ROUNDUP : Errors Plague CSUN in Volleyball Setback

Cal State Northridge got off to a rough start in what could be the Matadors’ most important weekend of the season at the University of New Mexico women’s volleyball tournament Friday.

Playing the Lobos before 1,092 at the Johnson Center, Northridge was swept, 15-12, 15-11, 15-10.

The loss snapped a five-match winning streak for the Matadors (15-7) and gives them a 2-5 record against teams that are ranked among the top 25 in the nation.

The Matadors’ record against nationally ranked teams will figure prominently in whether CSUN is invited to play in the 32-team NCAA tournament in November.

Sophomore outside hitter Ana Kristich had 10 kills for Northridge and senior outside hitter Dawn Krenik added nine, but the Matadors had a .098 hitting percentage.

“They’re very athletic and we just didn’t match up very well against them,” Northridge Coach Walt Ker said. “When it came to executing in attacking and playing defense, we just didn’t do a real good job.”

In contrast to Northridge, 13th-ranked New Mexico (9-6) hit very well (.312), led by Tania Gooley and Robyn Wentworth, who had 14 kills each.

Occidental d. Cal Lutheran, 15-13, 16-14, 15-11--Jennifer Kunz and Leslie Heitler finished with 13 kills each to lead the Tigers (11-3, 5-1) in a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference sweep of visiting Cal Lutheran (8-15, 2-4).

WOMEN’S CROSS-COUNTRY

Mt. San Antonio College invitational--Glendale sophomore America Rivas placed ninth to lead the Vaqueros to a ninth-place team finish.

Rivas ran the three-mile course in 18 minutes 58 seconds as Glendale totaled 228 points.

Mt. SAC, the defending state champion, won the team title with 55 points. Mesa (Ariz.) was second with 66 and Pima (Ariz.) had 102.

WATER POLO

Harvard 8, Dana Hills 4--Tommy Rauth scored three goals as Harvard advanced to the semifinals of the North Orange County tournament at El Dorado High.

Harvard (19-1) will play El Toro today at 3 p.m. at Independence Park in Fullerton.

Royal 30, Simi Valley 0--Even with the second team playing the second half, Royal had no trouble in earning its 51st consecutive Marmonte League victory.

The Highlanders (16-1, 3-0) were lead by Morten Wang, who scored eight goals. Jack Kocur added six and Myles Bozinovski had four.

Royal goalkeeper Ralph Radka made eight saves in earning his first shutout.

Thousand Oaks 14, Westlake 7--Mike Melzer had three goals and four assists for the Lancers (5-7, 2-2) in a Marmonte League match at Newbury Park High. Mark McKenna and Blake Davis also had three goals.

Ryan Robison had three goals for Westlake.

COLLEGE SOCCER

Nevada Las Vegas 3, Cal State Northridge 2: Ben Erickson scored on a header in the second overtime to lift the Rebels over the Matadors in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Pacific Division match in Las Vegas.

CSUN’s Danny Daniels scored the first two goals of the match in the second half. But the Rebels clawed back with unassisted goals from Thies Carstens--the second coming with nine seconds left in regulation--to force the overtime.