WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

A poll of West Coast Conference coaches picked the University of San Diego to finish fourth in the eight-team league.

The Toreros received 37 points in the voting. Defending champion Pepperdine was pegged as the team to beat with 61 points (including five first-place votes). Next came 1991 runner-up Santa Clara (56), followed by: Loyola Marymount (45), USD, Gonzaga (34), Portland (28), St. Mary’s (15) and San Francisco (12).

The Toreros are coming off their best Division I season, having gone 18-14 (7-7 in the WCC). Among the nine players returning from last year’s varsity are junior middle blocker Nikki Wallace and sophomore outside hitter Jennifer Lofftus. Wallace, an all-conference pick last year, was the conference’s freshman of the year in 1990, an honor that Lofftus earned in 1991.

The Toreros begin the 1992 season at 1 p.m. Wednesday, when they play San Diego State in the opener of the County Championships at Rancho Bernardo High.

BASEBALL

Point Loma Nazarene College announced that 13 junior college transfers and freshmen will be joining its program Monday when the semester begins.

Local recruits include: infielder Guillermo Aviles (San Diego City College), pitcher Robert DePerro (Mesa College), pitcher Gary Fishell (MiraCosta College), infielder Terry Magnett (San Diego City College), pitcher Lance Stroyers (Southwestern College) and outfielder-pitcher Jim Escamilla (San Diego City College).