COLLEGES / ALAN OTA : In Rematch of 1991 Final, 49ers Hope to Settle Score With UCLA in Volleyball

The Cal State Long Beach women’s volleyball team that plays UCLA on Saturday certainly won’t be lacking for inspiration.

The teams last played in the 1991 NCAA final at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion, where the 49ers won the first two games and were ahead, 13-12, in the third before losing their momentum and the match in five games. It was UCLA’s second consecutive NCAA title.

Five of the six Long Beach starters return, which is a concern to UCLA Coach Andy Banachowski.

“They’ve got a lot of motivation going for themselves,” Banachowski said. “There definitely is the revenge factor there.”

The rematch, which ends the regular season for both teams, will be held at Long Beach at 7:30 p.m.

The No. 3 49ers (27-1) have been undefeated since losing the season opener to No. 2 Stanford. They clinched a second consecutive Big West Conference championship last week by beating No. 4 Pacific in three games.

Long Beach Coach Brian Gimmillaro says his squad is led by senior All-American setter Sabrina Hernandez, who has 1,111 assists, and 6-foot-2 junior All-American middle blocker Danielle Scott, who has 376 kills. The team leads the nation with a .341 hitting percentage.

“A lot of our success in hitting is due to Sabrina,” Gimmillaro said. “She is asked to direct what I have no doubt to be the most complicated offense anywhere.”

In that offense, the players perform a variety of passing combinations, with the net divided into nine areas and the sets directed to three or four heights.

Banachowski sees the match as a good preparation for the NCAA playoffs and looks forward to countering the strategic maneuvering provided by Gimmillaro.

“I like to match my wits against his,” Banachowski said. “We’re starting to re-establish the rivalry between the schools.”

Gimmillaro believes the No. 1 Bruins (27-0) are improved from the 1991 team.

“They returned all their starters,” he said. “They’re a year stronger. And with the addition of (senior outside hitter Jenny) Evans (who missed last year because of shoulder surgery), they’re a year stronger.

“In terms of physical ability and experience, they’re certainly one of the best teams ever.”

The NCAA tournament pairings will be announced Sunday.

Pepperdine water polo Coach Terry Schroeder is confident that his team will be peaking when it begins play in the NCAA tournament.

The Waves, who meet UC Irvine in the first round on Friday at 5 p.m. at the Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach, have won seven of nine games and are looking to improve on last season’s best-ever third-place finish.

Pepperdine (18-9) is currently ranked fifth.

Schroeder believes the Waves must play consistent team defense to contend for the national title.

“Anything can happen this weekend because there is so much parity between the top teams,” he said.

Irvine (19-8) has beaten Pepperdine in three games this season, but Schroeder believes the Waves have improved in each match.

Pepperdine’s leading scorers are senior Alex Asta with 58 goals and senior Henry Rabello with 55. Senior goalie Peter Schuler has 220 saves and is giving up 6.36 goals a game.

Top-ranked and undefeated California (28-0) is favored to win its third consecutive championship. The final will be played Sunday at 8 p.m.

Notes

The UCLA men’s golf team placed four players among the top six to win the University of San Francisco Collegiate Invitational last week at the Olympic Club’s Lake Course in San Francisco. The Bruins’ also had the third-lowest team total in tournament history. Pepperdine finished 17 strokes back for second place in the 12-team field.

UCLA senior Justin Hicks won medalist honors with a four-over-par 217, edging UC Irvine’s Steve Holmes by two strokes. Bruin junior Kevin Claborn placed third at 220, defeating champion junior Todd Andrews of Pepperdine by a stroke. UCLA senior Ted Gleason was fifth at 222. Bruin senior Jorgen Aker and Pepperdine senior Jeff Gove tied for 6th at 223.

Pepperdine will begin competition at the 54-hole UNLV-Rebel Classic at the Las Vegas Country Club on Monday.

Pepperdine’s Alex Asta, Henry Rabello and Peter Schuler were selected to the All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Pacific Division water polo first team. Pepperdine’s Zachary Holder, a junior driver who had 35 goals, was a second-team pick. UCLA junior hole man Chris Kellerman was a Mountain Division second-team selection.