Survey Ranks UCSD as Top NCAA Division II Program

The National Collegiate Scouting Association (NCSA) has once again ranked UC San Diego as the top Division II institution in the country in its annual Collegiate Power Rankings. Ranked on the NCSA’s list for the seventh year in a row, UCSD also earned a No. 6 overall ranking in the study issued Tuesday.

The NCSA Athletic Recruiting Collegiate Power Rankings assess the academic and athletics standards of all NCAA athletic programs across the country. The rankings rate colleges and universities comprehensively based on student-athlete graduation rates, academic strength and athletic prowess of the university.

The study was developed to help prospective student-athletes and their families evaluate the particular strengths of the top colleges and universities at the Division I, II and III levels.

Fewer than 6% of college and universities earned a spot in the NCSA Athletic Recruiting’s Top 100 for 2011 and UC San Diego is in that elite class once again.

UCSD first appeared in the rankings in 2005 (coming in at No. 26 overall) and has earned a spot in the top 100 every year since. UC San Diego was ranked as high as No. 4 overall in 2007 and has been the top-ranked school in Division II five years running. UCSD moved up 17 spots in the overall rankings this year after coming in at No. 23 in 2010.

“We are very pleased to ranked among the top universities in the country once again this year,” UCSD Director of Athletics Earl Edwards said. “We pride ourselves on excelling both academically and athletically and it's great to be recognized for our accomplishments in both of those areas. Being ranked as the No. 1 institution in Division II is something we’re extremely proud of, but I feel our overall ranking is even more significant.”

Now in its ninth year, the Collegiate Power Rankings are calculated for each college and university by averaging student-athlete graduation rates, academic rankings provided by U.S. News & World Report and the strength of athletic departments as determined by the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup rankings.

For a comprehensive list of the rankings, both overall and by division, visit: www.ncsasports.org/about-ncsa/power-rankings

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Hillary Williamson matched a career-high for the second time  this season with 20 kills to help the No. 12 UCSD women's volleyball team to a hard-fought 3-1 win at Cal State L.A. Saturday. Scores were 22-25, 25-21, 29-27 and 25-20 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association match.
 
Williamson had 13 kills and eight digs on Friday as the Tritons beat Cal State Dominguez Hills sweeping the Toros, 25-15, 25-21, and 25-10, in Los Angeles County, in their first CCAA road match of the year.
 
UC San Diego is 8-0 overall on the season and 4-0 in the CCAA.
 
In the match on Saturday, outside/setter Roxanne Brunsting finished one kill short of a triple-double with nine kills, 28 assists and 11 digs.
 
The Tritons also got a solid performance from freshman middle blocker Lauren Demos  as she recorded 10 kills and four blocks. Outside Katie Condon  and middle Julie Freidenberg  each had seven kills while libero Janessa Werhane  finished with a match-high 21 digs.
 
In Friday’s match Demos had three aces and four blocks, while Werhane had a match-best 15 digs. Eight Tritons had multiple kills, including outside Condon, who recorded eight kills and eight digs.
 
UCSD returns to RIMAC Arena to host Cal State Stanislaus on Friday and Chico State on Saturday.  Both CCAA matches start at 7 p.m.

BASEBALL

Major League Baseball All-Star and USC All-American Morgan Ensberg has joined the UC San Diego baseball program as an assistant coach.

“We are so fortunate to be able to bring someone in with Morgan's background and playing experience," said Eric Newman, who was named UCSD's head coach in late August. “The players will relate well to him and he will be a great asset to our clubhouse.”

Drafted by Houston in the ninth round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft, Ensberg made his Astros debut in September 2000 and was with the team until 2007. His most memorable season came in 2005 as he was named a National League All-Star and helped lead Houston to a World Series appearance.

He posted career-highs with 149 hits, 86 runs, 30 doubles, 36 home runs and 101 RBI over 150 games. Also in 2005, Ensberg was honored with a Silver Slugger Award for the best offensive third baseman in the National League. He finished fourth in league MVP voting.
 
In 2004, Ensberg won Houston's Darryl Kile Good Guy Award, given to the player that best exemplifies the traits of “a good teammate, a great friend, a fine father and a humble man.”
 
In July 2007, Ensberg was traded to San Diego, where he homered twice in his debut for the Padres. He then became a free agent and signed with the New York Yankees in late January 2008. He played his final major league game on May 25, 2008 as a Yankee.

Ensberg's primary responsibilities will include working with the Triton hitters and infielders, as well as running camps.

“I think that this can be the best baseball school in the country,” said Ensberg, who primarily played third base during his career. “What UCSD has done in baseball has been incredible. The Tritons are consistently among the top-10 in the country and I'd love to help them be top-one in the country.”

No stranger to Southern California baseball, Ensberg graduated from Redondo Union High School in Redondo Beach, then went on to USC.
 
While with the Trojans, Ensberg won a national championship in 1998. He was tabbed an All-American as well as the team's MVP and still stands as the only Trojan ever to amass 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a season. Ensberg can be found among the top-10 in 15 offensive categories in USC's record book.
 
Following his eight years in the big leagues, Ensberg returned to USC in 2010 to finish earning a finance degree. He also served as an assistant coach with the Trojans in 2010, working with the hitters and infielders and teaching base-running skills.
 
Currently, Ensberg is also a college baseball analyst for ESPN and co-hosts MLB Roundtrip, broadcast nationally by SiriusXM Satellite Radio.
 
Ensberg resides in Solana Beach with his wife Christi, identical twin sons Beckett and Chase and daughter Ava.
 
UCSD, ranked No. 1 nationally for part of its 2011 campaign, made its fifth straight appearance in the NCAA postseason after winning its third consecutive CCAA regular season and tournament titles. The Tritons advanced to the Division II World Series in 2009 and 2010 and played in the national championship game in 2010.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

The No. 5 UC San Diego women's soccer team sits atop the California Collegiate Athletic Association’s South as the only undefeated team in the Division and is off to its best start since 2007.

The Tritons beat Cal Poly Pomona, 4-0, on Sunday after defeating San Francisco State, 2-1 on Friday.

In Sunday’s game Izzy Pozurama and Kyle Hill scored their first goals of their Triton careers less than 10 minutes apart and Cassie Callahan added her third goal in three matches and Anne Wethe notched her second goal of the year on Sarah Mctigue’s first assist.

Haley Johnson assisted on two of the goals and leads the team in assists with four, all on corner kicks.

The victory improved UCSD’s record to 4-0-2 overall and 3-0-1 in CCAA play. The 2007 Tritons team started 10-0-1 in its first 11 matches.

On Friday Shelby Wong scored a golden goal in the 93rd minute as the Tritons rallied for its 2-1 win handing host San Francisco State its first loss of the season.

After a 1-1 deadlock after the first 90 minutes, UCSD came out strong in the first extra period by keeping the ball from SFSU. Wong seized her opportunity along the left sideline, taking-on a defender on the edge of the box. She cut back to the inside, took a pair of dribbles and rocketed a low-driven shot to beat Gator goalie Annicia Jones to the short post.

Cassie Callahan had tied the game at 1-1 in the 79th minute.  Down 1-0, Rachel Leslie broke away from a defender along the left flank and sent in a cross to the short post intended for Callahan. The freshman beat her defender and Jones to the ball, redirecting the service into the back of the net to tie the match.

Callahan's goal marked the second time in two games she scored to tie the match. She also helped UCSD tie Cal State San Bernardino 1-1 last Sunday, scoring in the 50th minute with her team trailing by a goal.

The Tritons' first seven matches of 2011 have been on the road, but UCSD will host its first home match of the season this Sunday at noon against Cal State San Bernardino.

The match will be the first leg of a doubleheader and will be followed by the men's soccer game vs. CSUSB at 2:30 p.m.

UCSD will also be celebrating the Triton Soccer Kickoff, a 10-event competition between participating youth soccer clubs in the San Diego area. With a specific point system per event, the club that compiles the most overall points will win the perpetual trophy that it can keep in its trophy case for the next year. Competitions include: a four-person dribbling relay, two-person juggling, target shooting, individual headers, individual juggling and many more.

MEN’S SOCCER

Alex Portela converted a penalty kick in the 89th minute Friday afternoon as the UC San Diego men's soccer team topped San Francisco State, 1-0, in California Collegiate Athletic Association play.

The Tritons were able to force pressure on the SFSU defense the last couple minutes of regulation, causing a stir in the box just two minutes from time. SFSU would succumb to the Tritons pressure, clearing a ball off the hand of one of its own defenders. The referee called for a penalty kick due to a hand ball and Portela connected to give the Tritons a 1-0 edge with just moments to go.

Portela leads all Tritons with two goals and five points this season.

Josh Cohen finished the day with four saves while recording the Tritons' first shutout of 2011.

On Sunday, UCSD dropped a 3-0 decision to Cal Poly Pomona and saw its record drop to 3-3 overall and 2-2 in CCAA play.

The Tritons play No. 23 Cal State Dominguez Hills at the Home Depot Center in Carson on Friday at 7 p.m. before returning home on Sunday for a 2:30 p.m. match against Cal State San Bernardino.

MEN’S WATER POLO

David Higginson scored his first scored of his Triton career with 1:08 left as the No. 12 UC San Diego men's water polo team came back to beat No. 15 United States Naval Academy, 16-15, on Friday evening in Canyonview Pool.

Earlier in the day, the Tritons beat Whittier, 14-4, win Western Water Polo Association play with Graham Saber scoring his fourth hat trick of the season.

In the evening match against Navy the Tritons trailed by as much as three goals in the fourth quarter, but  Saber scored back-to-back goals to make it 15-15 with 1:36 left to play.

Brian Donohe stole the ball off Navy's next offensive set, forcing Cort Jones into an ejection on a foul to stop a fast break. However, Donohoe pulled a quick restart and tossed the ball to Higginson, who was ahead of the pack.

One-on-one with the keeper, Higginson faked a shot to the keeper's left before tucking it away to the lower left corner.

“It has to be an incredible moment for David,” said UCSD head coach Denny Harper. “He's come in, worked hard all year and he's a great kid.”

Higginson's most relevant play may not have been the last goal of the match. Down 14-11 in the fourth quarter, the Midshipmen had a two-on-one fastbreak and it looked as if Navy would take a four-goal lead. But, Higginson caught Navy's Kyle Wertz from behind to force a turnover. Saber scored with a man-advantage the next time down the pool to start the Triton comeback.

Saber finished with six goals in the match.  John Butler four times and Donohoe added a hat trick of his own.

UCSD improved to 7-1 in 2011 while Navy dropped  to 5-2.

The Tritons will be back in action on Thursday when they take on the Lions of Loyola Marymount at 6 p.m. in Canyonview Pool.

The first 1,000 fans to Thursday's match will get free thundersticks.

CROSS COUNTRY

The UC San Diego cross country teams were back in action on Saturday, taking part in the 67th Annual San Diego State Aztec Invitational at Balboa Park. While head coach Nate Garcia elected to rest several of his top runners this weekend, the Tritons came through with solid results nonetheless.

UCSD finished fourth out of five teams in the men's 8k invitational, while the Triton women placed seventh in the eight-team 5k invite.
 
“Overall, I thought we ran very well,”Garcia said. “We had some of our folks get the opportunity to race up front for the first time in their careers and that will be important for us going forward. There was a lot of movement throughout the race, so some of our younger athletes really got to see what its going to be like as they advance through the program and get the opportunity to lead us down the road.”
 
It was mostly newcomers leading the men on Saturday, as four out of the Tritons' five scorers are in their first year with the program. Freshman Tanner Collins was the leader of that group and finished 13th overall with a final time of 26:51.8. The Aliso Viejo native clocked in roughly 86 seconds behind UCLA's Shayne Collins, who won the race at 25:25.3.
 
Collins' time ranks 22nd all-time for UCSD on the Balboa Park course.
 
Warren Liem, another rookie, was UCSD's next-best finisher, wrapping up in 27:21.2 to grab 15th place. Liem finished two spots in front of senior Jeremy Riley, who posted a time of 27:29.1 and finished 17th. Dustin Harris,  who has been a middle distance specialist on the Triton track and field team for the last three years, finished 23rd overall at 27:51.0, while freshman Daniel Hauptman rounded out the scoring with a 24th-place time of 27:54.1.
 
Senior Kathryn Turner was the top individual finisher for UCSD on the women's side, placing 27th overall with a 5k time of 19:47.9. Fellow upperclassmen Elena Inouye was the next Triton to cross the finish line, coming in at 19:57.7, which was good enough for 33rd place.
 
Heather Hisgen, Samantha Groff and Jackie Sikkema were UCSD's final three scorers on the day, finishing in 35th, 36th and 38th place, respectively. Hisgen posted a time of 20:04.3, while Groff clocked in at 20:06.6 and Sikkema finished in 20:19.4.

“We had some pretty good performances on the women's side,” Garcia said. “We got a real good run from Kathryn. Her time ranks No. 16 all-time for us on that course, so it was good to see her step up like that.”
 
Dr. Edmond Chang, a Making of the Modern World lecturer in UCSD's Eleanor Roosevelt College, was on hand on Saturday as part of the athletics department's honorary coach program. Dr. Chang moved through the course with the Triton coaching staff and took part in the team's post-race meeting.

The Tritons will now travel outside the state for the first time this season to compete in the Runners Soul/Erik Anderson Invitational on Saturday in Spokane, Wash. The collegiate races are slated to begin at 10:45 a.m. at Plantes Ferry Regional Park.

--Compiled from press releases issued by the UCSD sports information office