CLU BEAT: CLU FINALLY PICKING UP STEAM : WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL TEAM IS UNDEFEATED SO FAR IN SCIAC PLAY.

Byline: Heather Gripp Staff Writer

Chapman probably wondered whether this was the same team it played a few weeks earlier. The Panthers didn't have long to figure out the answer.

Three weeks after losing to Chapman in the midst of an 0-5 start, the Cal Lutheran women's volleyball team needed just 43 minutes to sweep Chapman on Saturday. The Regals gave up nine total points in the match, in which Chapman had just 16 kills.

Cal Lutheran is the only undefeated team in Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play after beating previously unbeaten La Verne in four games Friday.

The Regals (11-8, 5-0) are ranked eighth in the West region and beat Chapman in three games Tuesday to win their 17 consecutive conference match dating back to last season, when they won the SCIAC title.

Freshman Sally Jahraus and sophomore Kari Whitney continue to power a team void of seniors. Jahraus had 22 kills and 15 digs in the victory over La Verne, which put CLU above the .500 mark for the first time this season.

Whitney had 141 assists in last week's three matches, including back-to-back matches with 57 assists.

CLU, which plays at Pomona-Pitzer on Friday and has its alumni game at 11 a.m. Saturday, tries to remain perfect at home when it hosts Juniata on Sunday.

Home course advantage: Geir Kristensen's winning time of 27 minutes, 6 seconds led the men's cross country team in its best showing of the year Saturday at the CLU Invitational.

Kristensen became the first CLU runner to win the event, the school's only home meet of the season. Arni Camp and Karl Stutelburg also placed in the top seven to give the Kingsmen a second-place finish behind Cal Tech.

Andi Crane led CLU's women's team with a 20:39 fifth-place finish.

Lending a foot: A fan asked Geno Sullivan if he'd be playing defense for the football team this week against Claremont. Sullivan hoped not, since the only time he was able to rest during Saturday's 48-12 win against Whittier was when the Kingsmen's defensive unit was on the field.

In addition to his usual role as CLU's leading receiver and punt returner, Sullivan punted for the first time in his college career.

The sophomore from Carlsbad, who had two touchdowns and 130 yards on six receptions against the Poets, punted in high school and offered to do so Saturday when regular punter Mark Kevern was one of nine players out for disciplinary reasons. The longest of Sullivan's four punts went 50 yards and he matched Kevern's average of 40.8 yards. Kevern entered the game ranked ninth in the nation among Division III punters.

``I think I did all right,'' Sullivan said. ``They said I'd be competing for (the punting job), but I don't know, I was tired being out there all the time.''

Defensive back Sean McGaughey also got a chance to do some kicking. The junior took care of kickoff duties because of an injury to Ryan Geisler, who was still able to kick field goals and PATs. McGaughey opened the game with a 65-yard kickoff.

A whole lot better: Members of the football team raised their hands, extending four fingers, as the fourth quarter of Saturday's game began. It was a symbol of CLU's goal to maintain intensity and play its strongest in the final quarter.

The Kingsmen realized their goal by scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter, but for the first time this season, they played equally well the rest of the game.

``We hadn't played a whole game yet,'' Sullivan said. ``This was the first one. We hope to play complete games from here on out.''

CLU (1-3, 1-0) scored 24 points in each half after not having any touchdowns in its previous game.

``At San Diego we tanked in the second half, and against Pacific Lutheran, it was the first half,'' tailback Dorian Stitt said. ``We wanted to . . . set the tone and show we're not a one-half team.''

Kicked around: The prospect of winning a fifth consecutive SCIAC men's soccer championship and earning an automatic berth in the postseason grew a lot slimmer within the past week.

The Kingsmen entered Wednesday's game at Pomona-Pitzer having lost four of their last five games, including SCIAC contests against Claremont and Redlands. In between a 2-1 overtime loss to nationally ranked Rowan on Friday and a 3-1 loss to San Diego on Sunday, Lars Ensberg scored two goals to pace CLU in a 6-0 win against Cal Tech on Saturday.

CAPTION(S):

Photo

PHOTO Middle blocker Michelle Loughmiller and her CLU teammates are unbeaten in the SCIAC.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer