UCSD Plays for Volleyball National Championship

The UC San Diego women’s volleyball team will play Washington University for the Division III national championship tonight at Washington University in St. Louis. No. 2-ranked UCSD defeated St. Benedict (Minn.), 15-6, 15-6, 15-9, in the semifinals. Liz Vesanovic had 13 kills and Vikki Van Duyne added eight for UCSD (36-8).

Defending champion Washington defeated Juniata (Pa.), 15-4, 15-12, 14-16, 15-5, in the semifinals.

This is UCSD’s eighth trip to the finals. UCSD won the championship in 1986, 1987 and 1988, but lost in the regionals last year.

San Diego State (20-10, 5-4) lost to BYU, 18-16, 15-13, 15-11, in a Western Athletic Conference match at Provo.

TENNIS

Jose Luis Noriega of the University of San Diego was the only area player to advance to the quarterfinals of the National Collegiate Clay Court Championships at Panama City, Fla. Defending champion Noriega, who is second-seeded, will play unseeded Patricia Arnold of Georgia in the quarterfinals. Noriega defeated South Florida’s Arnie Raabe, 6-3, 6-1, in the first round. In the second round, he defeated Woody Webb of North Carolina, 6-1, 6-3.

USD’s Sakolwan Kacharoen defeated top-seeded Nicole Arendt of Florida, 6-0, 6-3, in the first round of women’s play, but she lost in the second round to Duke’s Julie Exum, 6-4, 6-1.

SDSU’s Ricardo Herrera lost to Alabama’s Ellis Ferreira, 6-4, 6-2, and SDSU’s Eva Olivarez lost to Oklahoma State’s Monika Waniek, 1-6, 6-1, 6-3. USD’s Tonya Fuller lost to Florida’s Erika Kuttler, 6-0, 7-6 (7-5).

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Christian Heritage, which has never lost a season opener, defeated Dr. Martin Luther College (Minn.), 120-81, in the first round of the Colorado Christian Tournament. Freshman point guard Shane McKim led the Hawks (1-0) with 23 points. Teammate Jeff Martin scored 20 of his 22 points in the first half. Christian Heritage will play St. Mary (Kan.) today then play Colorado Christian at night.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Christy Stevens scored 24 points and Shannon Abrams 19 to lead host Point Loma Nazarene College to an 85-54 victory over UC San Diego in the season opener for both teams. Abrams had 14 rebounds.

WOMEN’S SWIMMING

Tracy Schweiger was first in three events and eight others had first-place finishes as the University of San Diego defeated Occidental, 104-12. Schweiger captured the 100-meter breaststroke, and the 100- and 1,000-meter freestyle events. USD also fell to Cal State Northridge, 95-18, in the three-way meet.

WATER POLO

Grossmont College was defeated by top-ranked Cuesta, 14-9, in the semifinals of the State Community College Water Polo Championships at Long Beach.

Joel Hull led third-ranked Grossmont (26-10) with three goals, Rodney Jones and Mike Poulson had two apiece.

Grossmont defeated College of the Sequoias, 12-9, to advance to the semifinals. Grossmont plays fourth-ranked Orange Coast today in the third-place match.