THE INSIDE TRACK : Newswire : Miscellany

Patrick Ceresa, regarded as Cal State Fullerton’s top basketball recruit, has been ruled a nonqualifier by the NCAA and is ineligible to play for the Titans in the coming season, athletic department compliance director June Kearney said.

Kearney said the school was told by the NCAA Clearinghouse that Ceresa was “deficient in core classes” in high school, failing to meet NCAA requirements. Ceresa, a 6-8, 240-pound forward from Vacallo, Switzerland (where he attended high school), must sit out one season and would have three years of Division I eligibility remaining, Kearney said.

Newport Harbor’s April Ross, The Times Orange County girls’ volleyball player of the year last season, has committed to USC. Ross, a 6-1 senior, played outside hitter last season when the Sailors won state and Southern Section titles. . . . Mater Dei’s Lindsay Pavlik has committed to Northwestern. Pavlik is a 6-0 middle blocker. . . . Lindsay Phillips, who helped Marina win 1997 state and section girls’ volleyball titles, has enrolled at Long Beach State and intends to redshirt this year, her father, Cameron, said. Phillips was named WCAC freshman of the year last season at Pepperdine.