Advertisement

SportsScope : Talented Bruin Women Spikers Await Arizona Invasion : Bruins’ Talented Women’s Volleyball Team Awaits Invasion by Arizona Teams

Share

The UCLA women’s volleyball team, ranked fifth nationally, is in the islands tonight for a match with No. 4 Hawaii and will begin home play at John Wooden Center against Arizona at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and against Arizona State at 5 p.m. Sunday.

Last week the Bruins raised their record to 5-1 overall, 2-0 in the Pac-10 Conference, by winning the All-Cal Tournament. They defeated Cal in the final, 16-14, 15-7. As the week began, Arizona was 2-3 overall, 1-1 in conference play, and Arizona State was 3-0 and 2-0. In UCLA’s conference wins, against Washington and Washington State, hitter Lori Zeno came back to chalk up 50 kills after sitting out a week with a strained shoulder.

The No. 1 UCLA men’s soccer team, tied last week by San Jose State and Chapman but still unbeaten in 22 games dating to last season, will be tested by the University of San Francisco, a perennial power, at 2 p.m. Sunday at UCLA’s North Athletic field.

Advertisement

The Bruins, 2-0-2 at the start of the week, were unable to score in the second half against San Jose State, but first-half goals by senior Tom Silvas and junior Jeff Hooker gave them a 2-2 tie with the Spartans. Against Chapman, sophomore Nick Skvarna’s late goal gave UCLA a 1-1 tie.

Pat Young, Santa Monica College football coach, was confident about his offense and doubtful about the defense before the season, and both views were confirmed in last week’s opener, a 41-33 home victory over Southwestern.

The Corsairs rolled up 480 yards but gave up 411 to Southwestern, 357 in passing.

The SMC offense was led by sophomore quarterback Kevin Bray, who completed 20 of 35 pass attempts for 225 yards and three touchdowns (two by sophomore wide receiver Ken Randolph), and by sophomore tailback Ken Williams, who gained 153 yards on 18 carries and scored on runs of 72 and four yards.

Young said he doesn’t know much about this week’s opponent, College of the Desert, which will play host to the Corsairs at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Palm Desert. He said that SMC will “just go out and play our game.”

Desert, 7-3 last season, defeated a semiprofessional team, Boyle Heights, 33-9, last week. Roadrunner quarterback Al Walls completed 15 of 18 passes. On defense, College of the Desert is led by all-conference safety Chris Cormier.

The UCLA men’s and women’s cross-country teams will officially open the season this weekend, the men on Saturday in the Fresno State Invitational and the women also on Saturday at the UC Riverside Invitational.

Advertisement

In an all-comers meet at UCLA last Sunday, Bruin senior Mark Junkermann won the four-mile race in a course record 18:53.69, and UCLA junior Jim Ortiz, running unattached, was sixth in 19:52.7. Junkermann and senior Jerry Marsh, who missed last season with an injured knee, are expected to pace the Bruins this season, along with sophomore Greg Hauser, Ortiz and senior Tom Grewe.

In the women’s section of the all-comers meet, three UCLA runners were in the top 10 in the 5,000 meters. Freshman Laurie Chapman was second in 17:12.8, Kathy Kiernan fifth in 17:24.2 and Laura Chapel ninth in 17:44.1. UCLA’s Polly Plumer is recovering from abdominal surgery and is expected to miss most of the cross-country season.

Advertisement