UCI’s Pelzel producing at World University Games

Jimmy Pelzel, a UC Irvine senior, slammed eight kills for the U.S.

men’s volleyball team in its five-game victory over Canada Friday in

its second match of the World University Games in Daegu, South Korea.

Team USA had to rally from a 2-1 deficit in games to win, 25-27,

25-22, 21-25, 25-28, 15-13, its second straight victory to begin play

in Group B, one of the even’s four brackets.

Pelzel, a first-team All-American for the Anteaters last season,

added one block and had two service aces.

The U.S. rallied from a 2-0 deficit to earn a 23-25, 24-26, 25-19,

25-20, 27-25 win over Ukraine in its first game of the tournament

Thursday. Pelzel tallied two kills, three blocks and two service

aces.

The U.S. leads its bracket with four points while Canada, Denmark

and the Netherlands each have three. Team USA is scheduled to face

Denmark today, the Netherlands Monday and South Korea Tuesday before

the playoffs begin Thursday.

Two other local athletes will compete in the games. UCI junior

Rick Merlo and the rest of the U.S. men’s water polo team will face

Greece today in the opening round. Merlo scored 15 goals for the Anteaters last fall.

Nicole Mackey, a Newport Harbor High graduate who will enter her

freshman year at the University of Hawaii, will compete in the

200-meter individual medley in the swimming competition, beginning

Sunday.

Parada aids victory

Adam Parada, a 7-foot center who will be a senior at UC Irvine

this fall, scored three points as Mexico defeated Uruguay, 80-68,

Friday in preliminary-round action of the Americas Olympic qualifying

tournament at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Parada made his only field-goal attempt and was 1 of 2 from the

free-throw line in 13 minutes of action. The second-team All-Big West

Conference honoree also grabbed three rebounds.

Mexico led, 39-37, after two quarters before outscoring Uruguay by

10 points in the final two periods.

Mexico, 2-0 in Group A play, faces Puerto Rico at 4:30 p.m. today

and will play Canada at 11:30 a.m. Sunday to complete the opening

round.

The 10 teams in the opening phase of the tournament are divided

into groups A and B, with round-robin play occurring in each. The

United States, which features a collection of NBA all-stars, is in

Group B.

The top four teams from each of the two groups will move on to the

second round beginning Monday.

VU alumni contests

Vanguard University will hold alumni contests in women’s

volleyball, men’s soccer and women’s soccer today.

The volleyball match is scheduled for noon at the Pit, with Coach

Erikka Gulbranson’s Lions taking on former Vanguard players, who,

along with their families, will be treated to a barbecue after the

match.

Men’s soccer coach Randy Dodge, a Vanguard alumnus, will compete

against his squad in the 7 p.m. clash against former Lions.

The men’s soccer game will follow the women’s alumni soccer game,

scheduled for 5 p.m on the renovated Vanguard soccer field.

Admission to all alumni contests is free and alumni are encouraged

to compete in their respective sports.