College Sports Return This Weekend

The fall sports season starts this weekend for college soccer and volleyball teams.

The Cal State Fullerton men’s and women’s soccer teams will host the Reebok Invitational beginning Friday at Titan Stadium.

Men’s soccer competition begins Friday with defending NCAA champion Wisconsin meeting San Diego at 5 p.m., and Fullerton going against Western Kentucky at 7 p.m. The teams change opponents Sunday with Western Kentucky and San Diego playing at 5 p.m., followed by the Fullerton-Wisconsin match at 7. Wisconsin is ranked 18th in the Soccer America’s preseason poll. The Titans are unranked.

Women’s competition begins Saturday with Loyola Marymount playing San Diego State at 5 p.m., followed by Fullerton against Fresno State at 7. On Monday, Fullerton meets Loyola Marymount at 6 p.m., after the San Diego State-Fresno State match at 4.

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The UC Irvine women’s volleyball team, which finished 7-19, 4-14 in the Big West Conference last season, begins its season hosting the Anteater Challenge Friday and Saturday in Crawford Hall.

On Friday, Cal State Fullerton meets Nevada Las Vegas at 4:30 p.m., followed at 7 with the Irvine-Santa Clara matchup. Saturday, Fullerton plays Santa Clara at 4:30 p.m. and Irvine meets UNLV at 7.

The Anteater men’s soccer team opens the season with a six-game homestand beginning with a game at 7 p.m. Saturday against Southern California College in Anteater Stadium.

The Irvine women’s soccer team opens its season at 3 p.m. Saturday against Oregon State in the Portland State Nike Invitational. The Anteaters will meet Portland State Sunday at 11 a.m.

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At Long Beach State, the women’s volleyball team has the stage to itself this weekend.

Long Beach plays host to Wyoming and Rhode Island in nonconference matches at the Pyramid Friday and Saturday night, respectively, at 7:30. Long Beach Coach Brian Gimmillaro eagerly anticipates the season’s start.

“Our players are older now and we’ve also made some good additions,� said Gimmillaro, whose team finished 22-10 last season. “I think we can be a very good team.�

And he’s not alone. In their preseason poll, 10 of 12 Big West Conference coaches chose the 49ers as the conference’s top team.

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The Concordia women’s volleyball team will host its annual Labor Day tournament Friday and Saturday, featuring Southern California College, Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State Los Angeles. Pool play starts at 9 a.m. Friday at Concordia and University High School. The title match is at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Concordia.

The SCC women’s soccer team opens its season by hosting UC San Diego at 7 p.m. Saturday.