by Brice Nixon
Editorial Director
Although host school University of La Verne had a disappointing showing, the Asics Division III Men’s Volleyball Classic was a success, ULV head coach Jack Coberly said.
“It’s the only venue, right now, in the United States that is allowing [Division III] teams from the East Coast, Midwest and the West Coast to play each other,” said Coberly.
Clarke College, which came into the tournament as the division’s eighth-ranked team, was named champions Saturday, winning on a tiebreaker.
The Crusaders avenged their loss to La Verne in last year’s final four of the Molten Invitational Tournament, which Clarke hosted. The Leopards won the championship on Clarke’s home court.
All three visiting teams, Clarke, Vassar College and UC Santa Cruz, had 2-1 records. The Crusaders won based on their higher winning percentage in games [eight out of 12].
La Verne came into the tournament ranked fifth and was 0-3 in tournament play.
“We’re going to try and improve on it and step it up next year so that we have six or eight teams,” said Coberly. “The competition was really, really outstanding for all the teams. All the coaches commented on that.
“It’s a real rare opportunity that we can put together good D-3 teams from the East Coast, the Midwest and the West Coast. Especially for us out here.”
Coberly said it was a good opportunity for the Leopards to compete against good Division III schools.
After playing Clarke, senior captain Dave Spegon said, “Over the past few years I think that we’ve been a D-3 team that could compete at a D-1 level, and this year I really think that we’re a D-3 team that competes at a D-3 level, just because we have so many freshmen and inexperienced players.”
La Verne has played mostly Division I schools so far this year, and Coberly said it’s different playing Division III teams.
“The Division III schools, they’re not that tall but they’re quick. There’s a lot of volleying the ball,” he said. “In Division I the guys are so tall, usually what happens is it’s bump, set, boom, the ball’s down. This is bump, set, spike, bump, set, spike, sideout, sideout.”
