For most students, the holidays are a time of excitement, excusable overeating and reconnecting with family and friends, but the Waves athletics teams were also busy competing and racking up wins during the break.
Basketball:
While most students were home by Dec. 13, Pepperdine men’s basketball traveled to New Orleans to compete in the Tulane Classic. The Waves won 66-58 against Alabama State and lost to Tulane 69-54.
The Waves returned home after Christmas to play Fresno Pacific in their last non-conference game. Lorne Jackson made a layup in the last 3.5 seconds to win 60-59.
Men’s basketball finished with an 8-5 record in non-conference play, which is the best performance since the 2004-05 season.
Pepperdine began competition in the West Coast Conference with a 72-68 loss against No. 10 Gonzaga. Days later, the Waves won 54-47 against the Portland Pilots in an exciting home game.
Men’s Volleyball:
The No. 4 ranked Waves will be a force to reckon with on the court this year. The men’s volleyball team won all three games of the exhibition season.
The men’s volleyball season officially began Jan. 8 at the McDonalds Classic in UC Irvine. The last time this tournament was held, the Waves won the championship trophy.
This season their first match ended in a loss to UC Irvine, one of the top-ranked teams in the league and the national champions last year.
Just this weekend, the men dominated on the court against No. 13 UC San Diego. The home game against Pacific on Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. will be a game to watch.
Soccer:
Although the soccer season is over, Anisa Guajardo has become one of Pepperdine’s greatest soccer stars. After an offensive career that ended in 2012 with 10 goals and the selection for 2012 West Coast Conference First Team Pick, Guajardo will join the Boston Breakers for the 2013 professional season.
This year’s women’s soccer season saw 55 players placed on to eight different professional soccer teams in the National Women’s Soccer League. All 18 U.S. soccer Olympic gold medal winners will play on one of the eight teams during its inaugural season. Look out and pick a favorite from the Chicago Res Stars, FC Kansas City, Portland Thorns FC, Seattle Reign FC, Sky Blue FC, Washington Spirit, Western New York Flash — and get ready to see a Pepperdine student representing the Boston Breaker’s jersey.
