Waves, Bruins Wind Up to Deliver a 1-2 Punch

In all probability, UCLA and Pepperdine will be battling for the nation’s top ranking when they meet Friday night at 7 in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation volleyball match at the John Wooden Center.

But Bruin Coach Al Scates and Wave Coach Marv Dunphy have already been waging their own battle over who should be favored.

“The Bruins have an experienced team this season,� Dunphy said. “Everyone’s picked them No. 1. I certainly would.�

Said Scates: “Pepperdine should be the No. 1 team. They have five starters back. They’re the national champs. And it’s a lot easier to repeat than to get there.�

Said Dunphy: “No way. Having lost a key player and making changes at the middle block position, no one could say that.

“Whatever your situation is, you have to make the best of it. And to put it to your advantage.�

In two matches last year, each team won on its home court.

UCLA (4-0, 1-0 in the MPSF) comes into the match ranked No. 1. Second-ranked Pepperdine is 5-0 and 3-0.

Gold medalist Kevin Young, who broke Edwin Moses’ nine-year-old world record in the 400-meter hurdles in the Barcelona Olympics with a time of 46.78 seconds, will compete in the Millrose Games in New York on Friday.

The former UCLA standout will compete in the 400-meter run against a field that includes Butch Reynolds, Chip Jenkins and Antonio McKay. Millrose and the Feb. 20 Sunkist Invitational at the Sports Arena, where he will be in the 500-yard run, will be the only indoor events this season for Young.

But the winner of the 1992 athlete-of-the-year award from Track & Field News and the U.S. Olympic Committee realizes that the stride extending from his 37-inch inseam has its limitations on the sharp-banked turns of the small indoor tracks.

“I’m really an outdoor runner,� said the 6-foot-4 Young, who ran a personal-best 45.11 in the 400 in April. “But I’m just out there like a kid, running because I love it. Win or lose, it’s for the fun of the race, fun of competition.�

And at the Millrose Games?

“It’s going to be fun,� Young said. “I’m just planning to run to the best of my ability and basically beat them good.�

In his senior year at Jordan High, Young finished third in the 110-meter hurdles in 14.33 at the State meet. He decided to walk-on at UCLA.

“It got to me a little, knowing there were guys on the team getting scholarships who didn’t have my work ethic,� Young said. “I had to prove myself.�

Young went on to become the NCAA champion in the 400-meter hurdles in 1987 and 1988.

The UCLA baseball team will begin its season Saturday at Jackie Robinson Stadium with the annual four-inning old-timers alumni game at 1 p.m. At 3 p.m., a team of former Bruins who are playing professionally will play UCLA in a five-inning game.

Former Bruins who are expected to compete include 1992 National League rookie of the year Eric Karros of the Dodgers, Tourey Lovullo of the Angels, Todd Zeile of the St. Louis Cardinals, Shane Mack of the Minnesota Twins, Tim Leary of the Seattle Mariners, Matt Young of the Boston Red Sox, Mike Magnante of the Kansas City Royals and Dave Zancanaro of the Oakland A’s.

The Bruins return two preseason Collegiate Baseball All-Americans in junior first baseman Ryan McGuire and junior relief pitcher Gabe Sollecito. McGuire, whom Coach Gary Adams describes as “a Will Clark-style guy who hits for power and never strikes out,� batted .316 with 14 home runs and 61 runs batted in 1992. Sollecito, whom Adams considers a “good side-arm fastball� pitcher, led the Pacific 10 Conference Southern Division with 12 saves in 24 appearances.

The Bruins were 14th in the preseason Collegiate Baseball poll.

The UCLA and Pepperdine women’s basketball teams have been winning and losing in extended runs.

The Bruins have lost four consecutive games after winning seven in a row, their longest win streak since the 1984-85 season.

The Waves opened with four consecutive wins, lost their next seven, then won five in a row before starting their current three-game losing streak.

Notes

The Pepperdine women’s basketball team (9-10, 3-3 in West Coast Conference play) will play at Santa Clara today. The Broncos (9-8, 3-2) are the two-time defending conference champions. On Saturday, the Waves play at San Diego (9-7, 3-2). Pepperdine is in a three-way tie for fourth place in the league standings and a game behind front-running Loyola Marymount. The Waves lead the league in scoring (77.0) and in field goal percentage (.471). Junior forward Nikki Brodowy leads the team averages of 12.9 points and 5.8 rebounds.

The UCLA women’s basketball team (8-8, 3-4 in Pacific 10 Conference) will play host to Washington (10-6, 5-2) on Friday at 7 p.m. and Washington State (6-10, 2-5) on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Pauley Pavilion. Junior forward Natalie Williams leads the conference averages of 22.3 points and 14.7 rebounds. She is also third in blocked shots (1.5) and steals (2.9). Her career rebounding average of 12.8 is the highest in UCLA history. Senior guard Nicole Anderson leads the conference in steals with a 3.8 average.

The No. 9 Pepperdine baseball team plays this weekend in the four-team Olive Garden Classic in Kissimmee, Fla. In a doubleheader Friday, the Waves play Auburn and No. 6 Georgia Tech. On Saturday, Pepperdine will play Central Florida. The championship and consolation games will be Sunday. In Pepperdine’s season opener, senior first baseman Mark Wasikowski hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning in a 4-2 win over Cal Poly Pomona. Sophomore left-hander Mauricio Estavil earned the win in 2 1/3 innings of relief in his first-ever collegiate appearance.

The UCLA women’s gymnastics team will play host to Cal State Fullerton at 7 p.m. Saturday in the John Wooden Center.

Four individuals from the UCLA men’s gymnastics team are entered in the 1993 Winter Cup this weekend at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. Bruin sophomore Mike Denucci, senior Chainey Umphrey, freshmen Steve McCain and Jim Foody will compete. Umphrey, a two-time All-American, has won all of the events he has entered in six dual meets. Denucci established personal bests in the floor exercise (9.5) and rings (9.2) at UC Santa Barbara last week.

UCLA senior Cammie Foley and freshman Keri Phebus of the women’s tennis team will compete at the Rolex Indoor Championships at Minneapolis, which begins today and continues through Sunday. Both are tied for ninth in singles in the latest national rankings. For the Pepperdine men’s team, senior All-American Howard Joffe is among the 32-player Rolex singles draw. The fifth-ranked doubles team of juniors Cary Lothringer and Ari Nathan are in the 16-team doubles field. Freshman Jake Bragonier and sophomores Lev Shvarts and Sergio Rico will compete at the San Diego Intercollegiate Championships this weekend. Tournament action begins today and continues through Sunday. The No. 4 men’s team will play host to Fresno State in a dual match on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m.

The Pepperdine women’s swimming and diving team will play host to a triangular meet with Loyola Marymount and San Diego at noon Saturday.