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© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (6-14-08) -- Stability and talent go against the most difficult schedule in school history as San Diego Christian College prepares for its 2008 women's volleyball season.

“San Diego Christian College used to be on the national map,” said second-year head coach ED GARRETT. “It’s time we got back there and this year’s team has a great shot.”

The Hawks, already climbing a wall that is the powerful Golden State Athletic Conference, finds half of their 40-match slate composed of teams ranked in the national Top 25 during the 2007 season.

Garrett brings stability in the coaching ranks, which has paid off on the recruiting front, with the influx of new talent joining five returning starters.

Returning players feature a trio of 4-year seniors, including setter SARAH LEWIS, outside hitter PAIGE VandenBROEKE, and libero BRIANNE STIDHAM. Their leadership will be felt this year as they embrace the power of one of the most experienced recruiting classes in some time for the Hawks.

Leading this year’s class are a pair of standout true freshmen out of Arizona in outside hitter LAUREN HOWARD and middle blocker MILON DEL NERO. Howard, who stands 6-foot-1, was a second-team, all-state selection in 2007, while Del Nero helped lead Northwest Christian High to a state championship.

Joining the freshman class will be community college transfer COURTNEY BARLOW, a 5-foot-9 outside hitter from the College of the Siskiyous. Barlow paced the Eagles to a 22-3 record, including a perfect 10-0 slate to capture the Golden Valley Conference crown.

In all, the Hawks boosted their roster to 14, the largest roster in more than a decade, providing the much needed depth from the bench they were previously lacking.

“We have a very experienced and deep bench this year," added Garrett. “We will be at the level to compete in the GSAC and make the run needed to take us far this year.”

High hopes exist for this group of talented student-athletes. With the revamped roster, the Hawks believe they are now poised to break the NAIA national Top 25.

San Diego Christian College opens the season with scrimmages at Azusa Pacific (Aug. 18) and at Grossmont College (Aug. 22), both at 5 p.m. The Hawks open their home schedule by entertaining Ashford University on Thurs., Aug. 28, starting at 5 p.m. at Ryan Center.

Hawks volleyball recruit Karisa Calderon (left) with San Diego Christian head coach Ed Garrett. (SDCC courtesy photo)

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TEMECULA (3-27-08) -- Vista Murrieta High setter KARISA CALDERON became one of the earliest signees in San Diego Christian College women's volleyball histroy by accepting a 2009 scholarship with the Hawks, head coach ED GARRETT announced Wednesday (Mar. 26).

Calderon, a 5-foot-11 junior, played behind All-Southwest League setter Rachel Jones this past season, as the team captured the La Jolla Invitational last fall. However, Calderon drew the attention of Garrett based on her play for the Temecula Valley Vipers club program, leading the team to a 16-1 record and a third-place showing at the Southern California Junior Olympic qualifiers tournament.

“I’m excited!," shares Calderon. “I have prayed and thought long and hard about my decision and San Diego Christian College is where I want to be.”

Calderon will inherit the starting spot at Vista Murrieta this falll. She attends Calvary Chapel of Murrieta and plans to major in Education.

Off the court, Calderon has been recognized for just about every academic award possible, including: CIF Southern Secrtion Academic Team Champion Awards, 2006 & 2007; California Scholastic Federation, 2006-2008; and the National Honor Society, 2006-2008.

“We are thrilled to have such a quality student-athlete in Karisa leading the Hawks from 2009 on," said Garrett. “Her early decision to play for San Diego Christian College is evident that we will be a strong force in the GSAC.”

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EL CAJON -- The California Fellowship of Christian Athletes announced the appointment of San Diego Christian College volleyball coach Ed Garrett as head clinician for its 2008 summer camp program, which will be held at UC Santa Barbara.

"I am blessed by this appointment", said Garrett, who also serves as the Hawks director of athletics. "It's a great honor for the college and the athletic department."

Garrett becomes the first San Diego Christian College coach to be appointed by FCA as a head clinician in any sport. The summer camp will take place June 30-July 5. The FCA Summer camp is the largest camp in their organization; drawing over 600 campers for the five days.

Milan Del Nero

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PHOENIX (11-27-07) -- LAUREN HOWARD, an incoming freshman for the San Diego Christian College women's volleyball team, was named second team All-State among the largest schools (Class 5A) in Arizona.

“We are proud for Lauren,” said Hawks head coach ED GARRETT. “Lauren was a dominating force in Arizona volleyball and now she will be a dominating force in the Golden State Athletic Conference.”

Howard will report to training camp in July.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (10-16-07) -- The Golden State Athletic Conference, long noted as the toughest conference in the NAIA across all sports, reach a new height Monday (Oct. 15).

In the latest women's volleyball rankings, not only is Fresno Pacific still ranked No. 1 with a perfect 21-0 record, but the next four schools in the poll also hail from the GSAC.

Included is Cal Bapitst (2nd), Concordia (3rd), Biola (4th) and Azusa Pacific (5th). In addition, Point Loma Nazarene is 10th, Vanguard is 15th, while Westmont received honorable mention votes.

With such dominance, little room remains for the other three schools-- San Diego Christian, Hope Internastional and The Master's -- to advance, although all three have improved records over their 2006 results. For example, SDCC's Hawks have doubled their win total from a year ago with eight regular season matches remaining.

Lauren Howard

Hawks sign top Arizona product

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EL CAJON (9-20-07) -- San Diego Christian College took another to step toward rebuilding its struggling women's volleyball program by recruiting outside hitter LAUREN HOWARD, a top high school player out of Arizona. The signing was announced by Hawks coach ED GARRETT.

Howard, a 6-foot-1 spiker, helped lead Desert Vista High of Phoenix to the Arizona 5A-Division I state championship game last season. The Thunder now sporting a perfect 17-0 record (39-2 in sets) this fall, including the championship of the Westwood Tournament of Champions, with Howard spiking at a solid .322 clip.

“We are excited to have Lauren as a member of the Hawks,” said Garrett. “She will be a strong addition to our future success.”

Howard is also a top player on the club circuit, starting for both the Foothills and East Valley (Ariz.) programs.

"I am stoked to be a part of the growing program at SDCC,” noted Howard. “I think at this rate it will be amazing."

Accolades for Howard include: was the State Championship MVP in 2003 and 5A Central Region Honorable Mention in both 2005 and 2006. She also has been a two-time Scholar-Athlete with both the AIA (Arizona Interscholastic Association) and the AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association).

Howard plans to major in either communications or kinesiology. She currently carries a 3.75 grade-point average.

“I feel recruits at the caliber of Lauren are a sign of where SDCC Volleyball is headed,” added Garrett. “I’m happy for her and honored that I get to help her reach her dreams."

Howard was the volleyball player of the week for the period ending Sept. 14 by the East Valley Tribune, registering 29 kills in the Westwood TOC. The tournament title elevated the Thunder to a ranking of 53rd in the nation by PrepVolleyball.com and 1st in the state by The Arizona Republic.

Desert Vista coach Molly West described Howard as a good student who is a fun player to have on the team.

“She has a nice presence,’’ West said. “She’s an upbeat kid.”

Howard's high school teammate, Abby Simmons, has verbally committed to Utah on a full-ride scholarship. Two other teammates are the defending Arizona state beach volleyball titlists.

Maggie McGill	Kelsey Mitchell	Meggan Chapin
Former Christian High standouts mark return to Ryan Center		Registered 10 kills for the Hawks.

McGill, No. 5 Biola top Hawks

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EL CAJON (9-12-07) -- Former Christian High standout MAGGIE McGILL marked her return to Ryan Center with six kills and a match-best 14 digs, leading 5th-ranked Biola past her former club, San Diego Christian College, 3-0, in Tuesday's (Sept. 11) Golden State Athletic Conference match. Game scores were 30-13, 30-19, 30-21.

With McGill in the starting lineup, the Eagles are undefeated through 10 matches this season.

"Our team is connected amazingly -- it's been an amazing experience," said McGill, a junior outside hitter. "A number (national ranking) is a number that can be taken away as fast as its been given, but the team is really coming together."

KELSEY MITCHELL, another Christian High product, added seven kills. She also recorded four blocks, part of 12 stuffs by Biola's front row defense.

"It's so much fun to play in my old gym again," noted Mitchell, the former Patriots female athlete of the year for all sports in 2004. "It's an amazing feeling to play once again where I did in high school."

Junior outside hitter MEGGAN CHAPIN paced the Hawks (4-8, 0-3 GSAC) with 10 kills.

"They've made a lot of improvement with a lot of new girls and that's awesome,"added McGill. "It was the right thing for me to transfer, but I'm glad to see the changes they've made here."

Boxscore -- Biola Game Story

Courtesy, Concordia University
IRVINE (9-7-07) -- Concordia University junior Stephanie Scheele had a team-high 11 kills to go along with four digs and three blocks to lead the No. 2-ranked Eagles to a 30-13, 30-11, 32-30 win over visiting San Diego Christian, Thursday (Sept. 6) in the Golden State Athletic Conference opener for both teams.

FULL STORY HERE, BOXSCORE HERE

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (9-4-07) -- The move was expected to take a bit longer, yet it took only rwo weeks for the revamped San Diego Christian College women's volleyball team to break into the NAIA rankings.

The Hawks, who posted a composite 4-5 overall record in a pair of tough tournaments, slipped into the Region II (West Coast) rankings by grabbing the 10th and final spot in this week's ratings. It's the team's first exposure in any poll in four seasons.

“While we are humbled by the ranking, we also see it as a sign that we are headed in the right direction," said SDCC head coach Ed Garrett. "I think the GSAC knows we are here to play!”

San Diego Christian will get its ranking tested quickly, opening the Golden State Athletic Conference schedule Thursday at Concordia. The undefeated Eagles (8-0) are not only ranked second behind Fresno Pacific in the region, they were ranked 4th in the nation in the preseason poll. The newest national poll is slated for release on Wednesday.

Courtesy, SDCC Media Relations
IRVINE (9-3-07) -- San Diego Christian College concluded one of its most demanding pre-conference schedules this decade with a strong showing at the Concordia College tournament. Playing five matches over a 2-day period, the Hawks posted a 2-3 record, and will enter this week's Golden State Athletic Conference opener with a 4-5 overall record.

Included in the weekend tournament against many of the best in NAIA volleyball was a strong showing against 23rd-ranked University of Great Falls (Mont.), pushing the defending Frontier Conference champion Argos in every set before falling in four, 3-1.

"It was long tournament but a good endurance test for us," said SDCC head coach Ed Garrett, who has his team off the best start in the past 4 seasons. "To walk out of there with a 2-3 record speaks a lot about where this team is headed. We're ready to play."

The Hawks were paced by junior outside hitter Meggan Chapin, hitting a weekend high of .310 with 34 digs. Junior setter Sarah Lewis established 137 assists for the weekend and also added a team-high of 11 service aces.

"It's incredible how quickly we have come together," said Chapin. "When we're on, we are a hard team to beat."

True freshman Valaree Bergman has quickly established herself as a contributing middle blocker by adding 10 blocks and hitting a .289 for the tournament.

Following the Great Falls match, the Hawks fell to Indiana Tech and Texas Wesleyan, but bounced back to drop Carroll (Mont.) and William Woods (Mo.).

San Diego Christian College again travels to south Orange County for its GSAC opener, meeting 4th-ranked Concordia on Thursday. The Hawks then entertain Hope International in their home opener at Ryan Center on Saturday, starting at 7 p.m.

Courtesy, SDCC Media Relations
PRESCOTT, Ariz. (8-26-07) -- It didn't take long for the new-look San Diego Christian College women's volleyball team to post the school's best pre-conference record in three seasons. The Hawks returned from Arizona with a 2-2 record in finishing in second place at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University tournament, held Aug. 23-24.

“Considering we have eight new players on the team, I am impressed with how we played," said first-year coach Ed Garrett. "We are fast becoming a team.”

The Lady Hawks had strong performances from a pair junior outside hitters -- Paige VandenBroeke and Meggan Chapin. Together they combined for a .314 hitting percentage for the two-day tournament.

The team finished Friday’s (Aug. 24) play with a dominating victory over Concordia University (Mich.), sweeping the match in three straight sets after posting a stellar .435 hitting percentage.

“This year is such a change from the last two years”, said VandenBroeke, one of the Hawks captains. “We feel we have a real chance this year to take the GSAC.”

In all, San Diego Christian swept two matches from Concordia (Mich.), but fell twice to Embry-Riddle, as the host Eagles won the event with a 3-1 record to establish the best start in their program's history. The Hawks bounced back with a pair of victories over Concordia tofinish in the middle of the 3-team event.

The Lady Hawks will continue their non-conference schedule with a trip to Concordia University (Calif.) Tournament in Irvine this Friday and Saturday. SDCC will then host Hope International in the teams' GSAC opener on Sat., Sept. 8, at Ryan Center.