Pepperdine Has Good Shot to Qualify for Tournament

The 1997 season has been good to the Pepperdine women’s volleyball team.

After setting a school record by starting 13-0, the Waves have compiled their best mark (22-3) since 1976.

In the near future for the 13th-ranked Waves (11-2 in the West Coast Conference) is a likely NCAA tournament berth. The Waves have four victories against ranked teams and play three more ranked opponents to cap the season.

“I think we’ve already clinched it,” Pepperdine Coach Nina Matthies said of an NCAA tournament berth. “We’ve been Top 20 all year, and our [ratings power index] is very high. I think it’s looking good for Pepperdine.”

The Waves have three challenging matches left that could slide them up or down the seeding spots for the NCAA tournament, which begins Dec. 4 or Dec. 5 at sites to be determined.

The Waves play at 19th-ranked Loyola Marymount in a WCC finale Saturday. The winner finishes second, the loser third.

Next weekend, the Waves are at the Pacific tournament and will play 18th-ranked Pacific in the opener and either No. 4 Florida or No. 25 UCLA in the second match.

“The caliber of volleyball is awesome,” Matthies said. “It’ll get us fine-tuned so we’ll be ready for [the NCAAs].

“We’re just trying to finish what we started.”

FOOTBALL

Hackett third: Flanker Leaford Hackett of Valley has moved into a tie for third among school career reception leaders. Hackett has 92 catches, tying him with Eric Ruhle (1995-96).

Randall Lane of Valley ranks eighth among career leaders with 74 catches. Lane has 63 catches this season, tying him with Mark Pappas of Harbor for the Western State Conference lead.

Record rusher: Moorpark running back Carl Richardson set two school records Saturday in a 63-32 Western State Conference Southern Division victory at Harbor. Richardson’s six touchdowns and 36 points broke school records set by Freddie Bradley in 1990. Bradley scored five touchdowns and had 32 points against Santa Barbara.

SOCCER

The defense rests: After 150 minutes of play ended in a scoreless tie, it was appropriate that the fate of the Cal Lutheran men’s soccer team rested with its last lines of defense.

Goalkeeper Guillermo Alvarado and sweeper Luis Alcaraz each played critical roles in a penalty-kick shootout that followed 90 minutes of regulation, two 15-minute overtime periods and two 15-minute sudden-death overtimes in the NCAA Division III West regional championship match against Macalester on Sunday at Cal Lutheran.

Alcaraz, a junior, was the last of Cal Lutheran’s five shooters in the first round of penalty kicks. His 12-yard shot with the match tied, 2-2, went through the block attempt of the goalkeeper and into the lower left corner of the net for the win.

Alcaraz ended up atop the shoulders of his teammates during the celebration.

“I’ve never experienced anything like that,” Alcaraz said. “I was up there, I looked down, and I went, ‘Whoa.’ ” It’s an incredible feeling.”

It was one shared by Alvarado, who blocked a pair of penalty kicks during the shootout.

“Even though it’s an individual thing in that situation, the way the rest of the team played all game is what got us to that point.”

Alvarado, a 22-year-old senior, only wished his wife and 2 1/2-year-old daughter had seen him and the Kingsmen play as they advanced to the quarterfinals of the Division III national tournament.

“They’re not here, but I wish they were, to see this,” he said. “It’s been difficult, being a husband, father, a student, and trying to be here, with the guys and playing soccer..”

Streak over: The scoreless tie with Macalester ended a 52-match streak by the Kingsmen, who had not gone without a goal in a game since losing to Westmont, 3-0, on Sept. 19, 1995.

BASKETBALL

Gauchos open: The UC Santa Barbara women’s basketball team, favored to win the Big West Conference, begins its season tonight at Arizona State.

Former Simi Valley High forward Tawnee Cooper appears healthy after missing 11 games to injuries last season as a freshman. She averaged team-highs of 17.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in exhibition victories over Slovakia and Australia.

Nicole Greathouse of Buena High, The Times’ 1996-97 Ventura County Player of the Year, is expected to start at center for the Gauchos.

BASEBALL

Run for the money: College of the Canyons’ baseball players are soliciting sponsorships for an upcoming jog-a-thon.

Among the options and comments on the sponsor form:

$20 per lap: “Here’s enough to pay for your first chiropractic treatment.”

$10 per lap: “I’ve seen better looking legs at Colonel Sanders.”

$5 per lap: “Even the U.S. mail is faster than you.”