Waves Hoping to Roll to Conference Title

Now would be the time for Pepperdine.

The Waves, who haven’t won a women’s volleyball match at the University of San Diego since 1992, will try again tonight with the West Coast Conference title hanging in the balance.

The 11th-ranked Waves (20-2, 9-1 in WCC play) lost a tough five-game match last month to the 21st-ranked Toreros (20-3, 9-1) at Pepperdine.

“I think the last time we were too relaxed,” Pepperdine setter Becci Roehl said. “I think our attitude is going to be better.”

If the Waves win, they remain in the hunt for their first WCC championship since 1991.

“This whole season is the last hurrah for a lot of us,” said Roehl, one of six seniors.

FOOTBALL

Turnaround: Coming off a bye, Cal Lutheran should be rested and ready to try to extend its winning streak against Chapman (2-5) in a nonconference game at 7 p.m. today at Chapman.

A victory would go a long way toward making the memory of last year’s 49-7 loss to Chapman--one of the lowest low points in a 3-6 season--more distant. The Kingsmen committed six turnovers, including five fumbles.

“It was embarrassing,” Coach Scott Squires said. “It was probably one of the most embarrassing games I’ve ever been a part of. But we’re a much different football team than we were then.”

Out of the blocks: Cal Lutheran is not known for starting fast.

But the Kingsmen did against Occidental, scoring on the first play from scrimmage for only the second time in the program’s 35-year history when tight end Ernie Foli scored on a 64-yard pass play from Zack Hernandez. The other time occurred in 1970.