SPORTSSCOPE : Pepperdine and Loyola Women Spikers to Battle for Top Spot

Sole possession of first place in the West Coast Conference women’s volleyball race will be at stake when Pepperdine (10-5 overall, 5-0 in the conference) plays host to Loyola Marymount (5-8, 5-0) at 7:30 tonight at Firestone Fieldhouse.

Pepperdine sophomore outside hitter Cari Delson , who has missed the last five matches with a back injury, is listed as doubtful for tonight’s match. But she may be ready when the Waves entertain Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in a non-conference match at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Pepperdine will play at the University of San Diego at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

Freshman Elaine Caraher will replace Delson for the next two matches.

Pepperdine Coach Nina Matthies said Pepperdine-Loyola matches seem to have been “fairly significant the last few seasons, and both teams will be ready to play their best.”

The Waves are on a six-match winning streak. Senior outside hitter Tami Seidenberg leads the Waves with 203 kills and 215 digs, and sophomore middle blocker Lesli Asplund tops the team with 44 blocks.

The second-ranked UCLA women’s volleyball team (11-1 overall, 6-0 in the Pacific 10 Conference as the week began) will play Friday at No. 19 Oregon (15-3, 4-3) and Saturday at Oregon State (5-8, 0-7).

The Bruins will play host to No. 11 USC at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Pauley Pavilion.

Last week UCLA won its 23rd and 24th straight conference matches over the last two seasons, a Pac-10 record. The Bruins outlasted No. 6 Stanford in five games and defeated No. 10 California in three.

Senior All-American middle blocker Daiva Tomkus hit .351 against Stanford and .478 against Cal. In the last eight matches, Tomkus has 10 unassisted blocks and 45 assists.

The Santa Monica College women’s volleyball team (4-5 overall, 4-3 in the Western State Conference at the start of the week) will play at Pierce at 7 p.m. Friday.

SMC freshman Julie Foster, a starter at middle blocker, is sidelined after she sprained an ankle at last week’s College of the Sequoias Tournament. The Corsairs finished in ninth place. In conference matches last week, SMC defeated College of the Canyons and Bakersfield, each in three games.

The West Los Angeles College women’s volleyball team (7-8 overall, 2-5 in the Western State Conference) will play host to Bakersfield at 7 tonight at Westchester High School.

Last week the Oilers lost in three games at Cuesta and won in four games at Ventura. Against Ventura, Margaret Williamson had 14 kills and Vivian Deckard, 11.

The UCLA men’s soccer team, ranked first nationally for the first time since September, 1986, will play host to Cal State Fullerton at 2 p.m. Sunday at the North Soccer Field.

Last week the Bruins stood at 11-0-1 after defeating Stanford, 2-0, in overtime. In the extra period, Will Steadman scored his third goal of the season, all on penalty kicks, and Cobi Jones scored the other goal, his seventh this year, on an assist from Pat McLaughlin.

The Santa Monica College men’s soccer team (0-3 overall) will begin its Western State Conference schedule when it plays host to Oxnard at 3 p.m. Friday at Clover Park, Ocean Park Boulevard and 25th Street, Santa Monica.

The Santa Monica College football team (3-1 overall, 2-1 in the Western State Conference) will play Glendale College (2-1-1, 2-0-1) at 1 p.m. Saturday at Glendale High School.

Last week the Corsairs trounced Santa Barbara City, 41-16, while Glendale routed Compton, 42-7.

Against Santa Barbara, the SMC offense, which had 429 yards total offense, was led by tailback Charles McKinzie , quarterback Jeff Barrett, wide receiver Byron Jackson and flanker Travis Moore.

McKinzie rushed for 139 yards on 19 carries and two touchdowns. Barrett completed 10 of 16 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns. Jackson had five receptions for 76 yards and scored on a 55-yard reverse. Moore caught three passes, including scoring receptions of 9 and 33 yards.

Corsair Anthony Graves scored on a 60-yard interception return.

Glendale is led by running backs Sean Hampton and Doug Dragomer. Last year the pair combined for 2,001 yards rushing and 21 touchdowns. This year, each has rushed for 169 yards and scored two touchdowns.

The No. 3 Pepperdine water polo team (12-3 overall, 2-0 in the Big West Conference) will play road matches Friday at No. 9 Pacific (5-4, 1-2), Saturday at No. 5 Stanford and Sunday at No. 14 Fresno State (6-11, 0-1).

Last week the Waves, edged Santa Barbara, 8-7, as senior Rob Sutter scored the game-winning goal against the Gauchos. Santa Barbara was tied for ninth place nationally with Pacific in last week’s poll of the American Water Polo Coaches Assn., the latest rankings available. Pepperdine also defeated No. 4 Cal State Long Beach, 12-6. Wave sophomore Geoffrey Clark scored three goals in each match.

Pepperdine scoring leaders are senior Sasa Poljak with 43 goals, Clark with 42 and senior Rafael Gandarillas with 29.

The Santa Monica College water polo team (5-5 overall, 1-1 in the Western State Conference as the week began will play Friday at Allan Hancock and Tuesday at Cuesta.

Last week the Corsairs opened WSC play on the road with a 15-14 loss to Los Angeles Valley and a 7-6 victory over Ventura. Corsair Morgan Snider, who missed the first seven matches with a separated shoulder, led SMC with four goals against Valley and three against Ventura.

The UCLA women’s cross-country team, which finished fifth at last week’s Stanford Invitational, will compete Saturday at the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Invitational. At Stanford, Bruin Laura Chapel was fourth in 17:57.