COLLEGES:

An NCAA Tournament berth has always eluded the UC Irvine men’s soccer team. In order to reach that goal this season, the Anteaters likely need to first qualify for the inaugural four-team Big West Conference Tournament next week.

The Anteaters (10-1-6, 3-1-4 in conference) went a long way toward accomplishing both goals with a come-from-behind, 3-1 win over then-No. 13-ranked UC Santa Barbara Saturday at home.

UCI, ranked No. 14 by College Soccer News, is ranked No. 1 in the Far West Region by the National Soccer Coaches Assn. of America, but still has some work to do to wrap up a berth in the conference tournament.

Coach George Kuntz’s squad is fourth in the seven-team conference with 13 points (three points for a win and one for a tie) with a pair of conference matches left.

UCI, which plays host to last-place UC Riverside (4-13-1, 1-7-0) Wednesday at 7 p.m., finishes the regular season Saturday at fifth-place Cal State Northridge (7-6-4, 3-2-3), which is one point behind UCI in the standings.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (17 points), UCSB (16) and UC Davis (15) occupy the top three spots in the conference.

 The UCI women’s volleyball team has quietly crept into Big West title contention by winning five of its last six conference matches.

Coach Charlie Brande’s Anteaters have won three straight, including a five-game triumph at Cal State Fullerton Thursday that avenged a four-game home loss to the Titans on Oct. 4.

Senior libero Devon Sutherland had 29 digs and junior setter Taryn Robertson added 18 against Fullerton as the ’Eaters amassed a season-high 91 digs as a team.

UCI (12-11, 7-3), which rallied to top Cal State Northridge in four games Saturday, is in third, trailing Long Beach State (7-2 in conference) and Cal Poly (8-3), heading into home matches against UC Davis (Friday) and Pacific (Saturday).

Pacific, which swept the Anteaters in Stockton Oct. 10, is 7-4 in conference.

UC Davis, coached by former Newport Harbor High football and volleyball player Steve Walker, upset Cal Poly in four games Saturday night.

The Aggies were swept at home by UCI Oct. 11.

 The UCI baseball program, per recent tradition, practiced in Halloween costumes Friday.

Some highlights: Senior catcher Sammy Donabedian as an Oompa-Loompa; junior outfielder Dillon Bell as a young Forrest Gump (convincing leg braces); and sophomore catcher Mike Pugliese as Lieutenant Dan from the movie “Forrest Gump.”

Junior catcher Francis Larson added to the eclectic backstops, donning an Aristotle costume.

You won’t find that one on the supermarket shelves.

Associate Head Coach Pat Shine wins the Courage Award for dressing as a ... woman. His get-up gave new meaning to the term “drag bunt.”

 Patience is proving key for a trio of UCI athletes from Serbia, and their coaches.

Men’s water polo player Mihailo Jevtovic, a 6-foot-2, 230-pound freshman center out of Belgrade, was recently cleared by the NCAA Clearinghouse, though not before about two-thirds of the season had been completed. Thus, Coach Marc Hunt has elected to redshirt Jevtovic, who will retain four years of eligibility.

Women’s basketball is hoping for more prompt action from the NCAA, which is reviewing the eligibility of 6-2 junior posts Jovana Petrovic and Miljana Cejic, both Serbian imports who played at American community colleges last season.

Coach Molly Goodenbour was unclear after Saturday’s exhibition loss to Cal Poly Pomona when her two imports would become available.

 Newport Harbor High product Erin Hardy was honored Sunday as one of seven seniors on the UCLA women’s soccer team. Hardy, a standout defender who earned second-team All-Pac 10 honors as a junior, has helped the Bruins come within one win of their sixth straight conference title with two regular-season matches left.

The Bruins are 65-8-6, 31-1-2 in conference the last four seasons, all of which have resulted in NCAA College Cup (final four) appearances.

 UCI senior Laura Olvera finished second at the Big West Conference cross country championships for the third time Saturday. She was third as a junior.

Olvera, just more than three seconds behind UCSB senior Danielle Domenichelli, was one of seven runners to beat the old Big West meet record.

 The UCI women’s soccer team completed its season with a 4-0 loss to UCSB Sunday. The Anteaters finish 8-9-2, 2-4-2, in sixth place in the nine-team conference and missing the four-team conference tournament.