Pepperdine Gets Another Shot at UCLA

Pepperdine and UCLA square off tonight in the championship match of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation men’s volleyball tournament at UCLA.

Top-ranked UCLA (26-3) and No. 2 Pepperdine (21-4) have played two marathon matches, one in January lasting three hours 15 minutes, the rematch two weeks ago going 2:45.

UCLA won both, needing five games to win the first match, four games to win the second.

At stake is the likely No. 1 seeding in the four-team NCAA tournament, which begins next Thursday in Honolulu.

The winner clinches an NCAA berth as a conference tournament champion, while the loser almost certainly gets the lone at-large bid, but the Waves aren’t looking that far ahead.

“I’m not worried about all those politics,” Pepperdine outside hitter George Roumain said. “I’m just worried about this team right now.”

Keys for tonight: UCLA’s serving, Pepperdine’s blocking and Pepperdine outside hitter Peter Kodascy, a junior who has struggled recently with a .000 hitting percentage in his last four matches (33 kills, 33 hitting errors).

SOCCER

Senior forward Michelle French of Chaminade High, an All-Mission League selection in four seasons, is one of three players who have signed letters of intent with Cal State Northridge.

Carrie Anderson, a midfielder at Rancho Cucamonga High, and Jenny Willemse, a goalkeeper at Los Alamitos High, also signed with the Matadors.

SWIMMING

Aaron Syvertson, a breaststroke specialist from Indio High, signed a letter of intent with Cal State Northridge.

Backstroker Nicki Greco of Suffern High in New York, freestyle specialist Alicia Lowry of Manteca Sierra High, and breaststroker Melanie Venter of Mission San Jose High in Fremont also signed with the Matadors.