NOTEBOOK / GARY KLEIN : Pomona Women Attempt to Win Division II Title

The Cal Poly Pomona women’s volleyball team, ranked 10th in NCAA Division II, begins its quest for its first national championship when the Broncos travel to UC Riverside Friday for the Southwest Regionals.

Pomona (24-7) meets ninth-ranked Riverside (22-11) Friday at 1 p.m. The winner will play fourth-ranked Cal State Bakersfield (25-9) for the regional title and a berth in the Elite Eight national finals at a site to be determined.

Pomona enters the contest against Riverside with a 10-match winning streak that includes victories over third-ranked Regis University and Bakersfield. The Broncos are led by junior hitter Mitsue Tomoyasu and junior setter Amy Sodek, both of whom were selected to the All-California Collegiate Athletic Assn. first team.

Pomona has been to the regionals seven of the past eight years but has never advanced to the Elite Eight.

“We’re hoping to make history in that regard with this group,” second-year Coach Gene Krieger said.

Net gain: The Azusa Pacific women’s volleyball team will compete in the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics national championships Dec. 4-7 at Fort Hays State in Hays, Kan.

The Cougars earned the trip to the 20-team nationals by defeating Mesa State College of Colorado, 15-4, 6-15, 15-9, 15-7, in the Bi-District championship Saturday night.

Azusa Pacific (30-7) was led by Stacy Goldsberry, who had 22 kills.

Picture perfect: Troy Auzenne, who didn’t begin playing football until he was a junior at Bishop Amat High, has been named to the Kodak All-American team selected by the American Football Coaches Assn.

Auzenne, a senior offensive tackle at California, has been a three-year starter for the Bears.

“This is something which Troy richly deserves,” California Coach Bruce Snyder said in a statement. “He has been a big part of our offensive success and in building the program here.”

Auzenne was the only Pacific 10 Conference player named to the offensive unit. UCLA strong safety Matt Darby and Washington defensive tackle Steve Emtman were named to the defensive squad.

Cross-country rundown: Kim Ojeda of Cal State Los Angeles finished seventh at the women’s competition at the NCAA Division II cross-country championships last weekend at Edwardsville, Ill.

Ojeda ran the three-mile course in 18:54 and earned All-American honors.

Brian Barnes of Claremont-Mudd finished 22nd at the NCAA Division III championships at Newport News, Va. Barnes ran the 8-K course in 25:05 to become the school’s first cross-country All-American.

Kelly Redfield of Pomona-Pitzer earned All-American honors by finishing 22nd in the women’s three-mile race at 18:12.

Rundown, Part II: Angel Martinez of San Gabriel, Mark Hamer of Covina and Anthony Fisher of Maranatha won individual titles last week at the Southern Section cross-country championships at Mt. San Antonio College.

Martinez won the 1-AA Division championship in 15:14, Hamer took the 3-A title in 15:36 and Fisher won the 4-A championship in 16:02. All three qualified for the state championship meet Saturday at Fresno.

Azusa’s Joel Montes de Oca ran 16:08 in the 3-AA and Bishop Amat’s James Roldan clocked 16:02 in the 2-AA to qualify for the state meet.

Maranatha won the boys’ and girls’ team championships in 4-A.

Good start: The Cal Poly Pomona men’s and women’s basketball teams opened their seasons by winning their own tournaments.

The Bronco men, who play host to Occidental Friday night, defeated Cal State San Bernardino, 97-93, and Seattle Pacific, 93-88, to win the championship. Chancellor McCobb and Andre Harrell were selected to the all-tournament team.

The Bronco women defeated Cal State Stanislaus, 78-72, and Western Washington, 59-57.

The victory over Western Washington gave Coach Darlene May her 450th career win. May, in her 18th season, is the fourth winningest active women’s coach in the nation.

Times staff writer Steven Herbert contributed to this report.