Briefs: UCI’s Saeta shines

UC Irvine senior Michael Saeta has been named National Player of the Week by the American Volleyball Coaches’ Assn.

Saeta, a setter, helped the Anteaters hit .400 over three nonconference sweeps, including an upset of top-ranked Ohio State, the defending NCAA champion which had won 42 straight matches, on Saturday.

The 6-foot-5 standout had five kills in six attempts (an .833 rate) against the Buckeyes, while adding 27 assists, two aces and a season-best eight digs.

Against Ball State, Saeta had three kills, three aces and six digs, while producing 38 assists to an attack that hit .478 with a season-low three errors.

The left-hander had seven aces on the week to bring his season total to 50, which moved him in to a tie for third in the UCI single-season records.

For the week, the senior hit .750 with just one hitting error and averaged 10.7 assists per set,

UCI has won four straight and seven of its last eight to climb to the No. 5 national ranking.

UCI is idle until visiting Pepperdine on March 25.

Lions’ Sandoval repeats

Vanguard University senior Brandon Sandoval has been named Golden State Athletic Conference Player of the Week in baseball for the second straight week.

The decorated center fielder was six for 13 with two home runs, seven runs and five runs batted in four games, three of which the No. 16 Lions won to improve to 19-10.

Entering the week, Sandoval led the team in hits (42), batting average (.400) and stolen bases (19). He ranks fifth nationally in hits and 10th in steals.

VU’s Thornhill dealing

Vanguard University freshman Courtney Thornhill has been named Golden State Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week in softball.

She went 3-0 during the week to improve to 8-2 on the season, allowing 17 hits and three earned runs in 19 innings. She allowed just one hit in five shutout innings in a win over Doane on March 7.

Thornhill entered the week with a team-best 1.37 earned-run average in 65 2/3 innings.

‘Eaters’ Jewett lauded

UC Irvine sophomore Isaiah Jewett has been named Big West Conference Men’s Track Athlete of the Week.

In his first 400-meter race of the season, he ran a person-record 47.38 seconds to win the event at the Ben Brown Invitational on Saturday at Cal State Fullerton. It was the best time in the NCAA this season.

Jewett is scheduled to compete in the UCI Spring Break Collegiate Classic, March 17-18.

UCI’s Coward honored

UC Irvine sophomore Barbara Coward shared Big West Conference Women’s Field Athlete of the Week.

She broke her own school record with a meet-record discus throw of 180 feet, eight inches on Saturday at the Ben Brown Invitational at Cal State Fullerton.

The mark was more than two feet better than her previous best. She is the only NCAA competitor to surpass 180 feet this season.

She also was sixth in the hammer throw (168-4).

She earned the same conference honor the previous week.

— From staff reports