UCI women sweep Liberty

Senior outside hitter Kelly Wing, a returning third-team

All-American, had a team-high 16 kills and Whitney Pavlik, a junior

transfer from Montana, added 10 to help the Anteaters earn a 30-23,

30-26, 30-21 nonconference women’s volleyball win over visiting

Liberty Thursday at Crawford Court.

Junior libero Keegan Featherstone had a match-high 13 digs for the

Anteaters while senior setter Ashlie Hain just missed her first

double-double of the season, dealing out 43 assists and recording

nine digs.

The Anteaters (1-0) hit .347 and middle blocker Amanda Vazquez had

seven total blocks for the winners, who earned a 9-7 advantage over

the Flames in total blocks.

Jenny Belk had 16 kills and 10 digs for Liberty, which received 33

assists from Kristin Colson.

The Anteaters return to action tonight. They play host to

Northeastern in the second match of the UC Irvine/Nike tournament.

George Washington and William & Mary open the tournament at 5 p.m.

Rally dooms Vanguard

* SOCCER: Senior Thomas Pertuit scored four goals, three in the

second half, to lead Montana State University-Billings to a

come-from-behind 4-3 nonconference men’s soccer victory over Vanguard

in the Westminster tournament in Salt Lake City Thursday.

Freshman Jeffery Cocca put Vanguard up, 3-2, with a goal in the

72nd minute, but Pertuit tied the game two minutes later on a free

kick and sent in the game-winner in the 83rd minute.

Armando Ortiz and David McAulay each tallied single goals for

Vanguard (1-1), which outshot the Yellowjackets, 22-7.

Mariano Salcedo, Matt Hess and Jarrett Borrego all added assists

for the Lions, who conclude the tournament against Newman University

of Kansas today.

UCI runners No. 4

* CROSS COUNTRY: The UC Irvine men’s and women’s cross country

teams both occupy the No. 4 ranking in their respective Big West

Conference preseason coaches polls.

The Anteater men totaled 46 points in the poll, ranking behind Cal

Poly San Luis Obispo (81), UC Santa Barbara (67) and Utah State (64).

UC Riverside and Idaho tied for the No. 5 spot with 38 points.

The UCI women received 72 points in the poll, which lists UC Santa

Barbara (99), Idaho (83) and Cal Poly (77) in the top three spots.

UCI opens its season Sept. 11, hosting the UCI/JL Design

Enterprises invitational at Huntington Beach Central Park.

VU track additions

* TRACK AND FIELD: Vanguard University had added four track and

field athletes, Lions men’s and women’s coach Bryan Wilkins has

announced.

Erik Van Aken and Stewart Ramsey have joined the men’s program,

while Whitney Hanenburg and Claire Burch will compete for the women.

Van Aken, a Cuesta College transfer, competed at Ocean View High.

The sprinter specializes in the 400 meters, but also runs the 100,

200 and relays. His best time in the 400 is 49.5 seconds.

Ramsey is a pole vaulter from Mount Spokane High in Washington.

His top clearance is 13 feet, 6 inches.

Hanenburg, who will also play basketball for the Lions, comes from

Valley Christian High in Chandler, Ariz. She will compete in the pole

vault, in which her career best is 10-4.

Balch runs the 100 and 200 and could possibly earn a spot on the

Vanguard relay teams. A 2003 graduate of Scotts Valley High, she will

make her debut in collegiate competition next spring.

Anteaters add coach

* STAFFING: Mike Nagler, with 12 years of experience at the NCAA

Division I level, has been named head strength and conditioning coach

at UC Irvine.

Nagler comes to UCI after serving in a similar capacity at Cal

State Fullerton since January 2000. He served as assistant strength

coach at the University of Iowa (1998-2000), Baylor (1996-98),

Washington (1995-96), UNLV (1993-95) and Washington State (1992-93).

He earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise science from

Washington State in 1993 and his master’s degree in kinesiology from

UNLV in 1995.

Nagler will begin his new position at UC Irvine Sept. 13. A

renovated strength and conditioning center will open during the fall

to service the university’s 23 intercollegiate athletic teams.

Vanguard women blanked

* SOCCER: Danyell Cortopassi scored two goals to power the Cal

State Monterey Bay women’s soccer team to a 3-0 nonconference victory

over visiting Vanguard Wednesday.

Heather Tape led the Lions (1-1) with 13 shots on goal while

Vanguard goalkeeper Lauren Walker made eight saves in her first

collegiate game.

CdM seeking trainer

* HELP WANTED: Corona del Mar High is looking for an all-sports

trainer. Interested applicants should phone Girls Athletic Director

Dawn Payne at (949) 515-6048 or Boys Athletic Director Jerry Jelnick

(949) 515-6058. Applicants may also fax a roster to (949) 515-6073.

Tape is Lion of Week

* SOCCER: Heather Tape, a Vanguard University junior women’s

soccer player who opened the season with three goals in a victory

over Bethany College, has been named Lion of the Week, the school

announced.

Tape, a 5-foot-7 forward in her second season with the Lions, was

primarily a defender in 2003.

Tape’s hat trick keyed a 5-0 nonconference win Aug. 28.

Online signups offered

* YOUTH BASKETBALL: Students in grades 1-8 who attend ny school

within the Newport-Mesa Unified School District can now register for

the upcoming National Junior Basketball season online.

Interested players may sign up on the Newport-Mesa NJB web site:

www.njbl.org, for winter leagues that begin Nov. 1.