FIVE TO WATCH IN 1995 : Sure, they were impressive in 1994. They worked hard, they played hard, they coached their way to success. But just wait until this year, when these people show what they can do. : LIAN KANG LU : Restoring a Winning Tradition

After guiding the Cal State Northridge women’s volleyball team to a 23-8 record and the National Invitational Volleyball Championship title during his first year, what’s next for Coach Lian Kang Lu?

How about turning the Matadors into a consistent top-20 program?

That won’t be easy, considering that powerhouses UCLA, USC, Cal State Long Beach and UC Santa Barbara all recruit heavily in Southern California. Yet the perpetually upbeat Lu appears up to the task after reviving a Northridge program that fell on hard times in 1993.

Lu, 60, took over at Northridge last January after 10 years as an assistant at Santa Barbara.

Although the native of China was regarded as one of the world’s top technical coaches, questions remained about how successful he’d be as a college head coach.

In addition, he inherited a team that went 12-17 after longtime head coach Walt Ker resigned.

John Price, who guided the Matador men’s team to a runner-up finish in the 1993 NCAA playoffs, took over the women’s program on a one-year interim basis, but Northridge never played to its potential under him.

Enter Lu, who took over a team that had four returning starters and senior setter Kathleen Shannon, who transferred from Illinois to be with fiance J.J. O’Laughlin, the starting quarterback on the Matador football team.

Although it took time for the Matadors to adjust to Lu’s emphasis on defense--they were 7-6 after a five-game loss to San Diego on Sept. 23--Northridge won 16 of its final 18 matches, including 11 in a row to end the season.

With only one starter returning next season, Northridge might take its lumps. Yet the Matadors’ future appears bright under Lu, whose international connections could help lure some high-quality foreign players to the program.