Andrews Finally Moves His Water Polo Career Out of Dry-Dock

What’s that they say about those who sit and wait? Well, Jeff Andrews didn’t feel as though he had served at all.

His teammates had just beaten top-ranked Cal and Andrews, then a sophomore who had practiced with the UC Irvine water polo team for three years and been on the roster for two, was no longer content to watch.

He felt like nothing more than a spectator with a really good seat.

“You know, a coach would say that you were a part of the team and had helped by making your teammates better in practice, but I didn’t feel like I had contributed anything,” Andrews said. “It had been an extremely frustrating year, anyway, but that was really the all-time low point for me.”

But Andrews, now a senior and a key starter for the fifth-ranked Anteaters, never really considered quitting. He understood the pecking order when he came to Irvine from Riverside North High and knew that precious few freshmen and sophomores play for Coach Ted Newland.

“I redshirted my first year and didn’t really expect to play as a freshman,” he said. “I really wasn’t ready to play. My skills hadn’t developed to allow me to compete at this top level and I certainly wasn’t ready mentally.

“When I first came here, I was totally intimidated by the older players. Twice a day, you’re reminded of how much better they are.”

After two-plus years of splashing through two practices a day with the big boys, he lost that sense of awe. And he began to feel as though it was time to get his game-day Speedos wet.

So he stewed a little, bemoaned his plight and began to realize that the best revenge would be to get better physically and tougher mentally and force his way into some playing time.

Turned out to be a sound bit of strategy.

As a junior, Andrews scored 21 points as a part-time starter and this season, he’s the team’s fourth-leading scorer with 15 points, including one two-point goal.

“Everything I’ve gone through here has allowed me to really enjoy playing the game this season,” he said. “I don’t think we’ve played up to our potential yet, but, personally, this has been a very enjoyable season.

“And I’m sure it’s going to get better. We’ve really started to pull it together lately.”

Irvine, which has had nine days off, returns to action at 7 tonight at Belmont Plaza against Long Beach State. The Anteaters beat the 49ers, 20-6, Oct. 12 at the Norcal Tournament.

Irvine hosts USC, the country’s No. 1-ranked team, at noon Saturday at Heritage Park.

Andrews would like to make his final days in the pool--he has applied to a number of dental schools and says his playing days will end when the Anteaters’ season ends--a sprint to an NCAA championship. But the frustrations of his early years at Irvine have taught him perspective.

“I’m sure I’ve gotten more out of the college experience than most students who just go to class and then the library,” he said. “I mean there’s nothing wrong with that, but being with this great group of guys and acquiring the self discipline this sport requires has been a great experience.

“The only drawback is you’re tired all the time.”

Which beats the heck out of resting up on game days.

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The right wins: Andrews says the Anteaters have been a “bunch of underachievers” this year. But you can’t fault their sense of timing, which may be their salvation and provide the opportunity to shake any such label.

Irvine beat third-ranked California, 9-5, at Berkeley a week ago to improve to 4-0 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. Then the Anteaters lost to the Golden Bears, 8-7, in the Norcal tournament two days later.

But the first match was considerably more significant, in terms of postseason play if not national rankings.

The MPSF tournament will be seeded by the final conference standings. The tournament winner and one other MPSF team will qualify for the four-team NCAA tournament.

The top seven teams in the country are in the nine-member MPSF, which means a number of very good teams will be left out of the NCAAs and one of the two participating MPSF teams will almost surely win the national title.

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Go deep: Junior Carrie Quinn, a transfer from the University of Memphis who graduated from Huntington Beach High, was Irvine’s top finisher at pre-NCAA Meet Saturday in Tucson.

Quinn, who was 102nd overall in 19 minutes 50 seconds over the 5,100-meter course, is the fourth runner to lead the Anteaters in six meets this season.

Holiday Molway led Irvine at meets at UC Santa Barbara and UCI, Jamie Blair was the first Anteater across the line at the Stanford Invitational and Christy Beckman had the best time for Irvine Oct. 12 at UC San Diego.

Both the men’s and women’s team compete Saturday in the Cal Poly Pomona Invitational.

Anteater Notes

Freshman Jamie Hill, who led the Anteaters with 16 kills during their Big West victory over Boise State, was named the conference’s co-player of the week. University of the Pacific’s Tracy Chambers shared the honor with Hill, who averaged 4.6 kills and 1.4 blocks per game in three matches last week. Irvine has won three of the last four matches to improve to 4-17 overall and 1-7 in the Big West. . . .Senior Steve Tallakson won five singles matches over the weekend and defeated University of San Diego’s Ola Linblom, 6-2, 6-1 to win the San Diego All-College Tournament. . . .The Irvine men’s team is ranked No. 36 in the nation in the Intercollegiate Tennis Assn. preseason poll. Tallakson and Cameran Lindee are the 26th-ranked doubles team. . . .Sophomore forward Shandley Phillips, a transfer from Cal State Sacramento, has played in eight games for Irvine and knocked in three goals in the last three games. He also has an assist. . . .The men’s soccer team (6-5-2 overall and 2-2-1 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) is 2-2-1 in its last five games, all of which--except the tie, of course--have been decided by one goal. Three of the games went to overtime.

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Coming Attractions

Here’s a look at key events this week for UC Irvine:

* Women’s soccer against Cal State Fullerton Sunday. The Anteaters (9-6-1 overall, 4-1 in the Big West) meet Pepperdine in a nonconference game at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Malibu and then face the Titans (11-3, 3-0) for the conference lead at 1 p.m. in Anteater Stadium.

* Women’s volleyball hosts North Texas and New Mexico State. Irvine, which won its first Big West match of the season Friday at Boise State, takes on the Eagles Friday night and the Roadrunners Saturday. Both conference games are scheduled for 7 p.m. in Crawford Hall.

* Men’s and women’s swim teams at USC Invitational. The Anteater men, who were 2-12 in dual meets last season, and women (6-12 in ‘95) open their season at USC’s McDonald’s Swim Stadium in the meet, which features a number of the country’s top college and club teams. Events begin at 1 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday.