Briefs: UCI represented at Pan Am Cup

Former UC Irvine men’s volleyball All-American Michael Brinkley and Kyle Russell, who will be a senior for the Anteaters next season, will compete for the United States at the Pan American Cup that began Wednesday and will run through Monday at the Reno Events Center.

The Pan American Cup is an annual tournament that gives the up-and-coming stars the opportunity to face international competition. Teams from the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela are schedule to compete this year.

Russell, who is one of seven players on the U.S. roster that are still in college, averaged 2.48 kills and 0.98 digs per set as a 6-foot-9 outside hitter last season. He also fired 32 service aces.

Brinkley was a three-time All-America libero who helped UCI win NCAA titles in 2012 and 2013.

The United States has never hosted the event, but has won it five times and finished second twice. Team USA finished second to Cuba in 2014.

— From staff reports

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UCI picked fourth

UC Irvine was picked fourth in the nine-team preseason poll of Big West Conference women’s soccer coaches.

The Anteaters totaled 50 points and one first-place vote to rank behind Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (72 points), Long Beach State (70) and Cal State Fullerton (68).

Cal Polly and Cal State Fullerton received three first-place votes each, while Long Beach State and Cal State Northridge, which ranked fifth in the poll with 37 points, each had one first-place vote.

UC Santa Barbara and Hawaii tied for sixth (28), with UC Riverside (27) and UC Davis (25) rounding out the poll.

UCI finished fifth in 2014, was not represented on the 11-player preseason all-conference team.

Coach Scott Juniper’s Anteaters, who play host to Cal State Northridge in an exhibition game Friday at 7 p.m., open the regular season on Aug. 21 at home against Auburn.

UCI, coming off a 7-9-3 season, played visiting Richmond to a 1-1 tie in an exhibition game at home on Tuesday.

— From staff reports

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Vanguard hires

Vanguard University athletics has named Jeff Melton coordinator of athletic media and event management, Mike Teague coordinator of compliance and office management, and Kelly Wilson assistant athletic trainer.

Melton, who graduated from Vanguard in 2011, had been the temporary director of sports information. He received a master of arts degree in kinesiology with an emphasis in sports management at Long Beach State.

Melton has served various roles at Vanguard, including professional consultant, graduate assistant, student intramural coordinator and event staff intern.

Melton also worked for Long Beach State athletics, the L.A. Marathon, the United States Soccer Federation, the StubHub Center, Rose Bowl and the Los Angeles Clippers.

Teague served the last two years in VU admissions, focusing on transfers and student-athletes. A former soccer player, his Biola squad reached the 2009 NAIA quarterfinals.

A Huntington Beach native, Teague attended Calvary Chapel High in Santa Ana. Teague’s wife Gracee was an All-American women’s volleyball setter at Biola.

Wilson returns to Vanguard after working for the Newport Orthopedic Institute and Mt. San Antonio College. During her undergraduate studies at California State Fullerton, she was an athletic intern for Vanguard in 2012.

— From staff reports