SPORTSCOPE : Top-Ranked UCLA Women in NCAA Volleyball Semifinals for Third Time in Row

The top-ranked UCLA women’s volleyball team (34-1) will face Louisiana State (34-6), and the University of the Pacific (29-6) will meet Nebraska (32-2) in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament today at College Park, Md. The final is on Saturday.

This is the Bruins’ third consecutive appearance in a national final four and their 17th in the past 20 years. In 1988 and 1989, the Bruins were the nation’s No. 1 team entering the semifinals but lost opening matches both times.

In overall play with 1990 final four teams, UCLA leads LSU, 4-0, but trails Nebraska, 0-3, and Pacific, 8-12.

UCLA won the NCAA West Regional at home last week, defeating No. 14 New Mexico in four games and No. 3 Stanford in three. In the regional, Bruin Natalie Williams had 44 kills and 22 digs. Against Stanford, teammate Marissa Hatchett had 17 kills and a team-high nine blocks.

Williams, Hatchett and Holly McPeak were named to the all-regional tournament team for UCLA. The same three and teammate Jenny Evans were selected to the All-Pacific-10 Conference and the American Volleyball College Coaches Assn. West Region teams.

The UCLA women’s basketball team (3-3), a winner of three consecutive games, will play Sunday at Tennessee (3-2) and Tuesday at Old Dominion (1-4).

Bruin guard Rehema Stephens, named Pac-10 player of the week, has been on fire in the past three games. She scored 33 points in an 89-75 defeat of Notre Dame and a career-high 34 points as the Bruins beat Pepperdine, 95-79. In a 90-82 victory over St. Mary’s, she again scored 34 points and had a career-high 14 rebounds. She leads the Pac-10 in scoring with an average of 26.8 points a game and is fifth in rebounding with a 9.7 average.

The Pepperdine women’s basketball team (2-4) will play host to UC Riverside (6-1 at the start of the week) at 5 p.m. today at Firestone Fieldhouse and play at UC Santa Barbara (2-1 as the week began) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

Last week the Waves lost to UCLA, 95-79, and to Cal State Fullerton, 78-57. Forward Shannon Frowiss leads Pepperdine with averages of 14.5 points and 8.7 rebounds a game. Wave center Sharon Wilson, who dislocated a shoulder in a Nov. 30 game, is expected to return near the end of December.

The West Los Angeles College men’s basketball team will play a second-round game today in the Riverside Community College Holiday tournament, which began Wednesday.

The Oilers (6-4 as the week began) have won six of their past eight games. In their last tournament, they finished third at the Mid-State, defeating Ohlone and Mira Costa and losing to eventual tournament champion Moorpark.

WLAC freshman forward Keith London, who had 64 points and 50 rebounds at the Mid-State competition, was named to the all-tournament team. Booker Waugh and London each scored 27 points and London had 19 rebounds in an 82-79 defeat of Ohlone. In an 82-75 loss to Moorpark, Waugh scored 23 points, London had 16 points and 16 rebounds and Reece Stovall had 16 points. In a 75-72 defeat of Mira Costa, London had 21 points and 15 rebounds, and Waugh added 18 points.

Winners of the most valuable performer awards in West Los Angeles College fall sports were sophomore Sam Rogers in football, freshman Trejon Jenkins in cross country and sophomore Laveai Falealili in women’s volleyball.

Rogers, a defensive lineman, led the state in sacks with 21, led the Oilers with 12.3 tackles a game and was a unanimous selection on the All-Western State Conference team. Falealili was named to the all-conference second team.

Other football awards: defensive back Tylyn Cook, coaches’ award; linebacker Carlos Roundtree, most improved; Cary Tiller, top running back; Isaac Bruce and Quinton Winson, top receivers, and Kevin Murray, best offensive lineman.

Winners of top defensive awards were linebacker Maurice Burton, lineman Rogers and defensive back Lester Grice.

The UCLA men’s golf team, sixth at the Nevada Las Vegas tournament, will play Jan. 21-22 in the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate Tournament at Santa Barbara.

Arizona won the tournament with 879 to 917 for the Bruins. UCLA’s Steve Haynes and Kent Wiese tied for 16th place, each with 229, and teammate Dave Solomon tied for 21st at 230.

Shotputter-discus thrower Mark Parlin of Esperanza High School and sprinter Erik Allen of Hawthorne High School have signed national letters of intent with UCLA.

Parlin finished second in the shot at 62-9 in last spring’s state meet, and his personal record in the discus is 175-4. Allen did not compete last spring because of an injury, but his 1989 times of 10.71 in the 100-meter dash and 21.53 in the 200 were the second-best in the nation by a sophomore in 1989.