Gor Kirakosyan learns quick with UC Irvine

The following are updates on local athletes at the collegiate level.

Gor Kirakosyan (Burbank High, 2009) junior, midfielder, UC Irvine men’s soccer: It didn’t take long for Kirakosyan to endear himself to his new Anteater teammates. The Pasadena City College transfer scored three goals in his first two matches at UC Irvine en route to being named the Big West Player of the Week, which is the 40th such honor the Anteaters have been awarded, Tuesday.

The junior scored in UC Irvine’s first match — a 2-0 win over the University of San Diego Aug. 24 — and notched both of the Anteaters’ goals in the 19th and 51st minutes of a 2-0 win over Long Island University Brooklyn on Aug. 31, but he sat out nearly the entire second half and missed the next match against Detroit with a leg injury.

He returned to action Friday and got a shot on goal in UC Irvine’s 2-0 loss to Stanford. The Anteaters, who sit at 3-1 this season, head to UCLA Sunday to take on the Bruins at 2 p.m.

Jenna Orlandini (Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, 2009) junior, defensive specialist/libero, University of Washington women’s volleyball: The Huskies are off to another fine start to the 2012 season with Orlandini leading the way for their defense again.

Washington is 8-0 to start the year and has yet to lose a set or even give up more than 23 points in a set this season. Orlandini is leading that defensive charge by posting a team-high 74 digs this season. The junior also has 16 assists.

The former Tolog helped Washington win the Tiger Classic Sept. 1 with a 25-21, 25-21, 25-22 win over Rice after it knocked off Purdue and LSU on Aug. 31.

The hot start has the Huskies ranked at No. 7 this year, as they most recently swept Long Beach State, 25-21, 25-20, 25-23, at home on Friday. Orlandini had a team-high 15 digs and three assists in the match.

Washington will wrap up nonconference action Tuesday when it travels to the University of Portland at 7 p.m. The Huskies open up Pac-12 play Sept. 18 when they host rival Washington State at 7 p.m.

Alyssa Conti (Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, 2011) sophomore, Johns Hopkins soccer: The Blue Jays have hit a bit of a speed bump since starting the season 2-0 and being ranked atop the NCAA Division III National Soccer Coaches Assn. of America rankings when they were released after the first week of play Tuesday.

John Hopkins fell to No. 2 Messiah, 4-0, Wednesday and played Emory to a 2-2 draw Friday after it scored the first two goals of the match.

Conti has started all four games for the Blue Jays, but the midfielder has yet to log a goal, assist or even a shot.

John Hopkins, which is 2-1-1 so far this season, will look to climb back up the rankings when it takes on Birmingham-Southern today at 9 a.m.