Weekend warmup: Bruins face Trojans again and again

A No. 1-ranked Bruin team is being challenged by USC this week while a No. 1-ranked USC squad will face off against the No. 3 Bruins. The details of a busy week:

Cross-country:

>> UCLA’s men’s team is ranked No. 19 in the country and will compete Saturday against national powerhouses Oregon and Stanford at the Pac-10 Conference championships in Corvallis, Ore. The Bruin women do not figure in the Pac-10 team race, but will try to qualify individuals for the NCAA West Regionals.

Football:

>> The Bruins are 5-2 overall and 4-0 in the Pac-10, and travel to Pullman, Wash., to face Washington State (2-5, 0-4) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Net West in Los Angeles and broadcast on KLAC-AM (570) and the Bruin Radio Network.

Rowing:

>> The Bruin women will be in Rancho Cordova on Saturday for the Head of the American regatta.

Men’s golf:

>> Fresh from winning the Pac-10/Big Ten Challenge, the No. 3-ranked men’s golf team will be in Greensboro, Ga., for the three-day Callaway Golf Collegiate Match Play tourney.

Men’s soccer:

>> After a very slow start, the No. 24-ranked Bruin men (7-5-2 overall, 3-1-1 in the Pac-10) are suddenly in first place in the Pac-10 at the halfway mark. They will play host to Oregon State (5-8-0, 2-3-0) on Friday in a doubleheader with the women’s team, with the men’s game beginning at 5 p.m. On Sunday, the Bruins will play Washington (6-6-2, 1-3-1) at 1 p.m. Both games will be at Drake Stadium and webcast live at uclabruins.com.

Men’s water polo:

>> The Bruins (15-5) are ranked No. 3 in the nation, but face No. 1 USC at 1 p.m. Sunday at Sunset Canyon Recreation Center. Admission is free. The Bruins lost to USC in their only previous meeting this season, 7-6, at the SoCal Tournament semifinals two weeks ago.

Women’s soccer:

>> UCLA is a unanimous choice as the No. 1 team in the nation, with an 11-1-2 record and four straight shutouts. Sophomore Lauren Cheney (pictured) leads the nation in scoring at 1.154 goals per game. USC (also 11-1-2) is ranked anywhere from No. 2 to No. 9 in the polls, and comes to Drake Stadium at 7 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 students; Bruin Card holders are admitted free. The game will be webcast at uclabruins.com.

Women’s swimming:

>> Because of the fires in the San Diego area, UCLA’s meet against the University of San Diego, scheduled for Saturday at UCLA, has been canceled. USD athletes instead will be spending time at home and with their families.

Women’s volleyball:

>> If the seventh-ranked Bruins (16-4 overall, 6-3 in the Pac-10) plan to stake a claim as one of America’s best teams, this would be a good weekend to do it. No. 2-ranked Stanford (19-1, 8-1) comes in for a match at Pauley Pavilion at 7 p.m. Friday, followed by No. 9 California (16-4, 6-3) at 7 p.m.  Saturday. Both matches will be webcast at uclabruins.com, and the Stanford match will be televised on a one-day-delay basis on Fox Sports Prime Ticket at 8 p.m. Saturday.

>> Both matches will be part of Breast Cancer Awareness Weekend. The first 400 fans attending the Stanford match will receive Breast Cancer Awareness T-shirts, and the first 2,000 fans at Saturday’s match against Cal will receive Breast Cancer Awareness wristbands.

Lauren Cheney photo courtesy of UCLA