2004-12-04 CHAMPS
12/6/2004 12:47:47 PM | Women's Volleyball
LANCER WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL WINS NATIONAL TITLE: MCGUYRE NAMED TOP NAIA COACH
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (Saturday, Dec. 4, 2004) – The California Baptist University women’s volleyball team won its first-ever NAIA title in the program’s 29-year history, with a 30-23, 30-27, 32-34, 30-16 win over Golden State Athletic Conference rival No. 8-ranked Concordia University Saturday night in San Diego. The Lancers, who have only advanced past the semifinals in the NAIA National Tournament one other time (1992), beat Concordia for the third time in four 2004 meetings between the two teams.
#6-seeded CBU (37-5), anchored by hitters Yudelka Bonilla (Mao, Valverde, D.R.) and Yajaira Prado (Monticristi, D.R.), who both made the All-Tournament team, 7-0 at the tournament, winning 21 of 23 games. The Lancers also set a school record with 37 wins on the season, eclipsing the former school record of 35, set in 1989.
It’s the first time in school history that a women’s program has won a national title. CBU has now won five national titles overall, including three in men’s volleyball and one in men’s indoor track and field.
“Besides the birth of my son and my marriage, this is the most exciting, exhilarating time in my life,” said CBU Coach Ryan McGuyre, who as named the National Tournament Coach of the Year. “I’m proud of the girls, we set our eyes on something higher than a national championship this year.”
McGuyre, who also led the 2004 CBU men’s volleyball team to a national title, had to overcome a season-ending leg injury to senior middle blocker Crystal Prehn (Huntington Beach, CA) that she sustained in the NAIA Regional II Tournament the previous week.
“Natasha (Evylnn) really stepped up at middle all week,” McGuyre said. “For her to go from right side to middle was great, and I’m really proud of the players like Heather Morgan and Erin Wilcox, who stepped into Natasha’s role on the right side. It was definitely a team victory. We talked all season about being part of a body, and every part of that body came through at the tournament.”
Bonilla, who set a school record with 704 kills on the season (nearly 200 more than the previous record), was named to the All-Tournament team after being an All-GSAC selection during the regular season. In the championship match, Bonilla had a match-high 33 kills, which set a new school record for kills in a four-game match.
The 33 kills were just one kill shy of Bonilla’s school record in a five-game match, which she set in a Region II Tournament win against Concordia. Bonilla, who had a team-high 27-digs in the championship game, also set a school single-season record with 573 digs overall.
Prado, who was also named to the All-Tournament team, notched 15 kills and 19 digs in the championship match. The All-GSAC selection was second on the team with 617 kills and 536 digs, and was named GSAC Player of the Week two times in the regular season.
Freshman setter Kayla Van Duyn (Ripon, CA) also set a CBU high-water mark with 69 kills in the championship match. Van Duyn’s 1,496 assists during the season were also a school record.
“I felt Kayla was the best setter by far at the tournament,” McGuyre said. “To have as many freshmen on the floor as we did in the finals, and for them to play like veterans was really a satisfying thing to see.”
Freshman middle blocker Lindsey Siefken (Beaverton, OR) picked up a match-high five blocks versus Concordia, and finished the season with a team-leading 113 blocks. Junior libero Linsey Smolskis (Cerritos, CA) set a school record with 667 digs on the season, and posted 21 digs in the championship match.
CBU Semifinal Result
#6 CBU defeated #7 National American 31-29, 30-28, 30-27
Championship Result
#6 CBU defeated Concordia (CA) 30-23, 30-27, 32-34, 30-16
Tournament MVP
Raquel Ferreira (Concordia)
CBU Players on All-Tournament Team
Yudelka Bonilla
Yajaira Prado
NAIA Coach of the Year
Ryan McGuyre
