Loyola’s Sanchez Has a Net Gain

Jamie Sanchez has been at Loyola Marymount long enough to last through four university presidents, play football at the school and serve in such roles as assistant soccer coach, head athletic trainer and assistant athletic director.

But tennis has always come first.

On Monday, Sanchez was a popular person on campus after one of the greatest achievements of his coaching career.

The Lions broke Pepperdine’s 14-year reign as West Coast Conference champion Sunday by beating the Waves, 4-2, to earn the school’s first trip to the NCAA women’s tournament.

“I’ve had to answer phone calls and e-mails all day,” Sanchez said from his office. “Everyone has been congratulating us. It’s been wonderful.”

It was an improbable victory. Pepperdine had defeated Loyola, 6-1, in a dual match in Malibu five days earlier. The Waves put themselves in position to win Sunday by taking two of three doubles matches to claim the doubles point. To win the title, Loyola would have to win at least four of the six singles matches.

With the match tied, 2-2, Edit Pakay and Andrea Lord, Loyola’s top two singles players, lost their opening sets. Pakay rallied to defeat Charlotte Vernaz, 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2), and Lord defeated Veronica Koksova, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, to clinch the match.

“They made use of every ounce of ability they have,” Sanchez said. “That [loss] was probably the best thing for us.”

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When UC Irvine announced it would field a women’s golf team in March 2000, Cal State Sacramento assistant coach Kelly Crawford jumped at the chance to run the program.

Crawford was raised in the Bay Area but was born in Newport Beach and was intrigued at the opportunity of coaching in Southern California.

“We’re extremely fortunate that Orange County has so many courses that are of great quality,” Crawford said.

“To be able to have 10 to 12 golf courses to play on and see all different kinds of holes and conditions really helps out our golfers.”

The Anteaters won the Big West championship by seven strokes over Cal State Northridge on Tuesday at Serrano Country Club outside Sacramento. They have finished in the top five in seven of nine tournaments.

Walailak Satarak and Stella Lee, two of five freshmen on the team, lead the Anteaters with stroke averages of 73.92 and 75.75, respectively. Satarak has three victories this year, including the BYU Dixie Classic earlier this month. Lee won the Big West individual title Tuesday for her second victory.

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Stacey Nuveman moved within one home run of the NCAA career mark with her two-run shot Friday in No. 2 UCLA’s 7-0 softball victory over visiting Oregon State. It was Nuveman’s 14th of the season and 84th of her career, right behind record-holders Leah Braatz and Laura Espinoza of Arizona.

The senior can tie the mark today at home against No. 9 Washington.

Seventh-ranked Cal State Fullerton (41-11, 13-2) saw its nation-leading 32-game win streak end in a 3-2 loss Saturday at No. 18 Pacific. The Titans also lost, 1-0, in eight innings on Sunday, dropping two of three in the series to fall out of first place, 11/2 games behind Pacific.

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USC won the U.S. Intercollegiate men’s golf tournament at Stanford on Sunday, defeating second-place Stanford by 10 strokes. Trojan senior Kevin Stadler finished second overall with a three-under-par 54-hole score of 210, five shots behind Stanford’s Philip Rowe. Irvine won the Big West men’s title at Serrano Country Club on Tuesday by 13 strokes over Pacific. Irvine’s Ryan Armstrong won the individual title by defeating teammate Jeff Coburn and Pacific’s Matt Hansen in a three-way playoff.... UCLA’s Jamie Dantzscher, who won the NCAA all-around, vault and floor titles last week, is one of four finalists for the Honda Award in gymnastics.... Fullerton junior guard Ryan Dillon will transfer to Azusa Pacific and will be eligible to play basketball in the 2002-03 season.

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This Week’s Events

Baseball

Cal State Northridge at Cal State Fullerton, Friday, 7 p.m.; Saturday, 1 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. Matchup of two top 25 teams battling for first place in the Big West Conference.

UC Irvine at Long Beach State, Friday, 6 p.m.; Saturday, 6 p.m., Sunday, 1 p.m. Can surprising Irvine stay in contention?

Men’s and Women’s Tennis

Big West team championships at Ojai Valley Racquet Club; men’s team final, Saturday, 10 a.m.; women’s team final, Sunday, 10 a.m. Winners advance to NCAA tournament.

Pacific 10 singles and doubles championships at Libbey Park, Ojai; women’s singles semifinals Saturday, 9:30 and 11 a.m., and final on Sunday, 9:30 a.m.; men’s singles semifinals Saturday, 9:30 and 11 a.m., and final on Sunday, 11 a.m. USC’s Ryan Moore is defending men’s champion, Stanford’s K.J. Hippensteel and UCLA’s Tobias Clemens are contenders. UCLA’s Megan Bradley and Sara Walker, USC’s Jewel Peterson and Stanford’s Lauren Kalvaria ranked among top 10 nationally.

Softball

No. 2 UCLA at No. 3 Stanford, Saturday, 7 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m. Bruins need to win to stay atop Pac-10 standings.

Women’s Water Polo

MPSF tournament at USC, first round on Friday: Hawaii vs. UC Santa Barbara, 8 a.m.; San Diego State vs. UC Irvine, 9:15 a.m.; San Jose State vs. Pacific, 10:30 a.m.; Long Beach State vs. Cal State Northridge, 11:45 a.m.; Stanford vs. Hawaii-UCSB winner, 1 p.m.; USC vs. San Diego-Irvine winner, 2:15 p.m.; UCLA vs. San Jose State-Pacific winner, 3:30 p.m.; Long Beach-Northridge winner vs. Cal, 4:45 p.m. Semifinals on Saturday, 3 and 4:15 p.m.; final on Sunday, 4:15 p.m.