UCLA Plays UC San Diego in Opener

The UCLA men’s volleyball team, ranked second nationally, will open its season by playing host to UC San Diego at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the John Wooden Center.

Bruin Coach Al Scates has four starters returning from last year’s team, which finished 16-9 and won its second consecutive DeGroot Division title in the Western Intercollegiate Volleyball Assn.

Three of the starters--All-American junior setter Mike Sealy, All-WIVA sophomore hitter Tim Kelly and junior Dan Landry, who led UCLA in kills last year--have reclaimed their jobs. But the fourth, sophomore swing hitter David Swatik, has been bumped from the starting lineup by junior Mike Denver.

Scates’ career record at UCLA is 769-120. His Bruin teams have won 13 NCAA championships and two national titles under the auspices of the U.S. Volleyball Assn.

The No. 5 Pepperdine men’s volleyball team, 13-9 overall and third in the DeGroot Division last year, will open its season when it plays host to San Diego at 7 p.m. Friday at Firestone Fieldhouse.

The Waves will play an alumni team at 2 p.m. Saturday at Firestone and open conference play at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at UC Irvine.

Coach Marv Dunphy’s team has five juniors, four sophomores and five freshmen. The juniors are All-American outside hitter Tom Sorenson, outside hitter Lee LeGrande and middle blockers Greg Shankle, Ian Clark and Duane Cameron.

Dunphy’s career record at Pepperdine is 156-70, and the Waves have won three NCAA championships, one when he was on leave as coach of the 1988 gold-medalist U.S. Olympic team.

The UCLA women’s basketball team will open its Pacific 10 Conference schedule when it plays host to Oregon at 7 p.m. Friday and Oregon State at 2 p.m. Sunday.

In its last two games, the Bruins (7-3) won, 82-59, at San Diego State and, 78-70, at UC San Diego.

Against the Aztecs, DeDe Mosman tied her career high with 21 points, and Natalie Williams had 15 points and 11 rebounds. It was Williams’ first game since she completed the volleyball season.

Against San Diego, Williams had 25 points and 18 rebounds, and Mosman added 17 points.

Oregon is 7-2, and Oregon State is 5-5.

The Pepperdine women’s basketball team will play host to Sacramento State at 7 p.m. Monday.

Last week the Waves (7-5) lost a road game to Cal, 78-60. Shannon Frowiss had game highs of 18 points and seven rebounds, and teammate Barbara Tanner added 14 points.

Frowiss leads the Waves with averages of 13.3 points and 6.3 rebounds and is shooting a team-high 56.5% from the field.