BYU golf coach attends NCAA academy

PROVO — Brigham Young women's golf head coach Sue Nyhus recently was one of 45 female coaches to be selected to attend the NCAA Women's Coaches Academy in Denver.

The four-day seminar — "Coaching for Success and Significance" — focused on providing skills, training, resources and networking relevant to advance personal and team success.

Nyhus, in her seventh season as the Cougars head coach, led the team to a No. 13 final ranking and the second-best finish in school history — 17th place at the NCAA Championships. Nyhus has guided BYU to the NCAA Regionals in six of her seven years at the helm.

MEN'S VOLLEYBALL: The Cougars completed their preseason with a 27-30, 30-27, 28-30, 30-26, 15-12 win over the alumni squad last week at the Smith Fieldhouse.

"It was a fun match," BYU head coach Shawn Patchell said. "(The alumni) are probably the toughest competition we'll face all year. It was nice to get them out here, and we had a lot of fun."

The Cougars begin their regular season action with a road match at University of California-San Diego, on Friday, Jan. 11, at 8 p.m.

WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL: After a run to their first Regional Finals appearance in nine years and a 24-8 overall record, the Cougars received more good news.

Senior outside hitter Chelsea Goodman earned a spot on the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America Third Team, while junior middle blocker Rachel Dyer was named on the All-America honorable mention team.

Goodman, from Mesa, Ariz., set the Mountain West Conference career double-double record this season with 57, including an MWC-best 23 this season. She ranked among the conference's top 10 in kills, aces, points and digs.

Dyer, of Encinitas, Calif., led the league in hitting percentage and was 10th in the nation in the same category. Her overall season hitting percentage of .411 ranks fourth all-time in school history. She was fourth in the conference in blocks and posted double-digit kills in 24 of 32 matches.

BASEBALL: BYU came away from the November signing period with two junior college pitchers to go along with a handful of high schoolers.

Right-handers Jeremy Toole (Alvin Community College, Houston) and David McKnight (Salt Lake Community College) will now take the mound for the Cougars. The five prep signees include Utahns Bret Lopez (Timpanogos), Daniel Sechrest (Lone Peak) and Brock Whitney (Bingham) and pitchers Adam Miller (Yucaipa, Calif.) and Nik Turley (La Canada, Calif.).

SOFTBALL: The Cougars' best season in program history is already paying dividends in the form of six national letters of intent.