Just as impressive as the undefeated record is the way in which the team has achieved it. The offense is averaging 2.75 goals per game, and sophomore goalkeeper Erika Woodbury has set up her own personal wall in front of the net, allowing just one goal in 680 minutes.

The Cougars will be asked to defend their ranking right away, as No. 11 California comes to Provo on Friday.

WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL: The Cougar volleyball team also vaulted into the Top 25 this week, following a huge victory over No. 14 Ohio State.

The Cougars, now 7-0 and ranked No. 22, are back in the CSTV/AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 Poll for the first time in three years. Being in the poll is by no means something new for the program, however, which has been in the Top 25 for a total of 252 weeks. BYU is 10th all-time for number of weeks in the Top 25 poll.

Utah is knocking on the door at No. 32, but BYU is the only Mountain West team to be ranked in the Top 25.

The Cougars begin conference play this week, traveling to New Mexico on Friday.

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Utah Country connections

• Brett Andrus, junior — Regional champion in the 3,200 meters in track and three-time member of Mountain View's championship squads in track and cross country.

• Alden Bahr, freshman — First-team all-state in both cross country and track and MVP of Mountain View's 2004 state championship team.

• Dustin Bybee, sophomore — Region co-champ in cross country at Mountain View and two-time state champion in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters.

• Kyle Cramer, freshman — Region champion in the 800 meters and second in the 1,600 at Mountain View.

• Chandler Goodwin, sohpomore — Took region and state championship honors while at Mountain View and finished seventh at the Footlocker Cross Country Nationals.

• Kenneth Golden Harper, sophomore — Region and state champion both his junior and senior years running cross country at Orem High and placed 10th at the Footlocker Nationals.

• Aaron Robison, freshman — St Provo High, earned first-team all-region honors in cross country and in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters. Placed eighth at the USATF cross country nationals.

• Josh Rohatinsky, junior — Dominated boys cross country while at Provo High, winning the region and state individual titles all four years. Won the Footlocker West Regionals twice and placed in the top five at nationals twice.

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E-mail: jtwitchell@desnews.com