block and Froteschel added four block assists as well.

Cal Lutheran and SCIAC foe La Verne will meet on the court tomorrow at 6:00 p.m.

On Sunday, Nov. 11, the two remaining teams will play in the regional final at 12:00 p.m. to earn the right to move on to play for the National Title in Holland, Mich. Nov. 15-17.  

NCAA Regional: Bracket
Tournament Central: Cal Lutheran Regional

Everything you need to know can be found at CLU Tournament Central.

Six of the eight teams competing are ranked among the top-25 programs in the nation, announced by the AVCA earlier this week.

Match one will see No. 21 Chapman (23-6) play No. 16 Pacific Lutheran (20-5) at 12:30 p.m. to kick the weekend off.

The second match will be between No. 12 Puget Sound (19-5) and No. 18 Colorado College (23-9) at 3:00 p.m.

Match three of the afternoon will pit No. 25 La Verne (21-5) against Hardin-Simmons (29-3) at 5:30 p.m.

In the final contest of the day, No. 7 Cal Lutheran (27-4) will host Southwestern (20-15) in an 8:00 p.m. match.

Saturday the victorious teams from the opening two matches will meet at 3:00 p.m. followed by the other two winning teams in the 6:00 p.m. match.

On Sunday, Nov. 11, the two remaining teams will play in the regional final at 12:00 p.m. to earn the right to move on to play for the National Title in Holland, Mich. Nov. 15-17.  

NCAA Regional: Bracket
Tournament Central: Cal Lutheran Regional

Chavez has been watching Russell perform every day in practice for the last two seasons.

Chavez knew she would have big shoes to fill once Russell was lost for the season in early September after breaking her ring finger.

"I have learned so much from Jackie and she has been a great role model for me," Chavez said. "She is such a decorated athlete who had so much success, but the nice thing is she has always been really humble about everything. It was really hard to see her get hurt."

But Chavez has done her best to keep CLU on track to achieve its championship goals.

The sophomore setter will be counted on again when No. 8 CLU (27-4) opens the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championships with a first-round match against Southwestern (20-15) on Friday night at 8 p.m. in Gilbert Arena.

"Jena is the unsung hero of the group at this point and has really come into her own," CLU head coach Kellee Roesel said. "That kid is as tough as nails and as hard working as anybody I've had. I don't know if I am more proud of anyone as I am of her. I couldn't ask for a better kid to step up and take Jackie's place."

Chavez averaged 9.74 assists per set to help CLU capture the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament titles.

Like any good setter, Chavez dishes off the credit for her play to others.

"I cannot thank my teammates and coaching staff enough for just being confident in me and supportive," Chavez said. "Without their help, I wouldn't be where I am."

Chavez didn't try to live up to Russell's high standards when first taking over the job.

"I know I am not Jackie and I would just have to do my own thing," she said. "Coach always tells all of us we need to be ready to be out there and play at any time. I don't think anyone is caught off-guard because we are prepared for it even if it doesn't happen."

Chavez came to CLU from Henderson, Nev., where she helped Green Valley High capture region and division championships and finish runner-up in state.

"I had been looking at D-III schools and noticed that Cal Lu had a lot of success," Chavez said. "I had family down there and came on a visit and watched the team practice. I loved that they were super competitive and the coaching staff is all about winning. Who wouldn't want to come here when you are winning all the time, right?"

Chavez wants to keep that tradition going throughout this weekend and beyond in the NCAA tournament.

"I am every excited to compete and just keep working as hard as I can to make the team better," she said. "That is all I can really do and that is what coach always tell us. Keep giving and giving and you will see the results at the end of the day."

But the awards didn’t stop there.

Head Coach Kellee Roesel was named the AVCA Division III West Region Coach of the Year.

For McLogan, it was the sophomore’s second selection on the First Team in as many years. The Regals leading attacker, McLogan is fourth in the country averaging better than four kills per set. The Upland, Calif. native has hit .251 this year while also being a defensive stalwart for CLU, recording with 324 digs so far.

Like her teammate, Pearson was named to the First Team for the second consecutive year as well. The senior middle blocker is third on the team in kills with 255 while also hitting for a .278 average. Defensively, Pearson leads Cal Lutheran with 78 total blocks.

Senior libero Rachel Smith received honorable mention honors after recording a school-record 484 digs this season.

Coach Roesel was named the West Region Coach of the Year after guiding the Regals to a 27-4 overall record including 15-1 in the SCIAC and a No. 7 ranking in the latest AVCA Top 25 poll. The seventh year coach has Cal Lutheran rolling into the playoffs, winning their last 14 games. Roesel also guided CLU to their second SCIAC Post Season Tournament Championship in the past three seasons. The championship win also gave Roesel her 168^th career victory as head coach, tying former CLU head coach James Park for most all-time at Cal Lutheran. This is Roesel’s second West Region Coach of the Year award after previously earning it in 2010.

Cal Lutheran will host the 2012 NCAA Division III Volleyball West Regional, taking on Southwestern (Tex.) Friday evening at 8:00 p.m. in Gilbert Arena. Tickets for students and seniors are $5, while $6 for adults.

Watch it live here

Roesel wants to face as many potential NCAA Tournament teams as possible to prepare the Regals for the challenges ahead.

The philosophy should pay dividends this week when No. 8 CLU participates in the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championships.

The NCAA pairings were released Monday morning, and CLU was selected to host a regional for the second straight year.

Cal Lutheran's eight-team regional includes No. 19 Colorado College, Hardin-Simmons (Texas), Southwestern (Texas), No. 25 La Verne, No. 22 Chapman, No. 13 Puget Sound (Wash.) and No. 14 Pacific Lutheran (Wash.).

The Regals have already faced five of the other seven teams this season, going 7-1 against them.

The only two teams CLU hasn't played are Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran.

Cal Lutheran (27-4) opens play against Southwestern (20-15) at 8 p.m. Friday in Gilbert Arena. The Regals swept Southwestern at the Trinity Tournament in September.

If CLU wins, it will play Saturday against the winner of the match between Hardin-Simmons and La Verne. The regional final will be played on Sunday at noon.

"We always want to play the best teams we can in the preseason to test ourselves early with the hope that in the playoffs those teams are in the hunt too," Roesel said. "We are fortunate to have played most of the teams in our regional this year, so we have an idea of what to expect. But at this point, we realize it's a brand new season and everybody comes in with a clean slate."

After hosting an NCAA regional the last two years, the CLU women's soccer team will begin its tournament run on the road.

CLU (17-4) earned an at-large berth when the pairings were announced Monday. The Regals will play host Wartburg (12-4-3) in Waverly, Iowa, at 3 p.m. PST Friday.

The other first-round game in the bracket is Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.) against Lake Forest (Ill.). The winners will meet Saturday at 3 p.m. PST.

The road might provide better luck for the Regals. They have been upset in their opening NCAA matches at home the last two seasons.

"I think it will be good for us to get away and focus," CLU women's soccer coach Frank Marino said. "Obviously, once you are in the tournament, all the games are tough, but it should be a good experience."

CLU captured its third straight SCIAC regular-season women's soccer title, but lost in the first round of the SCIAC tournament in overtime last Wednesday.

"This is a second chance for us to make amends for screwing up," Marino said. "It's an opportunity to make up for the poor showing last week, and I think the girls are ready for it."

The CLU volleyball team followed its third straight SCIAC regular-season title with a SCIAC tournament title to clinch the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.

The only question left to be answered Monday was if CLU would be selected as a host site again.

Last year, CLU rode its home-court advantage to the Elite Eight before being swept by Wittenberg in St. Louis.

"It's exciting to have another opportunity to host. I have a ton of confidence in our support staff and our administrative staff, and I would guess the national committee does too because they decided to have it here again," Roesel said. "We evidently put on a first-rate event and they saw that. The plan is to continue to do that as many years as we can with such a great facility and location."

The 2012 SCIAC Athlete of the Year has been a nuisance to opposing players all season and her performance indicated no change with a NCAA Post Season berth on the line.

McLogan propelled the Regals to a pair of 3-0 victories on Nov. 1 and Nov. 3 as No. 8 Cal Lutheran (27-4) earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament without losing a set.

The sophomore outside hitter averaged 5.0 kills per set, tallying 30 with just five errors for a .403 hitting percentage against Occidental and Chapman. McLogan recorded 14 digs, adding a pair of block assists and a service ace as CLU cruised past the Tigers on Thursday and Panthers on Saturday.

Currently McLogan is ranked among the top players in the nation in kills per set and points per set with 4.35 and 4.96, respectively, to rank sixth and ninth among all Division III athletes. 

McLogan becomes the second SCIAC athlete to earn AVCA Player of the Week recognition as Val Geiger from Chapman was honored the week of Oct. 9.

CLU will be hosting the 2012 NCAA Volleyball West Regional beginning Friday, Nov. 9 and concluding Sunday, Nov. 11. Information on the event can be found here.

Release: AVCA Player of the Week
Release: SCIAC Athlete of the Week

Forty-two conferences were awarded automatic qualification for the 2012 championship. Two teams were selected from Pool B, which consists of independent schools and school that are members of conferences that do not meet the requirements for automatic qualification. The final 20 berths were reserved for Pool C, which consists of schools from automatic-qualifying conferences that are not the conference champion and any remaining Pool B teams.

Regional competition will take place on Friday-Sunday, Nov. 9-11, at all host sites except Calvin and St. Thomas (Minn.), which has competition slated for Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 8-10.

The women’s volleyball committee announced the regional host schools and sites: Cal Lutheran (Thousand Oaks, Calif.); Calvin (Grand Rapids, Mich.);  Christopher Newport (Newport News, Va.); Clarkson (Potsdam, N.Y.); Connecticut College (New London, Conn.); Elmhurst (Elmhurst, Ill.);  St. Thomas (Minn.) (St. Paul, Minn.);  Salisbury (Salisbury, Md.).

No. 8 Cal Lutheran (27-4), the 2012 SCIAC and SCIAC Post Season Tournament Champions, will host seven schools, including a pair of league foes in No. 22 Chapman (23-6) and No. 25 La Verne (21-5) who each received Pool C bids.

Traveling down from the Northwest Conference are league champion No. 14 Pacific Lutheran (20-5) and No. 13 Puget Sound (19-5). The Lutes earned the automatic qualification while the Loggers earned a Pool C berth.

Headed west from Texas are Hardin-Simmons (29-3) and Southwestern (24-11). The Cowgirls from HSU claimed their third consecutive American Southwest Conference title to earn their fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament. Hardin-Simmons has the best record in the bracket. The Pirates from Southwestern are making their eighth consecutive NCAA appearance after gaining a Pool C bid.

Rounding out the field following a third straight Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference title is No. 19 Colorado College (23-9). The Tigers will be playing in their 15th consecutive NCAA Division III Tournament.

Friday, Nov. 9 will see four matches played in the Gilbert Arena beginning at 12:30 p.m. when regionally ranked No. 2 Chapman plays No. 7 Pacific Lutheran. At 3:30 p.m. No. 3 Puget Sound will meet No. 6 Colorado College. The 5:30 p.m. match will pit No. 4 Hardin-Simmons against No. 5 La Verne. The final match of the day will be between No. 1 host Cal Lutheran and No. 8 Southwestern at 8:00 p.m.

The winners of the CU/PLU and UPS/CC matches will play on Saturday, Nov. 10 at 3:00 p.m. followed by the winners of the HSU/ULV and CLU/SU matches at 6:00 p.m.

On Sunday, Nov. 11, the two remaining teams will play in the regional final at 12:00 p.m.

The West Region champion will advance to Holland, Mich. to play to a National Title Nov. 15-17.  

NCAA Regional: Bracket

Rather than have their fate determined by a committee, the Regals wanted to enhance their postseason credentials.

Behind freshman outside hitter Allie Eason's 13 kills and five aces, top-seeded CLU swept second-seeded Chapman 25-18, 25-18, 25-18 on Saturday night at Gilbert Arena to capture the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament title.

With the victory, CLU (27-4) clinched an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Championships.

"That was sweet," said CLU head coach Kellee Roesel, who tied the program's all-time career coaching wins mark with victory No. 168 in her seventh season at the helm. "We want to win everything. That is all there is to it. The fact that we were able to sweep two good teams and kind of get on a roll makes it even better."

Although CLU and Chapman have a lengthy history, this is the first year Chapman has been a member of the SCIAC.

The teams split the regular-season meetings, but CLU won the rubber match in convincing fashion.

CLU, ranked No. 8 in the nation, took the lead for good in the first set at 12-11 on an ace by Eason, the SCIAC's Freshman of the Year.

The Regals gradually pulled away before closing it out on a kill by Shannon Pearson.

Before the second game, CLU's reserves — spearheaded by Hannah Swaney and Hayley Tamagni — performed some "Gangnam Style" dance moves to loosen the tension in the gym.

The Regals returned to the court and took immediate control of the second game. They held leads of 5-1, 13-3 and 17-4 before clinching the set when a Chapman block went out of bounds.

CLU secured its fifth straight NCAA appearance by completing the sweep against No. 21 Chapman (23-6) in a little more than an hour of play.

"Winning the tournament is just super great because of all the hard work we put in," said Eason, a Buena High graduate. "Every practice we go all out and it's good to see it being rewarded and show that we are a good team."

Sophomore outside hitter Kylie McLogan, the SCIAC's Player of the Year, tied Eason for the team lead with13 kills.

Senior Rachel Smith finished with 18 digs to add to her CLU single-season record and Jena Chavez dished out 34 assists.

CLU will learn its path through the NCAA tournament on Monday morning when the pairings are released. The regionals will be played Nov. 9-11.

Last season, CLU was awarded an opportunity to host an NCAA regional. The Regals rode the home-court advantage to the Elite Eight, and are hoping for a similar outcome this season.

"It will be good not to spend Sunday night sleepless this year because we know we are in," Roesel said. "We will be first in the region and only us and La Verne put in bids to host, so I am feeling pretty good about our chances."

In a rubber match between nationally ranked No. 8 Cal Lutheran (27-4) and No. 22 Chapman (23-6), the result was reflective of the tournament seeding as the Regals paced the rhythm on the court tonight defeating the Panthers 25-18, 25-18, 25-18 to claim their second title in three years.

Led by SCIAC Freshman of the Year Allie Eason, SCIAC Athlete of the Year Kylie McLogan and senior Rachel Smith CLU swept past CU for the second time in eight days. Eason and McLogan each recorded 13 kills to share a match-high for all players and Smith tallied a match-high 18 digs to propel the Regals past Chapman.

CLU and CU battled back and forth in the initial stages of first set. CU took the lead at 8-7 after a CLU attacking error went long. Minutes later Eason pulled CLU back even after digging out a ball and finishing the play with a kill, knotting the teams at 9-9. Cal Lutheran pushed the lead to 14-11 after an Eason ace, a powerful kill by McLogan and a well-placed tip from Shannon Pearson to force Chapman to call a timeout.

After Kate Ferrin recorded a kill for Chapman, to cut the gap to three, the Regals responded with a kill from Lauren Rohach and an ace from Jena Chavez to make it 18-13.

Several points later, libero Rachel Smith made a pair of highlight-reel digs on shots from Ashleigh Gideon and Val Geiger as CLU capitalized on another tip kill from Rohach, pushing the score to 21-16.

Cal Lutheran turned on the gas down the stretch as Smith had the third ace of the set before Pearson and Pua Mo’okini-Oliveira partnered for a big combo block to get the score to 24-17. Pearson ended the first game on a kill from the middle as Cal Lutheran took the first set 25-18.

The Regals continued their hot-streak to begin the second set, racing out to a 5-1 lead, backed by two-straight kills from McLogan, forcing another CU timeout.

The Panthers would respond on the following point with a kill from Lena Buckendorf, but CLU would flex its defensive muscle with Smith and Kennedy Peters each recording two digs and McLogan blocking a Chapman attack, pushing CLU’s lead to double figures at 13-3.

Geiger would find the hardwood on a kill to break the streak of eight straight points from Cal Lutheran, but McLogan got the Regals back on track with a kill and an ace in back-to-back points, giving CLU their biggest lead of the set at 16-4.

Despite being down to their last point of the game, Chapman began to build some momentum thanks to an ace and kill from Ashleigh Gideon as they won four straight points and got the score to 24-17. 

A disputed call ended the second set as a Mo’okini-Oliveira kill ricocheted off the net and down for the kill, much to the chagrin of the CU faithful who thought the shot hit the antenna. Nevertheless, Cal Lutheran went up two sets to none, taking the second set again by a 25-18 margin.

Eason got Cal Lutheran off to another fast start in the third set with a kill and two of her game-high five aces as the Regals raced out to a 5-0 lead.

Chapman would show some resolve though, recording two straight kills from Geiger and Gideon, shrinking CLU’s lead to 8-5.

CLU would maintain its three-point lead until Eason broke the game open with a put-back kill and another service ace. Cal Lutheran went on to win the next five points, increasing their lead to 15-8.

Chapman attacker Jenny Gibson broke up the streak with a cross-court kill and then a solo-block on the next point to get the Panthers within five at 16-11.

Led by its defense all season, the Cal Lutheran blockers proved to be too much for the Panthers down the stretch. With their lead at 23-18, Pearson stuffed a Panther attack at the net. Chapman was able to dig the ball out and get another attack off but McLogan was there this time for the solo block, getting CLU to match point. Pearson ended the set, match and tournament on a service-ace as CLU completed the day with a third consecutive 25-18 win to advance.

In addition to Eason and McLogan’s offensive efforts, Pearson turned in a nine-kill performance. Chavez dished out 34 assists from her setter position.

Smith, who broke the CLU single-season record for digs on Thursday evening, was at her strongest down the stretch, racking up seven digs in the final frame. With 18 total digs in the match, Smith’s season total is now up to 484.

Chapman was led offensively by Gideon, who finished with 11 kills and had a .333 attacking percentage. Geiger was second with 10 kills and Ferrin was third with eight. Panthers setter Corrine Ostrovsky finished with a game-high 35 assists. CU libero, Carleigh Mueller finished with 15 digs.

Tonight’s victory also marked the 168^th win of CLU head coach Kellee Roesel’s career, tying her with James Park (1993-2001).

On Monday, Nov. 5 at 8:00 a.m. PST, the NCAA will be webstreaming the Division III Women’s Volleyball Selection Show on NCAA.com. Regional play will take place Nov. 9-11 at a site to be announced on Monday morning as well.

Box Score: CLU 3, CU 0