LOCAL NOTES

BASKETBALL

Lloyd Walls, a 6-8 center at Esperanza High, signed to play basketball at Loyola Marymount, according to Aztec Coach John Cyrus. Walls, a senior, blossomed during summer league play and is expected to be among the top big men in the county this season.

VOLLEYBALL

The UC Irvine men’s volleyball team picked up two recruits this week.

Kyle Martin, a 6-foot-5 outside hitter from El Toro High, has signed with the Anteaters, according to Bill Martin, his father. Martin was named to the All-Southern Section Division I third team last season.

B.J. Fell, a 6-3 outside hitter from Irvine High, said he has signed. He was honorable mention All-Sea View League last season.

* Three members of the Balboa Bay Volleyball Club have made their college selections, Coach Charlie Brande said.

San Clemente High School outside hitter Greg Garrett and Capistrano Valley middle blocker Paul Johnson have committed to UCLA and Corona del Mar setter Kevin Hansen will play for Stanford.

Brande also said senior outside hitter Julianna Bayley of Irvine High has committed to Regis University in Denver.

WATER POLO

Brian Heifferon, a senior from Stanford, was named the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation player of the year in water polo.

Heifferon, who played at Servite High, helped the Cardinal reach the conference tournament championship game, where it lost to UCLA. He was MVP of the 1998 tournament, won by Stanford.

UCLA placed four players on the all-conference team, including former Foothill standout Brian Brown, who was selected to the third team.

California’s Jerry Smith (Servite), USC’s Allen Basso (El Toro) and Stanford’s Nick Ellis (Foothill) were named to the first team. UC Santa Barbara’s Joey Pacelli (Villa Park) was named to the third team.

UC Irvine’s Jeff Powers and Genai Kerr were named honorable mention all-conference.

* Goalkeeper Leanna Hahn, a senior at Mission Viejo High, has signed to play women’s water polo at Hawaii, according to her mother, Gwen Marden.