SPORTSCOPE : Cal Poly Women Look for No. 19 at Cal State L.A.

The Cal Poly Pomona women’s tennis team, off to one of its best starts in recent years with an 18-1 record, will try to continue its winning ways when it visits Cal State Los Angeles at 2 p.m. today in a California Collegiate Athletic Assn. match.

The Broncos, who entered the week with a 14-match winning streak and the No. 4 ranking in the NCAA Division II, are 3-1 in conference play.

Competing against many of the top Division II programs in the nation last week, Pomona won four straight matches to take the title at the Xenia Anastasiadou Memorial Tournament in Pomona last week. The Broncos defeated No. 2 UC Davis, No. 3 Abilene Christian, No. 5 Air Force and No. 8 Denver.

Pomona has been led by All-American singles player Onnaca Heron, who entered the week with a 17-4 record. Two other standouts for the Broncos in singles are Julie Slattery and Diane Ewing.

Sixth-ranked Cal State L. A. has been sparked by senior Edna Olivarez, the top-ranked singles player in Division II by the Intercollegiate Tennis Coaches Assn. Olivarez and partner Jennifer Choi are also rated No. 2 in doubles.

After reaching the NCAA Division I World Series last season, it has been a struggle for the Cal Poly Pomona women’s softball team this year.

The Broncos entered the week with a 21-22 record and 4-12 in the Big West Conference after finishing at 43-23 last season.

Pomona will be out for improvement when it competes in two Big West double headers this week. The first is at 1:30 p.m. today against Nevada-Las Vegas in Pomona. The Broncos visit San Jose State at 1 p.m. Saturday.

The only conference win for Pomona in six games last week came in the first of a double header against Pacific, 1-0. The team was swept in double headers by Cal State Fullerton and Fresno State.

Pomona has been paced offensively by junior catcher Kelly Hilliard and sophomore shortstop Shellie McCall. Hilliard is batting .269 and McCall .267. The team’s top pitcher is junior Nicky Luce, who is 11-9 with a 1.14 earned-run average.

Seniors Niki Bracken and Marcine Edmonds, who led the Cal Poly Pomona women’s basketball team to third place in the NCAA Division II, have been selected to the Kodak NCAA Division II All-District 8 team.

Bracken, Pomona’s all-time leading scorer, averaged 19.4 points and 9.5 rebounds as a senior to pace the Broncos to a 29-4 record. The 6-2 center from Compton also earned All-America honors for the second straight season and made the all-tournament team for the Division II final four tournament three times.

A two-time All-California Collegiate Athletic Assn. selection, Edmonds averaged 13.8 points and 6.8 rebounds to place second on the squad in both departments.