SPORTSCOPE : UCLA Volleyball Team Battles Nebraska in NCAA Meet

The UCLA women’s volleyball team (30-2) continues its quest for a fifth national championship tonight when it meets Nebraska (28-3) at 10:30 in the NCAA tournament semifinals at Neal Blaisdell Center in Honolulu.

In the other semifinal match, Cal State Long Beach (30-5) will face Texas Arlington (31-3) at 8. The championship match will be at 9:30 p.m. Dec. 16.

Last week the Bruins won the NCAA West Regional title, defeating Arizona and Wyoming, each in three games at Pauley Pavilion. Senior middle blocker Daiva Tomkus and sophomore middle blocker Elaine Youngs were named to the all-tournament team.

UCLA’s last national title was in 1984. If the Bruins win this year, it would break a tie with Stanford for most NCAA championships in the 1980s for both men’s and women’s teams. Each school has won 23 NCAA titles in the 1980s.

The UCLA women’s basketball team (4-1) will play host to Tennessee (5-1), defending national champion, at 2 p.m. Sunday at Pauley Pavilion.

The Bruins are coming off an 84-75 victory over Cal State Fullerton. Against the Titans, sophomore guard Rehema Stevens scored a career-high 31 points, and senior center Sandra VanEmbricqs had 22 points and 10 rebounds. Stevens, named Pacific 10 Conference Player of the Week, is averaging 18.8 points a game, and VanEmbricqs is averaging 14.8 points and 9.4 rebounds.

UCLA sophomore center Molly Tideback, sidelined for three games with a sprained right ankle, is expected to play against the Volunteers.

The Pepperdine women’s basketball team (4-3) will play host to UC Irvine (1-4) at 7:30 tonight (12-14) at Firestone Fieldhouse.

The Waves are coming off a 79-62 victory over Cal State Northridge. Irvine lost to Oregon State, 63-24, in the championship game of the Oregon State-Converse tournament last weekend.

Pepperdine Coach Ron Fortner said that the Anteaters have “not shot the basketball too well this season, but they always seem to play us tough.”

Sophomore forward Shannon Frowiss is averaging 15.7 points and eight rebounds to lead the Waves. Senior guard Sherri Murrell is averaging 12.4 points and 4.1 assists, and senior forward Kristy Greenberg is compiling 12.1 points and 5.4 rebounds.

The Santa Monica College women’s basketball team (6-1 as the week began) will play Compton at 4 p.m. today in the opening round of the Los Angeles Trade Tech Tournament.

Other teams in the bracket with SMC are Ventura and San Diego City. In the other bracket are Riverside, Pierce, Rancho Santiago and Trade Tech.

SMC will play host to Cerritos at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Corsair Gymnasium.

Last week the Corsairs defeated Compton, 67-51; San Diego Mesa, 71-51, and Long Beach City, 85-46. Jackie Nikzad scored 54 points in the three games and had a career-high 17 rebounds against Compton. Stefanie Krause scored 15 points against Compton on six-of-nine shooting from the field. Against Long Beach City, CoCo Jones scored 14 points and Illana Mazingo had a career-high 16 rebounds.

The Santa Monica College men’s basketball team (9-2 at the start of the week) is competing in the Modesto Junior College Tournament, which ends Saturday.

Teams in SMC’s bracket are Delta, Columbia College, Long Beach City, San Francisco City, American River and Mather and Travis Air Force bases. In the other bracket are Modesto, Los Angeles City, Merced, Fresno City, Santa Rosa, Cerritos, the Fresno Pacific junior varsity and Castle Air Force Base.

Last week the Corsairs defeated East Los Angeles, 87-70, without leading scorer and rebounder Cornelius Banks, who was sidelined with a groin injury.

Banks is averaging 16 points and 9.3 rebounds, and Donald Smith is averaging 15.6 points and Mark Moton 14.4 points and 7.2 rebounds.

Five former Pepperdine athletes will be inducted into the university’s sports Hall of Fame at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Helen Field Heritage Hall on campus.

Those honored include Brad Gilbert in tennis, Ted Kiapos in football and Skip Willis in baseball. Women inductees are Kim Bueltel in basketball and volleyball and Robin White in tennis.

The Pepperdine women’s swim team (0-5), which finished eighth at the U.S. National Grand Prix Invitational last week in Long Beach, will be idle until the UC Irvine Invitational on Jan. 6-7.

Wave Coach Tim Elson said the Grand Prix, which included some of the nation’s best teams, “was an invaluable experience in terms of swimming against top-flight competition. Being able to swim in this invitational will raise our level of competitiveness and be instrumental in our efforts to win” the Pacific Collegiate Swimming Conference championship in February.

Pepperdine records were set by freshman Emily MacDonald, who posted a 1:10.86 in the 100-yard breast stroke, and the 800 freestyle relay team of Stephanie Beiser, Kristen Berryman, Kristina Lewis and Abigail Miedler, who swam a 7:56.39.