CHATTER: VALENCIA FEELING THE HEAT.

Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer

The weather is heating up in the Santa Clarita Valley, and that's just fine with the Valencia High boys' volleyball team.

Valencia hosts Laguna Beach in a Southern Section Div. II quarterfinal match at 7 p.m. tonight, and as far as Valencia's concerned, hotter is better.

The Vikings believe they'll have an edge over their Orange County opponents: temperatures in the Valencia gym creep into the mid-90's.

``If we have any advantage in playing at home, it's that it tends to get pretty hot around here this time of year,'' Valencia coach Mark Knudsen said. ``You have to wonder if some of those (beach-area) school teams are accustomed to playing in really hot gyms.''

Knudsen isn't so sure the advantage is that extreme, but his players do, and perhaps that's all that matters.

``It's probably more of a psychological thing at this point,'' Knudsen said. ``But whatever works, right?''

The Vikings are seeking their third Div. II championship in a row.

--Former Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks baseball standout Brett Hayes, now a junior catcher at Nevada, is one of 10 semifinalists for the 2005 Coleman Company-Johnny Bench Award.

The Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission presents the award annually to the nation's top collegiate catcher based on a vote of sportswriters, sportscasters, coaches and scouts.

Hayes, who grew up in Calabasas, is hitting .318 with six home runs and 40 RBI. A two-time All-Western Athletic Conference team selection, Hayes was the 2003 conference Freshman of the Year.

Last summer, he competed for the U.S. team that won the gold medal at the FISU II World University Baseball Championships. Hayes ranks ninth on Nevada's all-time RBI list (151), eighth in at-bats (677) and is tied for eighth in hits (231).

Jeff Clement of Southern California is also a semifinalist.

--Cal State Northridge signed several local players for its men's soccer team, including Chad Borak of Highland of Palmdale, Brian Siu of Thousand Oaks and Chatsworth standouts Robert Pate and Milan Radovic.

CSUN head coach Terry Davila also signed Kevin Guppy of Chino Hills, Kenneth Horne of Damien of La Verne and Jeff Konoske of La Costa Canyon of Carlsbad to play for the Matadors next season.

--Pierce College pitcher Ryan Paul, who played at Moorpark High, has accepted a scholarship to play at Cal State Fullerton.

Paul faces a May 31 deadline to decide if he wants to sign a pro contract with the New York Mets, who drafted him last June.

--Softball standout Erin Miller of La Canada High has committed to Princeton. Miller, a three-time All-Rio Hondo League selection, batted .333 last season.

Gerry Gittelson contributed.