Get the full run-down on all the sports this spring
Men’s Volleyball:
This semester the Pepperdine men’s volleyball team is looking forward to another strong season. With a victory against UCSD this weekend, the team is getting fired up for the remainder of the spring. With five NCAA Championship titles, the men’s volleyball team has served as a point of pride for Pepperdine Athletics and looks to this season to continue to make Pepperdine proud.
Head Coach Marv Dunphy said although the team is just getting started, it has the potential to do really well. With a 17-man roster, Dunphy believes he has a strongly balanced team for the season.
Women’s Volleyball:
Women’s sand volleyball begins their season, after an impressive first year as an NCAA sport. They will make a bid for the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Championship, with their first game in March. Running on the momentum of being last year’s champions, the team moves into the spring season with high hopes. The AVCA selects four teams to compete in the final four of the championship during April, in which Pepperdine has a strong chance to participate.
Men’s Basketball:
The men’s basketball team is in full swing with their West Coast Conference games, which feature nine teams and 16 games this season. The team also hopes to qualify for an NCAA post-season appearance in March if they can win the conference championship.
The team has taken a different approach this season and have played a younger lineup, with three freshmen and two sophomores as the starting five. Assistant Coach Bryant Moore said the coaching staff is working toward building the future of the team by allowing younger athletes to play. Coach Moore also hopes the team will be more competitive in their conference play.
Women’s Basketball:
The women’s basketball team is having a tough season, especially with two key players unable to play.
The team recently won against University of San Francisco, but fell to BYU.
Men’s Tennis:
After wrapping up the individual tournaments in the fall, men’s tennis is set for their dual season in the West Coast Conference this spring. The team’s WCC matches begin in March, in which they are firm favorites to win. This may propel them to the NCAA tournament in May.
Head Coach Adam Steinberg said although the team has eight men playing this season, this is one of the best teams he’s had at Pepperdine. The team is ranked No. 7 in the NCAA rankings. Finn Tearney, co-captain of the team, said he feels good going into the West Coast Conference and the NCAA tournament.
Women’s Tennis:
The Women’s Tennis team has a busy semester ahead of them with 11 non-conference games scheduled and WCC games starting from mid-March to April. This spring, the team is attempting to qualify for the NCAA tournament. Within the NCAA Division I schools, Pepperdine ranks in the top 40 out of 300 schools. Coaches Gualberto Escudero and Scott Doerner hope to break into the top 20 teams next year. Escudero reflected that the team is working on maintaining good habits and eliminating bad habits. Last year, the women’s team won the WCC championship during the dual season; the team is hoping to do the same this season.
Track:
The track team is anticipating a good season this spring, with their first meet in February at Westmont College, which will see schools like UCSB and Claremont coming out to participate. The team has a total of seven meets scheduled this semester. Coach Robert Radnoti said the team has a strong showing for the 800-meter this season with four or five key runners. The 100-meter and 200-meter events also look promising, with sprinters who are hoping to break some school records.
Baseball:
The baseball team kicks off the season with their first game in February against Western Michigan, a non-conference game. Pepperdine will face eight teams in the WCC, and although a tough road is ahead, Head Coach Steve Rodriguez is very confident of the team reaching the NCAA. Rodriguez said that they have a very good team and have the ability to beat anyone in the country. There are 35 players on the team this season, but they will need to adjust after losing a few key players who graduated last semester. Coach Rodriguez said they have a strong hitting and pitching lineup, and a strong infield and outfield as well.
Men’s Golf:
men’s golf has had an interesting year after a coaching change last semester, but the new head coach, Michael Beard, is no stranger to Pepperdine. While the team has lost ground due to less than stellar results from the fall, if they perform well enough this season it is possible for the team to qualify for regionals. The team’s first showing this season will be at an independent tournament in Arizona at the end of January. The West Coast Conference this year begins April 15 in Washington. The team is hopeful to qualify for the NCAA regionals in mid-May, which they did not manage last year.
Women’s Golf:
Women’s golf has consistently performed for the past 10 to 15 years and has been touted as one of the best programs in the country. Coach Laurie Gibbs can be applauded for assisting the women’s program to such success. In recent years, the team has won 11 consecutive WCC Championships and has qualified for the NCAA tournament 11 out of 14 times, including a great season last year that led them all the way to the championships. Coach Gibbs said the team is looking forward to a successful 2013 spring season. She also comments that the goal of the team is to practice hard in order to win.
Swim and Dive:
Pepperdine’s own women’s swim and dive team, whose season runs from mid-October to February is already nearing the end of competition season in the Pacific Collegiate Swim Conference (PCSC). Swim and dive bids in the NCAA championship are earnship by qualification, and despite Pepperdine’s strong showing in the top three of the PCSC, it is unlikely the team will qualify this year. The team is focusing on their stronger events of the 100-meter butterfly, 100-meter breaststroke, 200-meter medley and the sprint freestyle.