Hi to all that might be reading out there.

Well, I have to apologize for not being here for a while, but busy days at the paper have made it tough to find the extra time to write a few thoughts.

• OK, forgive me one more thing as I interject a quick plug. My wife is working on a young photo business and has been out to a few C of I and NNU events. If you are interested in some action photos, please go to www.backprint.com and simply do a search for "College of Idaho" or Northwest Nazarene. Oh, and there are also some shots from the Bob Firman Invitational. Just search for "Bob Firman". Thanks, and now back to my ramblings!

Plus, as those reading the paper might have noticed, I haven't been out to too many games with plenty of other events taking place to keep me busy. While a week at the Boise Open is entertaining, it might not be as exciting as the action on the hardwood or the fields at NNU or the C of I.

Specifically the action Tuesday night, as after a two-year hiatus, the Coyotes and Crusaders renewed their volleyball rivalry.

A rivalry that, despite the fact NNU is the larger school both in classification and student numbers, has been dominated by the Coyotes as the C of I notched a sixth straight win — 25-19, 24-26, 25-23, 25-23 — Tuesday.

But the scores really speak to the kind of battle the match was — yes, it really was that close.

But there's a couple of things that jumped out at me watching — it was my first time seeing NNU in action and just the second C of I match I've seen.

1. Haley Hevern is not only an incredible athlete, but incredibly driven. I think I mentioned that during the softball season — yep, the Crusaders volleyball libero is also NNU's softball shortstop and one of their top offensive threats. I mentioned how impressed I was then when she was hit hard in the chest by a ground ball, picked it up and threw out a runner at first. She then fell to the ground in pain, after the play.

Well, Tuesday she impressed me again, this time sliding and crashing into the bleachers to make a dig during NNU's match against the Coyotes. Evidently not as painful as the softball play as she got up and finished the rally.

Still, impressive the drive she shows in every sport she plays.

2. If the people who vote for the NCAA Division II All-Americans could only watch the Crusaders, they'd realize that NNU has two on its team.

Yes, Cammy Dranginis is a force at the net — both blocking and hitting. Heck, averaging better than a block a game is in itself and incredible stat — that's games, as in five games in a match — and makes her rightfully so a two-time All-American.

But they need to notice Lindsay Grant — formally Forseth. Maybe this year they will, too.

Forseth is arguably the best player on the floor for NNU. Arguably, as Cammy is incredible as is Hevern.

But Grant is proving this season just how good she is in more then leadership and intangibles. She leads NNU in kills and is second in digs — by seven behind Crusader libero, Hevern.

Hello All-American voters, that's huge for an outside hitter as Grant is proving she is invaluable at the net as well as in the back row.

3. Not even at full strength, the Coyotes are incredible!

Tuesday against a very good NNU team — hey, they lead the GNAC or are second in almost every offensive and defensive category — the Coyotes truly looked unstoppable.

The Yote offense was fast and powerful, and the defense was stellar. Whitney Owen is an incredible defender, as much as Madie Machurek, Courtney Combe and Stacie Drumm, giving the Coyotes an incredible start every time an opponent sends the ball over the next.

Then, Machurek takes over at setter, and is proving incredible as she dishes out balls to a variety of weapons, and does it in a fashion that keeps foes on their toes.

At the net, you expect Kathryn "Killer Kat" Ely (I'm hoping that nickname catches on, and since I'm the only person covering the Coyotes, I guess it has since I have started using it all the time!) and Kristen Henning to pound down balls, but Jessie Link is proving a monster hitter, and Tuesday Ciciley Fox showed glimpses of a very bright future as she led the match with 19 kills!

Now, here is the most impressive fact: Missing is Sarah (Buhler) Harris, who led the Yotes last season in kills, along with potential star from Brazil — by way of the College of Southern Idaho — Nathy Neres and setter/outside hitter Naomi Reimer, out since the Yotes win over Southern Oregon with an injured ankle. I'm told she'll miss this weekend also, making it six straight matches.

And yet, the Yotes lone loss was to No. 2-ranked Concordia-Irvine — I hear the Eagles pretty much escaped with the win, too!

How about a run?

Yep, Saturday I spent part of the day at Eagle Island State Park watching the high school teams run in the Bob Firman Invitational. Also got to watch the college race, and was impressed by a few things.

1. Barak Watson is phenomenal. I won't put too lofty of expectations on the freshman runner, but if he continues to compete the way he did on Saturday — finishing second in against NCAA Division I competition from Boise State and Idaho State — he'll pick up adding trophies to the Crusaders case where Ashley Puga left off.

Not saying that means National Championships, but I wouldn't be surprised to see a GNAC title or two in his near future. Then, well, who knows!

2. Jaclyn Puga is just as incredible as her sister. Yes, Ashley got plenty of ink from me — and anyone else with half a brain covering sports in this Valley! — regarding her GNAC titles, her All-American performances in track and cross country, and her national titles and her trip to U.S. Nationals. Well deserved ink, too.

Saturday, the younger Puga battled with some of the best D-I talent in the Northwest and proved she can run right with them.

Plus, she was there for her teammates, and she is still optimistic about what more can be done to improve.

Impressive was the fact that Puga knows to get better, she has to compete with the kind of talent she ran alongside at the Bob Firman, and she sounds like she's very willing to do just that.

Just a junior, it'll be fun to watch over the next two years just how fast she can go, and to see what kind of hardware she adds to the Puga family trophy case.

3. Too bad the Coyotes didn't run. Yep, a bout with the flu kept the C of I women from running Saturday. Disappointing as the Brigham Young ladies were almost machine like in their dominance. Five runners in the top 10- left no doubt which team won the ladies race.

Could the Coyotes have competed? Maybe. Would have been fun to watch.

The men C of I men did run though, and turned in an impressive day, though the numbers might not show it outwardly. But the Yotes did run nearly a minute faster as a team over the same course from last year's Bob Firman, and the split between the top 5 C of I finishers — the one's who score in a team race — was less than a minute also. That's nice pack running which will help come championship time.

Now a word about soccer

I hit a couple of the College of Idaho games over the weekend and I was very impressed with the Coyote ladies. Niki Taylor has brought this team a long way from that 1-win season back in 2004.

Even more impressive was the fact that the C of I put in a pair of inexperienced goalies to fill the backup role this weekend and not only came away winners — in case you didn't know the Yotes are 7-1 and have won five straight — but those backups (Kelly Hardegree-Ullman and Taylor Culver) getting a little on-the-job training completed a weekend shutout.

That's five straight C of I shutouts as well.

Now, the only thing I don't understand is the NAIA poll. You just read: Five straight wins; 7-1 record; five straight shutouts.

Evidently that means nothing as the Yotes were the first team listed among the others receiving votes on Sept. 15. That equates to No. 26.

Add a shutout win over NCAA Division II foe Northwest Nazarene, a team that was 2-1-3 prior to the C of I game, and the Yotes did what? Fell one spot in the poll to No. 27.

OK, well how about a couple league wins as the C of I routed Evergreen State and Northwest last weekend.

And the survey says: No. 29!

Yep, that's five straight shutout wins and the Yotes have fallen three spots in the poll! Oh well, they're only numbers, right?