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 It’s said that there is no off-season for sports any more. That’s certainly true for some of the Bruins as four stars from UCLA’s fall women’s teams are in training with the U.S. National Teams.
Football:
>> UCLA announced today that the home game against Arizona scheduled for Sept. 27 has been moved to Sept. 20 at the request of television. The Bruins will now play Fresno State, Tennessee, at BYU and Arizona on consecutive weekends before their first bye.
>> Bruin fullback Michael Pitre, lost for the entire 2007 season due to injury, is filing for a sixth year of eligibility with the NCAA. He has been told by UCLA that his scholarship will be honored for his final year in school, whether he is allowed to play or not.
Softball:
>> The pre-season polls are out and perennial NCAA title contender UCLA is considered good, but not great. The Bruins were ranked 10th in the nation in the ESPN/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 poll and 17th in the NFCA national coaches poll. In the Pac-10 coaches poll, the Bruins were ranked third behind Arizona (pre-season national title favorite) and Arizona State. UCLA starts play Feb. 8 at Easton Stadium on campus.
Men’s Golf:
>> The Bruins were ranked second nationally going into this week’s PING Invitational in Arizona, but have fallen well back after two rounds of the three-round tournament. Senior Kevin Chappell was the individual leader, however, with the final round being played today.
Men’s Tennis:
>> The match between No. 9 UCLA and No. 17 Pepperdine that was re-scheduled for Monday has been moved to today at the Los Angeles Tennis Center, beginning at 3 p.m.
Men’s Track & Field:
>> Junior Laef Barnes was the highlight for the Bruins in the Washington Preview in Seattle, running the mile in a lifetime best of 4:03.28. That’s good enough for a provisional NCAA qualifying mark for the indoor nationals in his first race of the season.
Men’s Volleyball:
>> Fourth-ranked UCLA (6-3) will play the first of four home matches with a non-conference tilt against Cal Baptist (top-ranked in the NAIA) on Wednesday at Pauley Pavilion starting at 7 p.m. It’s also Club and High School team night and teams can register by calling (310) 206-3444.
Women’s Gymnastics:
>> The No. 8 Bruins barely got by No. 9 Stanford, 195.050 to 195.025 last Sunday, as senior Tasha Schwikert scored a needed 9.8 on the floor exercise to seal the win and got exactly that score. Anna Li and Brittani McCullough went 1-2 in the all-around for the third straight meet, but Kristina Comforte suffered a knee injury during the floor exercise and had to be carried off the floor. She had an MRI on Monday and will see a doctor today for further review.
Women’s Soccer:
>> UCLA’s dynamic duo of striker Lauren Cheney and midfielder Tina DiMartino have been called up to the training camp for the U.S. National Team, taking place at The Home Depot Center in Carson. Both played on the winning Four Nations Tournament team in China and the camp that starts on Feb. 1 will select players for the Algarve Cup in Portugal (March 5-12) and the CONCACAF Olympic Women’s Qualifying Tournament in Juarez, Mexico (April 2-13).
Women’s Volleyball:
>> All-American setter Nellie Spicer (pictured) joined former Bruin senior outside hitter Rachell Johnson with the U.S. National Team in Colorado Springs, Colo., earning an invitation from USA Volleyball. She will report Feb. 18 and is in the pool of players who could participate in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Women’s Water Polo:
>> No. 1-ranked UCLA beat Colorado State, 15-2 and Indiana, 15-6, on Sunday to finish the Michigan Invitational undefeated at 4-0. Junior forward Katie Rulon scored 12 goals over the weekend’s play to earn Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Co-Player of the Week honors with San Jose State goalie Kendra Adama. The Spartans were also 4-0 on the weekend.
Nellie Spicer photo courtesy UCLA.
 Oh, those basketball Bruins! A great weekend so far, with more to come:
Football:
>> Last week: Rick Neuheisel was announced as the new UCLA head coach in a lively event at the Morgan Center on campus. By week’s end, he had reached agreements with defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker, defensive line coach Todd Howard and linebackers coach Chuck Bullough to stay at UCLA. And former Bruin wide receiver Reggie Moore agreed to join the football staff as well; he’s been the wide receivers coach at North Dakota State.
>> This week: Who knows what surprises Neuheisel has up his sleeve? Still to be named is the offensive staff, although Neuheisel has said he will take his time.
Men’s Basketball:
>> Last week: No. 5 UCLA started Pac-10 play with a sweep of the Bay Area schools, winning at Stanford, 76-67, on Thursday and at Cal, 70-58 yesterday. The Bruins held the Cardinal to 42.9% shooting and Cal to just 36.2% from the field. Sophomore guard Russell Westbrook had an unforgettable slam against the Bears, taking off from the middle of the key and thundering the ball through the hoop with his right hand.
>> This week: The Bruins are home to the Washington schools, with Lorenzo Romar’s Huskies (9-5, 0-1) in on Thursday and No. 4 (13-0, 1-0) Washington State in on Saturday.
>> Of note I: After just one weekend of Pac-10 play, there are only three schools without a loss: UCLA, WSU and surprising Arizona State. The Arizonas will play each other Wednesday night and the Bay Area schools will be in Oregon this coming week.
>> Of note II: The Stanford crowd didn’t have a lot to cheer about as the Bruins beat the Cardinal on Thursday, but in the closing moments of Stanford’s 52-46 win over USC on Saturday, the student section yelled themselves hoarse with the chant, "Just Like Football."
Men’s Volleyball:
>> Last week: The Bruins opened the season ranked no. 3 in the nation and beat Ball State in the opener of the Outrigger Tournament in Honolulu. However, things got rough in the second match against no. 4 Penn State and the Bruins were swept, 3-0. UCLA, despite 30 service errors, defeated Hawaii in five games in the finale to end the tournament with a 2-1 record.
>> This week: UCLA opens its 2008 home and Mountain Pacific Sports Federation schedule against Stanford on Friday at 7 p.m. and Pacific on Saturday at 7 p.m. Both matches will be in Pauley Pavilion.
Women’s Basketball:
>> Last week: The Bruins stunned no. 2 Stanford, 69-56, on Friday night at Pauley Pavilion to even their seasonal record to 7-7 and 2-1 in the Pac-10. Freshman guard Nina Earl scored 20 points and senior forward Lindsey Pluimer added 12.
>> This week: UCLA plays no. 10 California today at 12:30 p.m. at Pauley, with the game televised on Fox Sports Net. The Bruins head to Seattle for a game on Thursday against Washington and then to Pullman for a Saturday date against the Cougars.
Women’s Gymnastics:
>> Last week: The no. 4 Bruin women scored an impressive 194.975 to win the Lady Luck Invitational in Las Vegas, defeating Oregon State (193.875) and Arizona State (192.475). Sophomore Anna Li won the all-around (39.45), beam (9.825), uneven bars (9.90) and floor exercise (9.875).
>> This week: The Bruins have their annual "Meet the Bruins" exhibition in the John Wooden Center this coming Sunday (Jan. 13) at 2 p.m.
Women’s Volleyball:
>> Last week: Junior All-American setter Nellie Spicer was invited to the U.S. National Team try-outs in Colorado Springs, Colorado to be held from January 7-12. Teammate Rachell Johnson and former Bruin All-American Nana Meriwether were also among the 14 players invited.
Russell Westbrook photo courtesy UCLA.
 It’s pretty quiet in Westwood these days with finals over and the university about to shut down for a holiday break. But some of the folks in and around the Morgan Center are still busy, plus the no. 1-ranked Tennessee women’s basketball team will play the Bruins in Pauley Pavilion on Wednesday.
Baseball:
>> Last week: Shortstop Brandon Crawford was named as a pre-season, third-team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writer’s Association. The Bruins start collegiate play on February 22.
Football:
>> Last week: UCLA began practice for its Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl date with BYU with DeWayne Walker serving as interim head coach. Ben Olson was named as the starting quarterback for the Bruins, as he was for UCLA's 27-17 win in September over the Cougars. The coaching search ground on as interviews were scheduled or completed with Walker, Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Norm Chow, Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Rick Neuheisel and Philadelphia Eagles secondary coach John Harbaugh.
>> This week: The Bruins will complete their 2007 season with a rematch with BYU in Las Vegas on Saturday, December 22 at 5 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN.
>> Of note: CollegeFootballNews.com named its All-American teams during the week and Matthew Slater made the second team as a kick returner and safety Chris Horton made the third team.
Men’s Basketball:
>> Last week: UCLA dispatched Idaho State by a 89-49 score and now stands at 9-1. The victory was no. 100 for Ben Howland as UCLA head coach in his fifth season, against 42 losses. Junior guard Darren Collison equaled his career high with 20 points.
>> This week: The Bruins will play Western Illinois on Tuesday, then heads to Ann Arbor for a match-up with Michigan on Saturday morning (11 a.m. Pacific time), to be nationally televised on CBS.
Men’s Soccer:
>> Last week: Senior defender Mike Zaher (pictured) was selected as third-team All-Far West Region by the National Soccer Coaches of America for the second consecutive season. Zaher and senior defender Brandon Owens were two of 54 senior players from 33 schools invited to the 2008 MLS Player Combine in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida from January 11-15.
Women’s Basketball:
>> Last week: UCLA lost its fifth game in its last six, falling on the road at BYU, 68-58. Senior forward Lindsey Pluimer and freshman forward Nina Earl each had 13 and Pluimer had eight rebounds to lead the Bruins (4-5).
>> This week: Here comes defending national champion and no. 1-ranked Tennessee into Pauley Pavilion for a match with the Bruins on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12 for reserved seats and $8 for general admission. The Bruins are 1-15 against Tennessee, have lost 12 in a row since a 1981 road win against the Vols and are 0-7 at Pauley Pavilion. On Friday, the Bruins will be in Pauley Pavilion again against UC Riverside.
Women’s Soccer:
>> Last week: Sophomore striker Lauren Cheney was named as one of three finalists for the Herrmann Trophy, presented by the Missouri Athletic Club, along with Ashlee Pistorius of Texas A&M and Mami Yamaguchi of Miami. The winner will be announced on January 11. Cheney set UCLA single-season scoring records with 57 points and 23 goals and ranked second in the nation in points per game and third in goals per game.
Women’s Swimming:
>> Last week: Senior Nicolette Teo, competing for Singapore, won three gold medals in the Southeast Asian Games held in Korat, Thailand. She won the 100 m Breaststroke (national record), 200 m Breaststroke and swam a leg on the 4 x 100 m Medley Relay. Her breaststroke marks met the Olympic "B" qualifying standard, making it likely she will be named to her third Singapore Olympic team for Beijing next August. She previously swam in Sydney (2000) and Athens (2004).
Women’s Volleyball:
>> Last week: Junior setter Nellie Spicer was honored as a first-team All-American for the second consecutive year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. She became only the sixth Bruin to be named as an All-American twice.
>> Of note: Penn State’s win over Stanford in the women’s volleyball final on Saturday was a relief to Bruin fans. The Cardinal was gunning for its 96th NCAA team championship, uncomfortably close to UCLA’s total of 100. Stanford won the women’s cross country title in the fall for its 95th team title.
UCLA missed a chance for a 101st title in women’s soccer, losing in the national semifinals, but figures to be in the mix in baseball, men’s basketball, men’s and women’s golf, women’s gymnastics, softball, men’s volleyball and women’s water polo.
Mike Zaher photo courtesy of UCLA
 UCLA junior setter Nellie Spicer today was named an American Volleyball Coaches Assn. (AVCA) first-team All-American for the second consecutive year.
Spicer becomes only the sixth Bruin to earn first-team All-American honors twice, joining Annett Buckner (1993-94), Liz Masakayan (1984-85), Daiva Tomkus (1987-89), Natalie Williams (1990-92) and Elaine Youngs (1991-92). Only two players, Tomkus and Williams, have earned three, first-team All-American awards.
Spicer was a key to UCLA’s defensive prowess, with 50 or more assists in 14 matches, but hurt her hand in midseason during a practice drill.The Bruins then slumped in Pac-10 play, finishing fifth with a 9-9 mark. But with her health back for the NCAA Tournament, UCLA ran off three easy wins against Alabama A&M, Clemson and Oregon to reach the regional finals against No. 1-ranked Stanford. The Bruins played well in that match, but lost to the Cardinal in four sets.
Spicer will receive her All-American award Friday at the AVCA banquet in Sacramento, site of this year's women's volleyball Final Four.
 Two Bruin women’s teams concluded very successful seasons this weekend short of their goal: an NCAA Championship, losing both times to Pac-10 opponents.
Baseball:
>> Last week: Head Coach John Savage had his contract extended by two years to 2012, with additional bonus opportunities added for getting the Bruins to the College World Series.
>> Of note: Sophomore outfielder Gabe Cohen (.345, 10 HR, 36 RBI) was listed on the pre-season Wallace Watch List. The Brook Wallace award is given annually to the nation’s best collegiate baseball player.
Football:
>> Last week: Karl Dorrell was dismissed as head coach Monday and defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker was named interim head coach.
>> This week: The Bruins have begun practice for the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl against BYU on Dec. 22. A search firm to assist with the coaching search should be finalized and interviews should begin soon.
Men’s Basketball:
>> Last week: The seventh-ranked Bruins (8-1) got all 11 scholarship players back into practice and UCLA came back from an 18-point, first-half deficit to defeat Davidson, 75-63 in the Wooden Classic in Anaheim.
>> This week: The team has most of the week off for finals and will resume play Saturday at Pauley Pavilion against Idaho State.
>> Of note: A limited number of upper-level tickets for conference games will go on sale Monday, Dec. 10, at 10 a.m. Check Ticketmaster.com for more details.
Men’s Soccer:
>> Last week: Four UCLA players received Pac-10 All-Academic honors: Senior defender Mike Zaher (3.44 in Political Science) earned first-team honors, sophomore midfielder/defender Chance Myers (3.33 in History) was selected to the second team, and senior defender Greg Folk and sophomore midfielder/defender Danny Suits received honorable mentions.
Women’s Basketball:
>> Last week: The Bruins dropped to 4-4 with their fourth loss in five games, this time to San Diego, 63-57 at the Jenny Craig Pavilion on the USD campus. Freshman Nina Earl led UCLA with 12 points, but the Bruins could not overcome 33.3% shooting and a 34-26 deficit in the first half.
>> This week: UCLA heads to Provo, Utah, to play BYU on Saturday at 3 p.m. Pacific time.
Women’s Soccer:
>> Last week: UCLA advanced to its fifth College Cup in a row, but came away empty again, losing in the national semifinals to eventual national champion USC, 2-1. The Bruins had a 1-0 lead at halftime on a spin-and-shoot goal from Lauren Cheney, but Amy Rodriguez scored twice for USC in the second half and the Bruins had no answer. UCLA, ranked No. 1 in the nation for most of the season, finished with a 20-2-2 record and lost to USC for the first time since 1998.
Women’s Volleyball:
>> Last week: The Bruins (23-10) advanced to the regional final at Stanford, defeating Oregon in four sets Friday, but losing to No. 1-seeded Stanford (31-2) in four sets Saturday. UCLA won the first game, 30-28, but lost three close games by scores of 28-30, 26-30 and 27-30 to fall short of the Final Four. Junior Kaitlin Sather had a career-high 23 kills in the Stanford match, and junior setter Nellie Spicer (pictured) was sensational with 59 assists.
>> Of note: UCLA will return five of its six starters from this season, including Sather, Spicer, junior hitter Ali Daley and freshmen Katie Mills and Dicey McGraw. Spicer was named to the All-Pacific Region first team for the third season in a row and six Bruins were named to the Pac-10's All-Academic team: senior Meghan Schoen and junior Sather and Jade Machado made the first team with senior Rachell Johnson and juniors Jessica Fine and Elise Carstensen on the second team.
Nellie Spicer photo courtesy UCLA.
 UCLA’s No. 1-ranked women’s soccer team is in the NCAA’s "final four" at the College Cup in College Station, Texas, facing USC in the national semifinals. And that’s only one of the highlights of an intense weekend coming up for the Bruins:
Football:
>> Interim Coach DeWayne Walker on Saturday will lead his first practice since Karl Dorrell was dismissed, as UCLA begins its preparations to face BYU on Dec. 22 in the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl. Practices are closed to the public.
Men’s basketball:
>> Although the Bruins lost their last game to Texas at Pauley Pavilion, their health is improving dramatically with the return of guard Michael Roll and forward James Keefe to practice this week. UCLA (7-1) will take on Davidson of the Southern Conference at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Wooden Classic in Anaheim.
Women’s basketball:
>> The Bruins are 4-3 and head to the University of San Diego to face the Toreros (4-3) at 2 p.m. Saturday. The game will be videocast on usdtoreros.com and audiocast on uclabruins.com with Dave Marcus on the microphone.
Women’s soccer:
>> The Bruins, led by senior goalkeeper Valerie Henderson (pictured), have a chance to collect NCAA team title No. 101 this weekend at the College Cup in College Station. UCLA (20-1-2) will play USC (18-3-2) in the national semifinals; the Bruins defeated the Trojans, 2-0, earlier this season. The game will be televised on ESPNU beginning at 4 p.m. (Pacific time; 6 p.m., Central) Friday. Florida State (17-5-3) will face Notre Dame (19-4-2) in the first semifinal two hours earlier. The national championship game will be held at 11 a.m. (Pacific time; 1 p.m., Central) Sunday, also on ESPNU.
Women’s volleyball:
>> UCLA has reached the round of 16 and faces some familiar foes in the Stanford regional. Seeded No. 8 nationally, UCLA (22-10) will face Oregon (22-10) at 7 p.m. Friday at Maples Pavilion. The Bruins split with the Ducks this season, winning in four sets at home, but getting swept in Eugene. The match will be televised live on ESPNU. If the Bruins should win and advance to the regional finals, they probably will meet No. 1-seeded Stanford (29-2). The Cardinal is matched against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (23-7) on Friday, and crushed UCLA twice during the regular season.
Valerie Henderson photo courtesy of UCLA
 We didn't get to the Sunday Syllabus yesterday, thanks to some overtime work on football and basketball, but here's a quick recap. Banner time: UCLA is in position to win its 101st NCAA team title this weekend, but USC stands in the way again.
Football:
>> Last Week: The Bruins lost as expected, 24-7, to USC at the Coliseum to finish the regular season at 6-6 and 5-4 in the Pac-10, tied for fourth place with Oregon. Of special note was the play of senior safety Dennis Keyes, who had 19 tackles and finished the year with 106.
>> This Week: UCLA was selected to play in the Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl in a rematch with 10-2 BYU, which was defeated by UCLA, 27-17, in the second week of the season at the Rose Bowl. The Bruins could have ended up in the Sun Bowl, but Arizona State was not selected for a BCS game.
>> Of Note: Head Coach Karl Dorrell, whose UCLA teams lost six or more games in four of his five seasons, is expected to be dismissed this week.
Men's Basketball:
>> Last Week: UCLA defeated George Washington, 83-60, last Wednesday, but fell to No. 8 Texas, 63-61, in a seesaw battle Sunday in Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins are 7-1 on the season.
>> This Week: UCLA's schedule eases up a bit, with the Wooden Classic match against Davidson in Anaheim on Saturday this week's only game.
Women's Basketball:
>> Last Week: UCLA (4-3) continued its letdown after losing to Maryland a week ago by dropping games to Pepperdine (91-79) last Wednesday and Idaho State (76-64) on Saturday. But the Bruins rebounded with a win Sunday in their second game at the Nugget Classic in Reno by beating Southern, 79-52. As usual, senior Lindsey Pluimer led the way, with 19 points and eight rebounds.
>> This Week: UCLA has one game this week, on the road at the University of San Diego on Saturday.
Women's Soccer:
>> Last Week: The No. 1-ranked Bruins won their regional and are on to their fifth straight College Cup, but it wasn't easy. Lauren Cheney scored an overtime goal against Virginia Nov. 23 to ease UCLA past Virginia, 2-1, and then the Bruins needed another overtime goal from Danesha Adams to defeat Portland, 3-2, at Drake Stadium on Friday night.
>> This Week: UCLA is 20-1-2, hasn't lost a match since the first week of the season and now enters the national semifinals in College Station, Texas, to play cross-town rival USC! The match will take place at 4 p.m. Pacific time Friday, preceded by Florida State-Notre Dame on the other national semifinal at 2 p.m. In their only meeting this year, the Bruins defeated USC, 2-0, with two second-half goals from Cheney and Kara Lang on Oct. 26. UCLA has won eight straight against USC and is unbeaten in 11 matches against the Trojans.
Women's Volleyball:
>> Last week: The Bruins (22-10) traveled to Clemson, S.C., last weekend and crushed Alabama A&M in straight sets in the first round of NCAA Tournament play, then cruised past host Clemson in four sets to reach the round of 16.
>> This Week: The Bruins will face much stiffer competition this week against familiar foes. The Bruins will travel to Stanford to be matched up with Oregon (22-10) next; the Bruins split two matches with the Ducks this season, winning at home and being swept on the road. The match will make place at 7 p.m. Friday. If the Bruins should win, they would undoubtedly play Stanford (29-2) in the regional finals; the Cardinal easily defeated UCLA twice earlier this season.
Lauren Cheney photo courtesy UCLA.
 A hot soccer match on a cold night at Drake Stadium sent UCLA to the College Cup — the NCAA’s Final Four — with its No. 1 ranking intact with a 3-2 double-overtime win Friday night over Portland. A few hours earlier, the No. 8-seeded Bruin volleyball team finished a rout of Alabama A&M in its opening match at the NCAA Tournament in Clemson, S.C.
>> For the UCLA women’s soccer team, victory came only after 104 minutes of play as senior midfielder Danesha Adams (pictured) scored her second goal of the night with an assist from Lauren Barnes. The Bruins trailed, 1-0, at halftime as Portland, ranked second in the region, was the aggressor with six shots to UCLA’s four. But the Bruin attack came alive in the second half, with eight shots and goals in the 51st minute from Adams for a tie and then in the 72nd minute when striker Kara Lang headed in a cross from midfielder Christina DiMartino.
UCLA’s 2-1 lead looked like it might hold up, but Portland’s Angie Woznuk scored in the 89th minute to force overtime. Neither team scored in the first overtime period, even though UCLA piled up six shots to Portland’s one. But 3:58 into the second overtime, Barnes sent a corner kick toward the Portland goal and Adams headed it into the net for the winner.
The Bruins are now 20-1-2 while Portland ends its season at 18-4-0. Incredibly, UCLA will travel all the way to College Station, Texas, for the national semifinals next Friday . . . to face cross-town rival USC (18-3-2) for the right to play for the national title. In their only meeting of the year at Drake Stadium, the Bruins defeated USC, 2-0, on Oct. 26. Notre Dame and Florida State will play in the other semifinal.
>> The Bruin women’s volleyball team simply overwhelmed Alabama A&M, 30-9, 30-13 and 30-14 to move into the NCAA second round Saturday against host Clemson.
The match was so one-sided that Coach Andy Banachowski rested most of his regulars in the third game and UCLA set a school record for the fewest points given up in a match with 36. That was seven points fewer than the old mark of 43, achieved only twice since the switch to rally scoring (point per serve) in 2001. Alabama A&M ended the season with a record of 15-10.
The Bruins hit an almost unheard of .420 for the match. Kaitlin Sather had a team-high 11 kills and junior All-American setter Nellie Spicer had 25 assists in two games.
Sather said afterward, "It's so fun when everyone gets to play. We all train the same amount of hours. It's not as if everybody gets time off whether you're playing or not. Everyone played hard." She didn’t seem too concerned about playing against host Clemson on the road, either, noting, "I've been to Nebraska a few times, so I think we're ready. I'm not necessarily worried about the crowd because of our past experience dealing with large crowds. It's a small gym, which is different from Pauley Pavilion. But the Pac-10 is the best preparation you can have. Going into the tournament, we are really prepared for strong teams."
Danesha Adams photo courtesy of UCLA
 The Bruins and Trojans will get it on Saturday at the Coliseum to decide bragging rights, possibly the Rose Bowl representative, the Pac-10 Conference champion and maybe the future of both head coaches. And that’s just for starters:
Football:
>> Bruin senior center Chris Joseph repeated as a first-team ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Joseph has a 3.95 cumulative grade-point average with a major in geography.
>> The highlight of Blue and Gold Week is the annual rally and bonfire that will take place tonight at UCLA’s Wilson Plaza from 8 to 10. The parade will start from the UCLA residential zone about 7 p.m. and land at the end of Westwood Boulevard about an hour later.
>> The annual "Blood Bowl" between the UCLA Daily Bruin and the USC Daily Trojan will be held Friday afternoon at McAlister Field on the USC campus, beginning about 4:30 p.m. The Daily Trojan has dominated the football series against the Daily Bruin, winning eight in a row. On the other hand, the Daily Bruin has been recognized as the best college newspaper in the western states for the last four years and was national collegiate newspaper of the year in 2006. Take your pick.
>> The final meeting of the Westwood Bruin Touchdown Club will be held at 7 a.m. Friday at the Olympic Collection at Olympic and Sawtelle boulevards in West Los Angeles. Featured speakers will include defensive line coach Todd Howard, wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator Eric Scott and six players: place-kicker Kai Forbath, defensive end Kenneth Lombard, cornerback Rodney Van, guard P.J. Irvin, receiver Terrence Austin and safety Brett Lockett. Naturally, "every man, woman and child" (Geoff Strand) will be the master of ceremonies, accompanied by the UCLA Spirit Squad. Tickets, which include breakfast, are $24 each; for more information, call Claudia Hart at (310) 348-UCLA or send an e-mail to Claudia4UCLA@yahoo.com.
Men’s basketball:
>> The Bruins (7-0) are ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in the nation, depending on which poll you prefer, and got star guard Darren Collison back Wednesday night in an 83-60 win over George Washington. UCLA will take on fifth-ranked Texas at 5 p.m. Sunday in a nationally televised game that is part of the Big 12-Pac-10 Hardwood Series.
Men’s soccer:
>> A disappointing season came to an end Wednesday night as the Bruins lost, 3-1, at Santa Clara in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. UCLA finished 9-9-3 after being ranked No. 1 in the nation in preseason polls.
Women’s basketball:
>> After a difficult loss Sunday at Pauley Pavilion to third-ranked Maryland, 79-75, UCLA suffered a bad loss to unranked Pepperdine on the road Wednesday night, 91-79. Junior guard Tierra Henderson and senior forward Lindsey Pluimer each had 15 points to lead UCLA (3-2) and freshman center Regina Rogers had 12 points and 16 rebounds.
>> UCLA now heads to Reno, where it will play in the Nugget Classic, first against Idaho State on Saturday and then against the winner of Nevada and Southern on Sunday.
Women’s soccer:
>> No. 1-ranked UCLA (19-1-2) will face the No. 2 seed in the West, Portland (18-3-0), for a spot in the College Cup (soccer’s Final Four) at 7 p.m. Friday at Drake Stadium. There’s no Southern California telecast of the game, but live audio of the match can be heard on uclabruins.com.
>> Three Bruins — sophomore forward Lauren Cheney, senior midfielder Danesha Adams and junior midfielder Christina DiMartino (pictured) — have been named as semifinalists for the Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Award, given annually to the top collegiate soccer player. They are on a list of 15 players that will be paired with four finalists Dec. 14. The winner will be announced Jan. 11.
Women’s volleyball:
>> UCLA (20-10) is the national No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament and begins play in Clemson, S.C., against Alabama A&M (15-9) on Friday. If the Bruins win, they will play the winner of the Alabama (15-14)-Clemson (28-3) match on Saturday. Live audio of each game will be available with Darren Preston on the microphone at uclabruins.com.
>> Junior setter Nellie Spicer was named Monday to the Pac-10 Conference first team for the third year in a row. Senior Rachell Johnson and juniors Ali Daley and Kaitlin Sather earned honorable mention and Dicey McGraw and Katie Mills received honorable mention on the All-Freshman squad. Johnson also was invited to the U.S. National Team tryouts in January at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Christina DiMartino photo courtesy of UCLA
 The 6-5 UCLA football team is somehow still in the race for the Rose Bowl going into this week’s game with USC after shutting out Oregon, 16-0. But there were plenty of other highlights during a busy week in UCLA sports:
Men’s Basketball:
>> Last week: The 6-0 Bruins won two amazing games against Maryland and Michigan State to win the O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic in Kansas City last Monday and Tuesday and then eased past Yale, 81-47, on Friday at Pauley Pavilion. More worrisome were an eye injury to forward Alfred Aboya (status unknown) and an ankle injury to center Kevin Love, who appeared to be fine by the end of the game.
>> This week: The Bruins will host two quality teams, George Washington (2-1) and no. 15 Texas (5-0), which just demolished seventh-ranked Tennessee, 97-78, on Saturday. UCLA hosts GWU on Wednesday, November 28 and Texas next Sunday, December 2 as part of the Big 12-Pac-10 Challenge.
Men’s Soccer:
>> Last week: UCLA defeated New Mexico, 1-0, on Saturday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, played at Drake Stadium. Sophomore midfielder Kyle Nakazawa (pictured) scored on a free kick with 1:39 to play in regulation time to give UCLA (9-8-3) the win.
>> This week: The Bruins will take on seventh-seed Santa Clara (15-1-4) on the road in the second round of the tournament. The Broncos and Bruins met this season back on September 22, with Santa Clara winning, 2-1, in overtime. Both Bronco goals came with UCLA a man down.
Men’s Water Polo:
>> Last week: UCLA needed to win the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament to get into the NCAA Tournament, but finished fifth instead. The Bruins, ranked no. 4 in the nation going into the MPSF, lost their first-round match with fifth-ranked UC Irvine, 10-9, in overtime. They rebounded to beat Long Beach State, 13-9 and UC Santa Barbara, 15-8 and finish the season at 21-7. Sophomore Scott Davidson finished the season with 49 goals to lead the team.
Women’s Soccer:
>> Last week: The no. 1-ranked Bruins (19-1-2) just edged past Virginia, 2-1, in overtime at Drake Stadium Friday night to advance to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. After Virginia took a 1-0 lead in the 76th minute, Kristina Larsen scored in the 83rd minute to tie it and Lauren Cheney won it in the 98th minute with her ninth game-winning goal of the season.
>> This week: The Bruins will host Portland (18-3-0) at Drake Stadium on Friday, November 30 at 6 p.m. in a rematch of last year’s national quarterfinal for the right to go to the College Cup on December 7. Earlier this season, UCLA defeated Portland, 2-1, in overtime at home on September 28.
Women’s Volleyball:
>> Last week: No. 10-ranked UCLA finished its regular-season schedule with a split in Arizona, defeating Arizona State in four sets on Friday night, but falling to Arizona on Saturday in four sets. The Bruins finished the season with a 20-10 mark, but just 9-9 in Pac-10 play, good for sixth.
>> This week: The Bruins received the national no. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will play their first-round game against Alabama A&M (15-9) on Friday, November 30 in Clemson, South Carolina. If UCLA should win, the Bruins will play the winner between Alabama (15-14) and host Clemson (28-3).
Kyle Nazakawa photo courtesy UCLA.
 While the football season is winding down and basketball is just starting, it's tournament time for most of the Bruin fall sports teams, including both soccer squads in NCAA Tournament action:
Football:
>> UCLA is 5-5 and needs one more victory in its last two games to be bowl-eligible. The Bruins finish their home schedule Saturday against Oregon (8-2) at the Rose Bowl and probably will set a record for single-season attendance. The Bruins have averaged 77,167 at home this season and are poised to surpass the existing mark of 73,709 set in the 1998 season. This season is only the second in history in which UCLA will average more than 70,000 fans per home game.
Track and field:
>> One of the key figures in the development of the UCLA athletic department received a signal honor this week when Elvin C. "Ducky" Drake was voted into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame.
Drake was an assistant coach from 1929-44 and the head coach from 1947-64, giving way to Jim Bush. During his tenure, UCLA won the 1956 NCAA Track & Field Championship, and he coached two of the greatest decathletes of all time, Rafer Johnson and C.K. Yang. Johnson was a silver medalist in the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia, and won the gold medal in Rome in 1960 in a close competition with Yang, his friend and fellow Bruin. The UCLA track and field stadium was named for him in 1973.
Drake graduated from UCLA in 1927 (before the Westwood campus opened!) and also was the Bruins’ head athletic trainer after his retirement as track coach, continuing through 1986.
Men’s basketball:
>> The Bruins (5-0) are ranked No. 1 in one poll and No. 2 in another, and will take on Yale at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Pauley Pavilion. The game will be shown on online at uclabruins.com, with radio coverage on KTLK-AM 1150 and the Bruin Radio Network with Chris Roberts on play-by-play and Don MacLean as analyst.
The Bruins have a 1-0 record all-time against the Bulldogs.
Men’s soccer:
>> The Bruins finished the regular season with a disappointing 8-8-3 record, but made it into the NCAA Tournament. They’ll start play this weekend against Mountain Pacific Sports Federation champion New Mexico (12-4-2) at 7 p.m. Saturday at Drake Stadium. Tickets are $9 for adults and $7 for students (with identification) and children. The game will be audiocast on the Internet at uclabruins.com.
Men’s water polo:
>> Although UCLA has been ranked in the top five in the nation almost the entire season, the Bruins probably will have to win the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament this weekend in Berkeley to make to the NCAA Tournament. Play starts on Friday with the Bruins (19-6) as the fourth seed, facing fifth-seed UC Irvine (12-10). If the Bruins win, they would play the winner of the California-Long Beach State match on Saturday. The Bears won the MPSF regular season title and are 24-3 overall.
Women’s basketball:
>> UCLA ran past Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, 107-83, to improve its record to 3-0 on the season, but will face a severe challenge against third-ranked Maryland (6-0) at 2 p.m. Sunday at Pauley Pavilion. Tickets are $12 or $8 for adults and $10 or $6 for youths. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Net with Jim Watson calling play-by-play and Mary Murphy as analyst, and audiocast/videocast on uclabruins.com with Darren Preston and Michael Sondheimer on the call.
The Bruins haven’t started 3-0 since the 1993-94 season and haven’t played Maryland since an 82-70 win at Pauley Pavilion on Dec. 30, 1995.
Five Bruins average in double figures, led by senior Lindsey Pluimer (pictured), at 15.3, followed by freshman forward Nina Earl (13.7) and freshman guard Doreena Campbell (13.3).
The first 500 fans in attendance will receive a free UCLA drawstring backpack, and the first 50 UCLA students will receive free pizza. UCLA will hold a food drive to benefit the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and fans who bring a canned food item to the game will receive a free T-shirt, courtesy of the UCLA Transportation Department. Collection bins will be located at Gates 1 and 2 at Pauley Pavilion.
Women’s soccer:
>> The Bruin women (18-1-2), the national No. 1 seed, will play host to Virginia (13-3-6) in the NCAA Tournament round of 16 at 6 p.m. Friday at Drake Stadium. Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for students (with identification) and children. The game will be audiocast on the Internet on uclabruins.com. If UCLA can extend its 34-match home win streak, it will play again Nov. 30 for the right to go to the College Cup, the soccer equivalent of the Final Four.
Women’s volleyball:
>> The 10th-ranked Bruins improved to 19-9 overall with a four-set win over Pepperdine in Malibu on Tuesday and head to Arizona for their final regular season matches against Arizona State (15-14) on Friday and Arizona (13-16) on Saturday. The NCAA Tournament bracket will be announced at 5 p.m. Monday on ESPNU.
 There were too many things happening Monday to do our normal weekly review of Sunday, so here’s a look at what’s happening across Morgan Center at UCLA:
Baseball:
>> This week: Coach John Savage signed seven players to national letters of intent, including three high school All-Americans: infielder Clark Amezquita of La Mirada Servite High School (he’s ranked as the No. 69 prep prospect in the nation by Baseball America); first baseman/right fielder Clark Murphy of Fallbrook (Calif.) Union High School (No. 86) and right-handed pitcher Gerrit Cole of Orange Lutheran High School (No. 9).
>> Of note: UCLA is picked as a probable for the 2008 College World Series, and in the annual fall Blue-Gold Series that concluded Sunday at Jackie Robinson Stadium, junior slugger Cody Decker hit a two-run, walk-off homer to lead the Gold Team to a 3-1 series win. Freshman outfielder Brett Krill was the hitting star for the Gold at 8-15 (.533) for the series; Decker was 5-12 (.417) with two home runs. Senior outfielder Brady Dolan was 7-13 (.538) for the Blue Team, followed by sophomore first baseman Casey Haerther (7-15, .467) and sophomore outfielder Blair Dunlap (5-11, .455).
Cross-country:
>> This week: The season concluded with three Bruin individuals competing in Monday’s NCAA Cross-Country Championships in Terre Haute, Ind. Senior Austin Ramos finished 32nd, earning All-American honors. Senior Kyle Shackleton finished 96th and brother Drew Shackleton (a junior) was 104th.
Football:
>> This week: After a bye, UCLA (5-5) plays 8-2 Oregon on Saturday at the Rose Bowl. The Ducks are without star quarterback Dennis Dixon, but have a potent rushing attack led by Jonathan Stewart.
>> Of note: Through its first five games of the home season, UCLA has averaged a school record 77,167 fans at the Rose Bowl. The Bruins will set an all-time single-season record for average home game attendance if 56,423 show up Saturday. The school record — and the only other time that UCLA has averaged more than 70,000 in home attendance in its history — was in 1998, when UCLA averaged 73,709 for its five home contests.
Men’s soccer:
>> Last week: UCLA and San Diego State played to a 1-1 draw, costing UCLA a clear second-place finish in the conference and a winning record in the regular season.
>> This week: Despite an 8-8-3 overall record, UCLA was invited into the NCAA Tournament for the 25th consecutive season. The Bruins will open NCAA play with a home game against Mountain Pacific Sports Federation champion New Mexico (12-4-2) at 7 p.m. Saturday at Drake Stadium. The winner will play seventh-seed Santa Clara on Nov. 28 in Santa Clara. UCLA lost a 2-1 overtime game to Santa Clara on Sept. 22.
>> Of note: Although UCLA was only 4-4-2 in the Pac-10 this season, but tied for second with Stanford and San Diego State, the Bruins had an amazing 11 players receive All-Pac-10 honors of some kind. Junior midfielders Tony Beltran and Jason Leopoldo (pictured), sophomore midfielder Chance Myers and senior defender Mike Zaher earned first-team honors, while sophomore midfielder Kyle Nakazawa was named to the second team. Sophomore forward David Estrada, senior defenders Greg Folk and Brandon Owens, junior forward Maxwell Griffin, sophomore goalkeeper Brian Perk and junior defender Brad Rusin earned honorable mention nods.
Men’s water polo:
>> Last week: Third-ranked UCLA suffered a surprising loss to Pepperdine at home, 7-6, in six overtimes, despite three goals by Scott Davidson. The Bruins beat Long Beach State on the road Sunday, 9-7, behind three more goals by Davidson to finish the regular season at 19-6 and 5-3 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.
>> This week: UCLA has been ranked among the nation's top four or five teams all season, but it probably will have to win the MPSF Tournament to get into the NCAA Tournament. California is the top seed, followed by USC and Stanford. The Bruins will start play Friday against fifth-seeded UC Irvine, then would play the winner of Cal Long Beach State on Saturday.
Women’s basketball:
>> This week: The Bruins are 2-0, beating Rice, 79-71 at Pauley Pavilion on Sunday behind 14 points from freshman guard Doreena Campbell and 12 each from freshman center Regina Rogers and senior forward Lindsey Pluimer, who also had a game-high 11 rebounds.
The Bruins play Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (2-1) at 7 tonight at Pauley Pavilion. It’s the first meeting between the schools since the 1975-76 season.
Women’s soccer:
>> This week: The No. 1-ranked Bruins (18-1-2) have reached the NCAA round of 16 and will play host to Virginia (13-3-6) at 6 p.m. Friday at Drake Stadium. The Bruins have won 15 matches in a row this season and have a 34-match winning streak at home. They outscored their opponents in the first two rounds, Cal State Fullerton and Oklahoma State, by a combined total of 7-1.
Women’s volleyball:
>> Last week: No. 10 UCLA swept past Washington State in three games Friday night, but then was swept by No. 5 Washington on Saturday at Pauley Pavilion.
>> This week: UCLA (18-9) finishes its season on the road this week, with a match at 7 tonight at Pepperdine (18-9), and then ends the conference schedule with matches at Arizona State (15-14) on Friday and at Arizona (13-16) on Saturday. The Bruins are tied with Oregon for fifth in the conference at 8-8.
Jason Leopoldo photo courtesy of UCLA
 A busy weekend for the Blue and Gold is ahead, including NCAA Tournament action for the No. 1-ranked women’s soccer team:
Men’s basketball:
The Bruins are 3-0, ranked second in the nation, but are still missing forward James Keefe and guards Michael Roll and preseason All-American Darren Collison to injuries. After romping past Youngstown State and Cal State San Bernardino in the first two rounds of the O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic at Pauley Pavilion on Monday and Tuesday, UCLA will head to the new Sprint Center in Kansas City for the semifinal and final rounds. UCLA will play Maryland on Monday evening.
Men’s soccer:
The Bruins (8-8-3 overall, 4-4-2 conference) didn’t help their postseason cause much with a 1-1 tie against San Diego State on Wednesday at Drake Stadium. UCLA probably will finish third in the Pac-10 and has to wait for the NCAA Soccer Committee to decide if it will advance to the NCAA Tournament.
Men’s volleyball:
Al Scates' 19-time NCAA champion volleyball program gets started this weekend with the UCLA Tourney on campus (SAC Gym), beginning at 4 p.m. Friday against Long Beach State and continuing Saturday against UC Santa Barbara (10 a.m.) and Cal State Northridge (4 p.m.).
Men’s water polo:
UCLA is ranked third in the nation and is 18-5 overall. The Bruins finish their regular season schedule this weekend with games against No. 6 Pepperdine (24-8) at 1 p.m. Saturday at Sunset Canyon Recreation Center, and go to No. 7 Long Beach State (17-11) at noon Sunday. If the Bruins win, it will assure them of the second seed in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament the following week.
Women’s basketball:
The combination of the No. 4 recruiting class in the country plus senior Lindsey Pluimer (pictured) was enough to overcome Cal State Northridge in the Matadome on Wednesday evening, 81-69. Kathy Olivier's Bruins will open their home schedule at 1 p.m. Sunday against Rice at Pauley Pavilion.
Women’s soccer:
The top-ranked Bruins (16-1-2) haven’t lost a match at home since September 2005 and will try to extend their streak in first- and second-round matches of the NCAA Tournament starting at 8 p.m. Friday. If the Bruins beat Big West champ Cal State Fullerton (12-7-2) on Friday, they will play the winner of Friday’s San Diego versus and Oklahoma State game at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Women’s volleyball:
The Bruins (17-8 overall, 7-7 Pac-10) are only in the middle of the pack in the Pac-10, but still ranked 10th in the nation. They will be host for their final home matches Friday and Saturday against Washington State (9-19, 0-14) and No. 5 Washington (23-2, 12-2), both starting at 7 p.m.
Lindsey Pluimer photo courtesy UCLA
 The Bruin women’s soccer team won its fifth Pac-10 title in a row and swept through the conference season undefeated. They are ranked No. 1 in the country and will begin NCAA Tournament play as the favorite to win the national championship. Other highlights of the week past and the week upcoming:
Cross Country:
>> Last week: The men’s team competed in the NCAA Western Regionals in Eugene, Ore., and finished seventh, on the bubble for a spot in the NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Ind. Three Bruins won All-West Region honors, finishing in the top 25: Austin Ramos (17th), Kyle Shackleton (18th) and brother Drew Shackleton (21st). The Bruin women finished 23rd in the West Regional and will not advance to the NCAA Championships.
>> This week: If the Bruins make it in, the NCAA meet is Monday, Nov. 19.
Football:
>> Last week: UCLA zipped to a 10-0 lead, but lost a tight one to Arizona State, 24-20, at the Rose Bowl to fall to 5-5 on the season and 4-3 in the Pac-10 Conference. Senior return star Matthew Slater returned his third kickoff of the season for a touchdown, setting a school record and tying the Pac-10 Conference record for kickoffs returned for touchdowns in one season.
>> This week: The Bruins have a bye before taking on No. 2 Oregon at the Rose Bowl on Nov. 24.
Men’s Basketball:
>> Last week: The Bruins won an exhibition game over Chico State, 93-55, last Monday and won their season opener, 69-48, over Portland State last Friday. Freshman center Kevin Love was just as good as advertised, with 22 points and 13 rebounds against Portland State, the second-most points and most-ever rebounds for a Bruin freshman in his first collegiate game.
>> This week: The Bruins are in the CBE Classic on Monday and Tuesday at Pauley Pavilion, playing Youngstown State on Monday evening and playing the winner or loser (depending on how UCLA does) of the other first-round game (Weber State or Cal State San Bernardino) on Tuesday. UCLA’s Monday game and Tuesday’s winner’s bracket game will be televised live on ESPN2.
Men’s Golf:
>> Last week: UCLA, ranked fifth in the nation, won the CordeValle Collegiate championship by 11 strokes over USC and 19 over Stanford. James Lee tied with two others for top honors with a three-round total of 211 (-5).
>> This week: UCLA’s fall team schedule is over, but some of the golfers will compete in the Western Refining All-American Tournament in El Paso on Nov. 19-20.
Men’s Soccer:
>> This week: UCLA (8-8-2) was off last week and has one more game remaining in the regular season, on Wednesday, Nov. 14, against San Diego State at 7 p.m. in Drake Stadium. The Bruins can still finish second in the Pac-10 Conference with a win over the Aztecs.
Men’s Volleyball:
>> This week: The men’s volleyball team and legendary coach Al Scates get going this week with the UCLA Tournament on campus on Friday and Saturday. The Bruins will take on Long Beach State on Friday at 4 p.m. and then face UC Santa Barbara and Cal State Northridge on Saturday.
Men’s Water Polo:
>> Last week: Third-ranked UCLA got four goals from freshman Ben Hohl to help defeat seventh-ranked UC Santa Barbara, 14-6, on Saturday. The win improves UCLA’s record to 18-5 and 4-2 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.
>> This week: The Bruins play Pepperdine at the Sunset Canyon Recreation Center on Saturday and will travel to Long Beach State on Sunday for their last two matches before the MPSF tournament from Nov. 23-25.
Women’s Basketball:
>> Last week: Kathy Olivier’s Bruins won their final exhibition game against Love & Basketball, 84-67, led by guard Erica Tukiainen’s 17 points. Four Bruins scored in double figures.
>> This week: The Bruins open their regular-season schedule at Cal State Northridge on Wednesday evening and open their home schedule against Rice next Sunday at 1 p.m. in Pauley Pavilion.
Women’s Gymnastics:
>> This week: A powerful Bruin team will be aided by the addition of British World Championships competitor Shavahn Church, who will enroll in the Winter Quarter that begins in January. Church finished 20th in the World Gymnastics Championships All-Around in 2005 and has competed internationally for both the U.S. and Great Britain, thanks to her dual citizenship.
Women’s Soccer:
>> Last week: The Bruins swept past Washington State on the road Friday, 2-0, and Washington on Sunday, 3-0, to win its fifth straight Pac-10 Conference soccer title. UCLA finished the regular season at 16-1-2 overall and 9-0 in conference play. It outscored its opponents, 21-1, in Pac-10 matches.
>> This week: UCLA will find out its NCAA Tournament opponents and schedule Monday when the NCAA’s 64-team tournament pairings are announced. Most likely, UCLA will open its bid for a title with games at Drake Stadium on Friday and, if a winner, on Sunday.
>> Of note: Bruin sophomore striker Lauren Cheney (pictured) was named as Top Drawer Soccer’s "Player of the Year" and a first-team All-Season selection. Bruin goalkeeper Valerie Henderson and defender Lauren Barnes were named to the third team and midfielder Darnesha Adams and forward Kara Lang received honorable mention recognition.
Women’s Swimming:
>> Last week: The No. 14 Bruins split their weekend in Arizona, defeating Arizona State on Friday, 160-140, and then splitting a triangular Saturday. UCLA lost to the second-ranked Arizona Wildcats, 172 1/2-123 1/2, but beat UC Irvine, 199 1/2-98 1/2. UCLA is now 5-1 this season.
>> This week: The Bruins will be in individual competition only at the Nike Cup in Long Beach on Friday and Saturday while the divers head to Bloomington, Ind., for the Hoosierland Invitational.
Women’s Volleyball:
>> Last week: The ninth-ranked Bruins split their weekend in Oregon, defeating Oregon State in four sets last Thursday evening, but got swept by No. 20 Oregon on Friday.
>> This week: UCLA (17-8) has five matches left in the regular season and is tied for fifth in the Pac-10 at 7-7. The Bruins will face 9-19 Washington State at Pauley Pavilion on Thursday, then play host to 23-2 Washington, one of the nation’s top three teams, Friday in their final home matches of the season.
Lauren Cheney photo courtesy of UCLA.
 Although the Bruin football team needs to win its remaining three games to become conference co-champions, the UCLA women’s soccer team is breezing through its conference season undefeated and can wrap up its fifth straight title this weekend:
Cross-country:
>> The Bruin men will compete for a spot in the NCAA Championships this weekend at the NCAA West Regionals in Eugene, Ore. It’s perhaps the toughest in the nation, with highly ranked Oregon and Stanford favored for the top two spots and automatic advancement to the nationals. The Bruins, however, figure to be in the top four or five with California and Portland, and could receive an at-large bid as they did last year. The Bruin women also will compete in Eugene, but are not favored to advance after a last-place finish in the Pac-10.
Football:
>> The Bruins (5-4, 4-2 Pac-10) have their shot at the Rose Bowl game on the line Saturday against Arizona State (8-1, 5-1) at, of course, the Rose Bowl. After a 4-0 conference start, UCLA has lost its last two conference games, on the road at Washington State and Arizona. Sophomore Osaar Rashaan will start at quarterback for the Bruins, who are seven-point underdogs.
Rowing:
>> The Bruin women scored two wins in their final fall regatta Sunday at the Newport Autumn Rowing Festival. The varsity eight and novice eight both won their races, and the second varsity boat finished fifth out of 21 entries. The Bruins are off now until the spring season begins in March.
Men’s basketball:
>> UCLA will open its 2007-08 season ranked as the No. 2 team in the nation. The Bruins will play Portland State at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Pauley Pavilion, with live video of the game available free at uclabruins.com (requires free registration).
Men’s golf:
>> Fifth-ranked UCLA won the CordeValle Collegiate golf tournament in San Martin, Calif., this past Monday-Wednesday. The Bruins won by 11 shots over second-place USC and 19 over Stanford. UCLA’s James Lee (pictured) was one of three players who tied for the individual lead in the three-round tournament, shooting a five-under-par score of 211.
Men’s soccer:
>> UCLA (8-8-2) will play its final game of the regular season Wednesday, Nov. 14, against San Diego State at Drake Stadium. The game was rescheduled from Nov. 17 because of scheduling conflicts arising from the wildfires in the San Diego area. Although ranked No. 1 in the nation before the season, the Bruins are on a three-match losing streak, and a win over San Diego State could be key to receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.
Men’s water polo:
>> No. 3-ranked UCLA (17-5) returns home to face seventh-ranked UC Santa Barbara (17-10) at 1 p.m. Saturday at Sunset Canyon Recreation Center on campus. The Bruins are 3-2 in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play and have won three in a row.
Women’s basketball:
>> Kathy Olivier’s Bruins defeated Love & Basketball, 84-67, on Wednesday night at Pauley Pavilion to finish their exhibition season with a 2-0 record. Sophomore guard Erica Tukiainen led UCLA in scoring again with 17 points, ahead of senior forward Lindsey Pluimer, who had 16.
>> UCLA will open its collegiate season next Wednesday at Cal State Northridge, and will open its home schedule against Rice a week from Sunday.
Women’s soccer:
>> The brilliant season for the top-ranked Bruins (14-1-2, 7-0 Pac-10) continues, and they can clinch their fifth straight Pac-10 title with one win this weekend against Washington State (10-4-3) on Friday in Pullman or against Washington (5-11-1) on Sunday in Seattle in the last two games of the regular season.
>> The draw for the 64-team NCAA tournament will be announced about 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 12, on ESPN News. If the Bruins are seeded No. 1, they will be the home team and play all of their tournament games at Drake Stadium through the regional finals. That’s a good thing for UCLA, which is unbeaten in its last 37 matches at home dating to 2005.
Women’s swimming:
>> The Bruin women are ranked No. 14 nationally and will get a severe test against Arizona State (4-0) on Friday night in Tempe and in a triangular meet with No. 4 Arizona (3-0) and UC Irvine (0-0) on Saturday in Tucson.
Women’s volleyball:
>> UCLA is ranked No. 9 in the nation, but has had a rough time in Pac-10 play with just a 6-6 record (16-7 record overall), dropping three in a row and five of its last six. The Bruins are in Oregon this week for two matches, against Oregon State (10-15, 3-10) tonight in Corvallis and against No. 20 Oregon (16-9, 5-8) on Friday night. The Beavers shocked the Bruins at Pauley Pavilion in their first meeting last month. The Bruins will finish their regular season schedule next week at home against the Washington schools.
>> Three Bruins were named to the ESPN The Magazine District All-Academic teams this week. Senior Megan Schoen and juniors Jade Machado and Kaitlin Sather were honored, with Schoen named to the first team and Machado and Sather receiving third-team honors. With her first-team selection, Schoen (3.84 grade-point average in communications studies) is eligible for Academic All-American consideration.
James Lee photo courtesy of UCLA
 UCLA’s top-ranked women’s soccer team is poised to set a Pac-10 record by winning its fifth straight conference title this coming week, while the men’s football and soccer teams had a rough weekend:
Football:
>> Last week: UCLA lost its third game in its last four, 34-27, at Arizona on Saturday. The Bruins fell to 5-4 overall and 4-2 in the Pac-10, now tied for third with USC. After quarterback Patrick Cowan left the game with a concussion in the second half, sophomore Osaar Rashaan (pictured) led the Bruins to 13 straight points, but the comeback fell short.
>> This week: The Bruins could still win the conference title and go to the Rose Bowl by winning their last three games. First up is Arizona State (8-1, 5-1) at the Rose Bowl on Saturday, beginning at 12:30 p.m.
Men’s Basketball:
>> Last week: The Bruins opened their exhibition season with an impressive 111-61 win over Azusa Pacific last Friday. However, guard Darren Collison suffered a mild left knee sprain that will keep him out for 1-2 weeks, guard Michael Roll had a recurrence of plantar fasciitis in his left foot, and wing Josh Shipp sprained his right thumb, but may be able to play this week.
>> This week: UCLA will complete its exhibition season with a game against Chico State on Monday in Pauley Pavilion and then begin its regular season against Portland State at home Friday.
Men’s Golf:
>> Last week: UCLA won the Callaway Golf Collegiate Match Play Championship in Greensboro, Ga.
defeating Georgia Tech, 4-1 in the final.
>> This week: Fifth-ranked UCLA will host the third annual CordeValley Collegiate tournament in San Martin, Calif., on Monday-Wednesday, Nov. 5-7. Other top teams in the field include No. 7 USC and No. 9 Stanford.
Men’s Soccer:
>> Last week: The Bruins (8-8-2 overall, 4-4-1 conference) probably lost any shot at the Pac-10 title this season by losing on the road to Stanford, 2-1, on Friday night and to California, 3-1, on Sunday afternoon. Maxwell Griffin scored both goals for UCLA over the weekend and leads the team with nine goals on the season.
>> This week: The Bruins are off this week and have one regular-season game remaining, against San Diego State at home Nov. 17.
Men’s Water Polo:
>> Last week: The No. 2-ranked Bruins (17-5) took a week off from conference play and defeated No. 14 UC San Diego (10-14), 14-6, in San Diego on Saturday.
>> This week: UCLA returns to conference play with a home match against UC Santa Barbara at the Sunset Canyon Recreation Center on Saturday.
Women’s Basketball:
>> Last week: UCLA opened its season with an exhibition win over Team Concept, 94-82, in Pauley Pavilion. Sophomore guard Erika Tukiainen led the Bruins with 19 points and senior forward Lindsey Pluimer had 15 points and 12 rebounds.
>> This week: The Bruins have one more exhibition, on Wednesday against Love & Basketball, also in Pauley Pavilion.
Women’s Golf:
>> Last week: The No. 1-ranked Bruins won again, taking the Ken Youel Invitational in Honolulu, by four strokes over USC. All-American Tiffany Joh and freshman Maria Jose Uribe tied for individual honors at 217 (+1) over 54 holes.
>> This week: The women have completed the fall schedule and will pick up team play again in February.
Women’s Soccer:
>> Last week: The No. 1-ranked Bruins (14-1-2 overall, 7-0 Pac-10) steamed past Arizona State, 3-1, on Friday evening at Drake Stadium and handled Arizona, 3-0, today at home. Sophomore scoring machine Lauren Cheney had a goal on each game and has 19 on the season. UCLA’s Valerie Henderson recorded her ninth shutout of the season.
>> This week: The Bruins can clinch their fifth straight Pac-10 title with a win at either Washington State on Friday or at Washington on Sunday.
Women’s Swimming:
>> Last week: Divers took center stage at the Trojan Invitational across town and junior Marisa Samaniego won the three-meter event and second in the one-meter Friday and junior Tess Schofield won the 10-meter platform event Saturday.
>> This week: The Bruins (3-0) will be back in dual-meet action this week against Arizona State in Tempe on Friday afternoon and against Arizona on Saturday in Tucson.
Women’s Volleyball:
>> Last week: UCLA lost its third match in a row to fall to 16-7 overall and 6-6 in the Pac-10 with a four-set loss to USC (20-3, 9-3) at the Galen Center.
>> This week: The Bruins will travel north this week to face Oregon State on Thursday and Oregon on Friday. After those matches, UCLA will have five regular-season matches remaining.
Also of note:
UCLA lost a member of its sports medicine team Saturday when Felice Dee Kurtzman, 52, passed away after a 14-month battle with cancer. She had been the staff nutritionist for UCLA athletic teams since 1991. Funeral services will be held on Monday.
Osaar Rashaan photo courtesy UCLA.
 The Bruin women’s soccer team can just about wrap up the first conference title of the academic year for UCLA with a pair of wins this weekend, barely six weeks into the fall quarter. That’s only part of a busy schedule for UCLA teams:
Football:
>> The Bruins (5-3 overall, 4-1 Pac-10) will travel to Tucson to play the Arizona Wildcats (3-6, 2-4) at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. The game will be broadcast live in Los Angeles on KABC-TV (Channel 7), with Dan Fouts on the play-by-play and Tim Brant as analyst. The game also can be heard on KLAC-AM 570 and the Bruin Radio Network, with Chris Roberts, Matt Stevens and Wayne Cook on the call.
Men’s basketball:
>> The Bruins will open their two-game exhibition season against Azusa Pacific at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Pauley Pavilion. The game will be audiocast live on uclabruins.com (with Dave Marcus and Tracy Murray), and UCLA All-Access members ($49.95 per year) can watch the game on uclabruins.com. It will be the first time that Kevin Love and Chace Stanback perform as members of what is expected to be an outstanding UCLA team.
>> At the annual Pac-10 Basketball Media Day, UCLA officially was picked as the favorite to win the Pac-10 title, receiving 33 of 34 first-place votes in the conference poll of writers and broadcasters. Washington State is favored for second, and got the other first-place vote.
Men’s soccer:
>> The Bruins (8-6-2) continue to lead the Pac-10 by just one point, and are on the road this week for matches against Stanford (4-4-5) and No. 24 California (8-4-1) on Friday and Sunday, respectively. UCLA will have only one regular-season match remaining after this weekend, against San Diego State, to be played at UCLA during the week of Nov. 16.
Men’s water polo:
>> The Bruins moved up to No. 2 in the national rankings after defeating previously unbeaten USC last week, 9-5. UCLA will face No. 14 UC San Diego (10-13) in San Diego at 6 p.m. Saturday. It’s the last nonconference match for the Bruins, who have only three conference matches remaining on their regular season schedule after this weekend.
Women’s basketball:
>> Kathy Olivier's Bruins opened their season tonight with a 94-82 exhibition win against Team Concept at Pauley Pavilion. Sophomore guard Erika Tukiainen led the Bruins with 19 points and senior forward Lindsey Pluimer had 15, plus 12 rebounds. Their final exhibition game will again be Love & Basketball next Wednesday, also at Pauley Pavilion.
Women’s soccer:
>> No. 1-ranked UCLA (12-1-2) can just about clinch its sixth straight conference championship by sweeping aside Arizona State (9-7-1) at 7 p.m. Friday and Arizona (6-10-1) at 1 p.m. Sunday, both at Drake Stadium. Seniors Valerie Henderson (goalkeeper, pictured) and forwards Darnesha Adams and Alma Playle will be honored Sunday before their final home match. UCLA has won 35 straight matches at home and can finish its home schedule undefeated with two wins this weekend.
>> Henderson was named to the All-District VIII Team, sponsored by ESPN The Magazine this week, for academic and athletic excellence. The first-team honor makes Henderson eligible for Academic All-American honors as well. Defender Catherine Calvert was selected to the third team.
Women’s volleyball:
>> The ninth-ranked Bruins (16-6 overall, 6-5 Pac-10) will try for a seasonal sweep of sixth-ranked USC (19-3, 8-3) at Galen Center, where the Trojans are 14-0 this season. After the matchup with Troy, UCLA has seven matches left in the regular season.
 The UCLA men’s water polo team was ranked third in the nation going into last Sunday’s showdown with No. 1 USC, but the Bruins had lost five of six matches against its toughest competition: California (0-3), Stanford (1-1) and USC (0-1). But that changed at the Sunset Canyon Recreation Center as the Bruins defeated USC, 9-5.
More in our midweek update:
Hall of Fame:
>> UCLA will admit eight new members to its Hall of Fame on Thursday evening, Nov. 8, and it’s one of the best classes ever:
Amy Acuff (track & field) won five NCAA high jump titles between 1994 and 1997 and finished fourth in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. She continues to be the leading American hope for a medal in the high jump in Beijing in 2008.
George Brown (track & field) won a rare triple-triple as a long jumper in 1951 and 1952: He won the Pacific Coast Conference, NCAA and AAU championships in the events both years and was acknowledged as the best long jumper in the world from 1951-53. As a sideline, he was also a scorer in the 220-yard dash in the 1951 and 1952 NCAA Championships.
Jennifer Brundage (softball) was the Honda Award winner in 1995 as the nation’s best softball player. She hit .518 and holds UCLA single-season records of 14 home runs, 60 runs batted in, 59 runs and 87 hits. She was a member of the 1992 NCAA Championship team and the 1993 second-place team. She won a gold medal as a member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic team.
Jim Ferguson (water polo) was a three-time All-American from 1968-70 and his teams finished second, first and second in his three years. At the end of his Bruin career, he was the UCLA career leader in goals and assists. He was also co-captain of the bronze medal-winning U.S. team at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.
Troy Glaus (baseball) is best known as a member of the Angels, but at UCLA (1995-97), he set Pac-10 single-season records in 1997 for home runs (34) and total bases (227) and tied for the conference title in runs batted in (91), all in just 67 games! He helped the Bruins reach the College World Series that season for the first time since 1969.
John Moore (basketball) played for John Wooden from 1952-55 and was a consensus All-American in 1955. He was UCLA’s leading scorer in 1953 and 1955 as a starting forward on a team that won the PCC Southern Division championship.
Jeff Nygaard (volleyball) was the middle blocker and a member of two NCAA championship teams in 1993 and 1995. He was a three-time All-American from 1993-95 and National Player of the Year in 1994 and 1995. He was a member of the 1996 and 2000 U.S. Olympic volleyball teams and competed in the 2004 Olympics in beach volleyball.
Keri Phebus (tennis) was an All-American in all four years at UCLA, from 1993-96. He won the Honda Award as the nation’s best collegiate tennis player in 1995 after winning the NCAA singles and doubles titles.
Baseball:
>> The Bruins were ranked No. 12 in the CSTV Fall Top 25, released last Friday. UCLA is listed third in the Pac-10, with Arizona State at No. 1 and two-time defending national champion Oregon State at No. 4.
>> Two Bruins were ranked among the top 30 collegiate prospects in the nation by Baseball America. Shortstop Brandon Crawford was listed 10th and left-handed pitcher Tim Murphy was ranked 18th. UCLA was one of only six teams to have two or more players on that list.
Football:
>> UCLA set an all-time record for season tickets in 2007 with the final total (including student season tickets) finishing at 49,200.
Rowing:
>> UCLA’s varsity eight was disqualified in its race last Saturday at the Head of the American regatta, but the second eight came in seventh in its race. The varsity four also finished seventh.
Men’s Golf:
>> UCLA won the Callaway Golf Collegiate Match Play Championship yesterday in Greensboro, Ga., winning 15 of 20 matches and defeating Georgia Tech, 4-1, in the final. Senior Kevin Chappell and freshman Phillip Francis won all four of their matches and Craig Leslie and James Lee also won their matches in the final. Erik Flores won his first three matches, but lost, 1-up, against Taylor Hall of Georgia Tech.
Men’s Soccer:
>> The Bruins (8-6-2, 4-2-1 conference) remain in first place in the six-team Pac-10 standings by 1 point with three games remaining in the regular season. UCLA lost a tight game to Washington, 1-0, last Sunday at Drake Stadium despite outshooting the Huskies, 15-4.
Men’s Water Polo:
>> Goalkeeper Chay Lapin (pictured) was the hero as UCLA took a 3-1 lead, had a 4-3 halftime edge and then outscored top-ranked USC 5-2 in the second half to give the Trojans their first loss of the year, 9-5, last Sunday. The Bruins are now 16-5 overall and stand fourth in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation at 3-2.
Lapin had a career-high 15 saves in goal for the Bruins, who snapped a four-match losing streak to the Trojans. He was named the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Mikasa co-Player of the Week.
Women’s Soccer:
>> The Bruins (12-1-2) are an unanimous No. 1 in the national polls and have not only won nine matches in a row (and are unbeaten in their last 14), but have not been scored on in 518 minutes of play! UCLA is 5-0 in Pac-10 matches and has outscored its opposition, 10-0. And, sophomore scoring machine Lauren Cheney continues to lead the nation in scoring at 1.13 goals per game.
Lexus Gauntlet:
>> After four of the 25 scheduled events, UCLA leads USC, 12 1/2-7 1/2 in the 2007-08 Lexus Gauntlet. The next matchup with Gauntlet implications is this Friday’s women’s volleyball match at USC.
Chay Lapin photo courtesy UCLA.
It’s basketball time! The highly ranked Bruin men’s basketball team will start its season this week:
Cross-country:
>> Last week: The Bruin men enjoyed a fourth-place finish in the Pac-10 Conference, UCLA’s best finish in coach Eric Peterson’s eight years. Senior Austin Ramos finished fourth overall, and every one of the 10 Bruin runners had a lifetime best over the 8,000-meter course. The Bruin women, however, finished last in the conference and even lost five points in the Lexus Gauntlet against USC, which finished eighth.
>> Next week: The Bruin men are off and will compete in the NCAA West Regional on Nov. 10 in Eugene, Ore.
Football:
>> Last week: The Bruins were humbled, 27-7, at Washington State and outgained, 546-265. Khalil Bell and Brandon Breazell were injured during the first half and did not return to the game
>> This week: UCLA (5-3, 4-1 in the Pac-10) travels to Tuscon to take on Arizona (3-6, 2-4), which enjoyed a miracle comeback to beat Washington, 48-41, on Saturday in Seattle. The last Bruin trip to Arizona, in 2005, resulted in a 52-14 loss.
Men’s basketball:
>> Last week: The Bruins continued practice and were picked No. 2 in the nation in the first ESPN coaches' poll.
>> This week: UCLA will open its exhibition season Friday with a game at Pauley Pavilion against Azusa Pacific.
Men’s soccer:
>> Last week: No. 24 UCLA (8-5-2, 4-1-1 in the Pac-10) won its fourth straight game with a 2-1 win Friday night over Oregon State at Drake Stadium. David Estrada and Maxwell Griffin scored to give UCLA a 2-0 lead at halftime.
>> This week: The Bruins will play Washington at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Drake Stadium, and then head to the Bay Area to play at Stanford on Friday night and at California next Sunday.
Men’s water polo:
>> This week: No. 3 UCLA (15-5, 2-2 conference) plays No. 1 USC (13-0, 4-0 conference) at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Sunset Canyon Recreation Center. The Bruins will have one game this coming week, a nonconference game Saturday at UC San Diego.
Women’s basketball:
>> This week: UCLA will open its 2007-08 season with an exhibition game at 7 p.m. Thursday against Team Concept at Pauley Pavilion. Senior forward Lindsey Pluimer will return along with two other starters and the No. 4-ranked recruiting class in the nation.
Women’s soccer:
>> Last week: The top-ranked Bruins (12-1-2) dispatched ninth-ranked USC, 2-0, on Friday night at Drake Stadium. The game drew a strong crowd of 3,345 for a doubleheader with the men’s and women’s teams, and Lauren Cheney and Kara Lang scored second-half goals to run UCLA’s unbeaten streak to 35 matches at home.
>> This week: The Bruins face Arizona State on Friday night and Arizona on Sunday afternoon, both at Drake Stadium.
Women’s volleyball:
>> Last week: No. 7 UCLA (16-6, 6-5 Pac-10) had a rough weekend, losing to No. 3-ranked Stanford in four games Friday night at Pauley Pavilion, and to No. 9 California in five games Saturday night.
>> This week: The Bruins will play USC on Friday at Galen Center. The Bruins defeated USC, 3-1, at Pauley Pavilion on Oct. 5.
 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
 The Bruins have two football teams with glossy conference records: one men’s and one women’s, but they will both face challenges this week:
Cross-country:
>> Last week: The No. 19 Bruins ran an all-freshman team Saturday that was good enough to sweep the first five scoring places at the Fullerton Invitational and win with a perfect score of 15 points. Spencer Knight and his twin brother, Dylan, were the top UCLA finishers in second and fourth place overall.
>> This week: The running gets serious with the Pac-10 Championships on Saturday at Corvallis, Ore. UCLA will try to qualify for the Western Regional Championships on Nov. 10 — the gateway to competing in the NCAA meet in Terre Haute, Ind.
Football:
>> Last week: UCLA (5-2) defeated No. 10 California, 30-21, at the Rose Bowl as Alterraun Verner intercepted Bear quarterback Nate Longshore’s pass and returned it 76 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
>> This week: The Bruins are 4-0 in the Pac-10 Conference and head to Pullman, Wash., on Saturday to face a 2-5 Washington State team that is 0-4 in conference play. Game time is 3:30 p.m.
Men’s basketball:
>> Last week: As the Bruins continued practicing in advance of their first exhibition game Nov. 2, a limited number of single-game tickets for the nonconference games at Pauley Pavilion were released for public sale. There also are a limited number of "holiday packs" of tickets to four games in November and December for which student attendance is low. Call (310) UCLA-WIN for more information or visit Ticketmaster.com.
>> This week: More practice!
Men’s soccer:
>> Last week: The Bruins improved to 6-5-2 overall and 2-1-1 in the Pac-10 with a 4-1 win over Oregon State in Corvallis. Second-half goals by Jason Leopoldo, Maxwell Griffin and David Estrada broke open a 1-1 halftime tie.
>> This week: UCLA is in Seattle today for a match with the Washington Huskies, then has a rematch against Oregon State at 5 p.m. Friday at Drake Stadium. Next Sunday, the Bruins will face Washington again, this time at Drake Stadium in a 1 p.m. start.
Men’s water polo:
>> Last week: The Bruins, ranked fourth in the nation, lost to No. 3 California, 8-7, on Saturday morning at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center. Scott Davidson and Marco Santos both had two goals for the Bruins.
>> This week: The Bruins take on No. 13 Pacific at 1 p.m. today on campus. Next Sunday, UCLA will face top-ranked USC at Sunset Canyon Recreation Center at 1 p.m.
Women’s soccer:
>> Last week: The No. 1-ranked Bruins (10-1-2) throttled No. 2 Stanford (10-2-1) with a 2-0 win Friday night in Palo Alto. Lauren Cheney scored on a penalty kick in the 37th minute and assisted on Christina DiMartino’s goal in the 75th minute. Keeper Valerie Henderson (pictured) posted her fourth shutout of the season.
>> This week: UCLA faces 19th-ranked California at 1 p.m. today in Berkeley, and will play USC on Friday at Drake Stadium as part of a doubleheader with the men’s team. The women’s game will start at 7:30 p.m.
Women’s volleyball:
>> Last week: No. 7 UCLA was swept Thursday by the fifth-ranked Washington Huskies in Seattle, but bounced back to defeat Washington State in Pullman in straight sets Friday night.
>> This week: UCLA is now 16-4 overall and 6-3 in Pac-10 play, and begins the second half of its conference schedule against second-ranked Stanford at 7 p.m. Thursday at Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins will play California at 7 p.m. Friday, also at Pauley Pavilion.
Also of note:
The Bruin men will have at least one finalist at the ITA Regional Championships being played at Pepperdine as three UCLA players advanced to the semifinals: second-seed Harel Srugo, Mathieu Dehaine and Haythem Abid. Srugo and Dehaine will play in one semifinal today while Abid will play top-seeded Andre Begemann of Pepperdine in the other. In the women’s ITA Regionals in San Diego, top-seeded Yasmin Schnack and Riza Zalameda reached the semifinals and will play Arizona State’s Laila and Nadia Abdala today.
Valerie Henderson photo courtesy UCLA
UCLA’s football squad is undefeated in the Pac-10 entering this week’s game with Cal at the Rose Bowl, and the women’s soccer team will find out where it stands nationally with crucial games this weekend against Stanford and California. Plus:
Cross-country:
>> The men’s team is ranked 19th in the country and will be in action, along with the Bruin women, on Saturday morning at the Fullerton Invitational.
Football:
>> UCLA is 4-2 overall and 3-0 in the Pac-10, and hopes fo | |
