ARCATA, Calif.--- It was another busy weekend of action in Cal Poly Humboldt Athletics as fall sports push closer to the conclusions of their regular seasons. Men's and women's soccer both celebrated their seniors on Sunday, while volleyball had a pair of matches on Thursday and Sunday. Both men's and women's cross country teams also competed this weekend at the DII Pre-Nationals Invitational in Seattle, Wash. 

Harriers Run at Pre-Nationals Invite

The Cal Poly Humboldt XC squads took to the course at Chambers Creek Regional Park in Seattle, the site of the 2022 NCAA Division II National Championships, to compete in the Pre-Nationals Invitational hosted by Seattle Pacific University on Saturday, Oct. 27. 

On the men's side, the Jacks finished 14th out of 27 teams in a competitive field that had five top-25 ranked programs competing. 

The Jacks competed without their top runner Nick Brichta, who did not compete this weekend due to illness. Ricardo Torres led the way with a 79th place finish and a time of 25:27 over the 8k course. Sebastian Vaisset-Fauvel (93rd, 25:40), Jaxon Leduc (104th, 25:50), Aris Valerio (110th, 26:01) and Luis Sandoval (118th, 26:11) rounded out the scoring for Humboldt

In the women's race, Humboldt finished 15th of 29 teams competing, including four top-25 ranked opponents. 

Rosa Granados led the way with a 31st place finish and a time of 22:00 over the 6k course. She was followed by Isabel Perez-Zoghbi who placed 58th in 22:33. Saedy Williamson (82nd, 22:58), Reese Sion (111th, 23:26) and Kayla Penny (129th, 23:50) made up the rest of the Jacks' scoring five. 

Both teams now have two weeks to prepare for the CCAA Championships, hosted by Cal State Monterey Bay, at the Palo Corona Cross Country Trail in Carmel, Calif.

Volleyball Drops Five Set Thriller to Otters

After dropping the first two sets, the Cal Poly Humboldt Volleyball Team roared back to win two straight sets and force a deciding fifth frame of action against Cal State Monterey Bay on Saturday afternoon at Lumberjack Arena. The Jacks kept the energy and pressure on through a back and forth fifth set, where Humboldt forced the Otters into a deuce. A late net error gave Cal State Monterey Bay the two point advantage it needed to take the set and the match. 

Lindsey McLaughlin recorded 15 kills while Elyse McKinney and Else Kalar added 10 and nine kills, respectively. Kalar also added two blocks while Amanda Klotz chipped in another for the Jacks.

Humboldt (2-15, 1-13 CCAA) will face off against no. 15 Cal State San Bernardino (17-4, 11-3 CCAA) on Thursday, Oct. 27 at 7pm at Lumberjack Arena. The match will also be the team's DamWorthIt night, which is a night dedicated to mental health awareness. The Jacks will also face off against no. 17 Cal Poly Pomona (17-4, 11-3 CCAA) on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 5pm for Senior Day.

Women's Soccer Get's Crucial Win on Senior Day, Coach Landy Inches Closer to 400

It was an emotional day at College Creek Field as women's soccer honored 7 seniors before their match with Cal State Dominguez Hills on Sunday. The Jacks made the most of Senior Day, defeating the visiting Toros 2-1 to stay in the hunt for one of two remaining CCAA playoff spots with only one game remaining in the regular season. Frida Duran-Arellano and Kelsey Bess scored the goals for the Jacks while Emma McChristie, Erin Mohr, Emilie Wallin, Kylea Becker, Mia Castaneda and Maya Davis also had shot attempts. The win was also the 399th career victory for head coach Grant Landy who now sits just one win away from the elusive 400 win mark. 

Sunday's victory, paired with a pair of weekend draws by Cal State San Bernardino and Cal State Monterey Bay, gives the Jacks sole possession of seventh place in the current CCAA standings. They sit two points behind Cal State San Marcos and Cal Poly Pomona, who are currently tied for fifth. 

Humboldt (6-4-6, 3-2-5 CCAA) will be fighting for more than bragging rights on Thursday against Chico State (8-3-5, 5-2-3 CCAA). A win against the rival Wildcats, paired with a loss from San Marcos or a loss or tie from Pomona would vault the Jacks into the final playoff position. The women's match is slated to begin at 11:30am at College Creek Field.

Jacks drop heartbreaker to no.3 Toros

The Cal Poly Humboldt Lumberjacks played tough and aggressive all game, but a penalty kick with less than four minutes remaining gave the no.3 ranked Cal State Dominguez Hills just enough breathing room to narrowly escape with a 3-2 victory over the Jacks on Senior Day at College Creek Field. Daniel Adeyeye and Dylan Tovani scored goals for Humboldt, while Juan Perez, Motoki Sato, Cole Falco, Alex Lopez, Milan Uncanin and Nico Herrera Land all had shot attempts as well. Adrian Gallardo also recorded five saves in net for the Jacks. 

Sunday's loss eliminates Humboldt from CCAA playoff contention.

Humboldt (3-7-7, 2-5-3 CCAA) will finish off the season with a rivalry game against Chico State (6-4-7, 3-2-5 CCAA) in a 2pm matchup at College Creek Field.