SportsScope : CIF Playoffs Start Today in 3 Sports

CIF playoffs open in girls volleyball, girls tennis and water polo this week. Undefeated Mira Costa and Torrance are the top-seeded 5-A and 4-A teams in volleyball, and Miraleste is the top seed in tennis. In first round volleyball games today, Laguna Hills is at Mira Costa and Bishop Montgomery is at Dos Pueblos in 5-A, Redondo is at home against Foothill and El Segundo is at Calabasas in 3-A and Chadwick is plays host to Liberty Christian in Small Schools. Matches begin at 7:30 p.m.

In team tennis today, Miraleste is at Arcadia, South Torrance is at Foothill, Marina is at Redondo and Fountain Valley is at Palos Verdes in 4-A; Troy is at Bishop Montgomery in 3-A; and Chadwick is at Glasdstone in 1-A. In a water polo opener today, Mira Costa plays host to El Toro in 3-A.

Despite suffering its only loss of the season to another ranked team, Cal State Dominguez Hills’ women’s soccer team was passed over by the NCAA selection committee for the playoffs. The women, 13-1-2, will finish their season with a 3 p.m. home game today against UC Irvine and a game at Cal Poly Pomona at noon Saturday.

The women, bidding for their first tournament invitation, suffered their first loss, 2-1 to UC Santa Barbara, last weekend and were snubbed by the selection committee, which tabbed Santa Barbara, UC Berkeley and Cal State Hayward as the Western teams. Dominguez Hills and Santa Barbara earlier played a 4-4 double-overtime game. Junior forward Robyn Queen leads the Lady Toros with 18 goals and 9 assists. Second-leading scorer Jill Draper, goalie Sandra Powers and Nanci Nielsen will make their final home appearances today.

Loyola Marymount University’s women’s volleyball team will play an exhibition match against Athletes in Action at 7:30 tonight before playing the final portion of the West Coast Athletic Conference schedule. The Lions were tied for first in the WCAC with Pepperdine and U.S. International University before Tuesday’s match at Pepperdine. Over the weekend the Lions won conference matches at Santa Clara and San Francisco to improve their record to 7-1 in the WCAC and 29-6 overall.

Cal State Dominguez Hills’ men’s soccer team can clinch second place in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. with a victory at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on Saturday. The Toros, 11-6-1 overall and 6-2 in the CCAA, fell short in their bid for the league title last week, losing to leader Cal State Northridge, 1-0, on a penalty kick. Senior Glenn Strachan, a contender for the league scoring championship, entered the week with 13 goals and 7 assists. The Toros were rated 17th.

The Loyola Marymount University water polo team, vying for a shot at the National Invitation Tournament later this month in San Diego, will play host to Cal State Fullerton at noon Saturday. The Lions are 18-7 under first-year Coach Jim McMillan. They placed second in the four-team Air Force Academy Tournament last weekend. Senior David Urich has 85 goals and 24 assists to lead the team in both categories. Doug Pitts is next with 42 goals.

The Cal State Dominguez Hills women’s volleyball team, making a late move in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn., travels to Northern California for two nonleague matches this weekend, facing Sacramento State on Friday and San Francisco State on Saturday.