UC San Diego Reaches Final in Volleyball

UC San Diego swept Pomona-Pitzer 15-6, 15-3, 15-9, as the Tritons advanced to the NCAA Division III West Regional final at La Jolla.

Top-ranked UCSD, the 2-time defending national champion, will meet La Verne in tonight’s final at 7:30. La Verne, ranked ninth, rallied to defeat fifth-ranked Colorado College, 6-15, 15-2, 12-15, 15-13, 15-12, behind 24 kills from Trisha Wright.

La Verne is the only Division III team to defeat UCSD this season, stopping the Tritons’ 41-match winning streak against Division III teams.

Dee Dee Bigelow led UCSD (31-8) with 13 kills and Diana Klintworth added 9 kills and 4 blocks.

Ali Wood had 21 kills and Kris Roberts had a school-record 8 solo blocks as host UC Irvine rallied to upset 14th-ranked San Diego State, 7-15, 12-15, 15-9, 15-7, 15-4, in a Big West Conference match.

Jackie Mendez had 16 kills for SDSU (21-9, 8-7). UC Irvine is 18-10 and 7-9.

Katy Hansaker had 12 kills to lead Santa Clara to a 15-5, 15-7, 16-14 nonleague victory over U.S. International University. Claudia Johnson led USIU with 9 kills in its last home match of the season.

University of San Diego won the first 18 points of the match and needed only 58 minutes to defeat the University of San Francisco, 15-0, 15-9, 15-7, in a West Coast Athletic Conference match at the USD SportsCenter. Cindy Silldorf led USD (10-13, 4-6) with 11 kills on 11 attempts. USF is 8-15, 6-6.

FOOTBALL

The University of San Diego concludes its season today against Azusa Pacific in Azusa at 1:30. Last week, USD (4-4) and Azusa Pacific (5-2) both had disappointing homecoming losses.

USD lost to UC Santa Barbara, 13-10, as the Gauchos scored with 2 minutes 11 seconds remaining and USD was intercepted in the end zone with 31 seconds left. Azusa Pacific’s hopes of qualifying for the NAIA Division II playoffs diminished with a 27-24 loss to Menlo College.

Both teams have tough defenses. The Toreros have allowed 499 yards rushing this season (a 62.4 per game average) and should break the school record of 800. The Cougars are allowing 55 yards per game on the ground. USD’s opponents average 13.7 points per game, Azusa Pacific’s 12.3.

BASKETBALL

Former NBA player Lorenzo Romar led San Diego-based Athletes in Action to a 114-109 overtime victory at the University of Florida. Romar led AIA with 26 points, followed by former San Diego State players Zack Jones (24 points) and Anthony Watson (20).

AIA (6-5) took a 98-95 lead with 33 seconds left in regulation on Romar’s 3-point shot. With 14 seconds remaining in regulation, Florida’s Jose Ramos hit an 8-foot jump shot, was fouled and made the free throw.

AIA pulled away quickly after regulation for its second consecutive overtime victory.

WOMEN’S GOLF

Despite a 2-stroke penalty on the ninth hole and a bogey on the 18th, Allison Shapcott of U.S. International shot a 1-over-par 74 in the third and final round and held on to defeat teammate Tracy Marble, 224-225, in the USIU Women’s Invitational at the Rancho Bernardo Inn.