All Six Triton Teams Advance to the Playoffs

UC San Diego has a reputation for fielding excellent athletic teams, but nothing compares to what the Tritons accomplished this fall.

For the first time in school history, all six UCSD sports teams reached the national finals: women’s soccer placed third in the NCAA finals last weekend at Plymouth State, N.H.; men’s soccer hosts the Final Four this weekend; women’s volleyball plays this weekend at Washington University (St. Louis) in the Final Four; the men’s and women’s cross-country teams will be at Christopher Newport College in Newport News, Va. and the water polo team will play in the eight-team championship tournament Nov. 29-Dec. 1 at Cal State Long Beach.

Tritons face mystery team: Derek Armstrong, UCSD men’s soccer coach, could use some help from the CIA this week. Armstrong has been unable to find any information on top-ranked Ohio Wesleyan (22-1), UCSD’s opponent in Saturday’s NCAA semifinals at UCSD. North Coast Athletic Conference rules prohibit schools from giving scouting reports on other NCAC schools.

“I understand where they’re coming from, but I’m not sure I agree with it,” Armstrong said.

Armstrong said he was hurt by the lack of a scouting report in a 1-0 loss to Wheaton College in the NCAA Division III quarterfinals last year.

“They had a long throw that beat us for a goal,” Armstrong said. “It totally surprised us. We had never seen one before all year.”

Since the eighth-ranked Tritons (16-4-1) are an independent, there are no rules against schools receiving information on them.

“I’m sure they have a good scouting report on us,” Armstrong said.

Stuck in the mud: The Point Loma Nazarene men’s cross-country team had another frustrating day in the cold and mud at the NAIA finals in Kenosha, Wis. PLNC, which has never placed in the top 10, finished a disappointing 13th. Robert Keter was the Crusaders’ top individual, placing 51st. Scott Lardner took 53rd.

PLNC Coach Jim Crakes did receive some consolation. He was named men’s cross country Area 1 coach of the year.

The PLNC women fared better than the men--finishing a surprising 10th. Vanessa Couch earned NAIA All-American honors by placing 13th. The Crusaders’ Melissa Mabe was named to the women’s cross-country academic All-American team. Mabe had a 3.65 grade point average in literature.

Two Crusader women’s volleyball players also received post-season honors. Outside hitter Robin Rabello, a sophomore from Point Loma High, was named to the All-District 3 team. Rabello tied her own school record with 37 kills in a season-ending loss to Fresno Pacific Saturday night. Senior setter Tracy Daniels was named to the second team.

Confidence wins points: University of San Diego sophomore Laura Richards began the fall season as the Toreras’ No. 3 singles player, but she may end it at No. 1.

Richards won the Tribune Classic this summer and last week won the ITCA Tournament at UC Irvine. Richards defeated teammate Julie McKeon in the Tribune and ITCA tournaments.

USD Coach Sherrie Stephens said Tuck Kacharoen began the fall at No. 1 and McKeon at No. 2. Kacharoen lost in the first round of the ITCA tournament to Pepperdine’s Kristen Smith.

“After what Laura’s done, she’s got a good chance to be playing No. 1,” she said.

Stephens said Richards’ game hasn’t changed much since last year, but her confidence level has.

“She finishes out matches now,” Stephens said. “She would get tight and not really close it out. She had plenty of opportunities to fold against Julie (in the ITCA), but she didn’t.”

Stephens said Richards’ new-found mental toughness has also helped her game.

“By her believing in herself, she’s looser and she’s hitting the ball deeper,” Stephens said. “That’s allowing her to come to the net.”

Strong doubles: A couple of San Diego State tennis players have also had a pretty fair fall season. The Aztecs’ doubles team of Nicole Storto and Sue Hawke reached the semifinals of the All-American tournament in Los Angeles and won the ITCA tournament.

Storto, a junior, and Dorey Brandt formed the ninth-ranked doubles team in the nation last year. Hawke, a senior, replaced Brandt, who has graduated.

Storto and Hawke, both 5-foot-11, did not drop a set in the ITCA tournament.

“They cover the net very well being so tall,” SDSU Coach Carol Plunkett said. “They have big serves and are very hard to pass.”