SoCal WCC Weekly Recap (11/3)

Now that the weather is officially getting chilly and there was actually rain falling over the weekend, it finally seems fitting to call this the fall sports recap for the WCC’s southern California representitives.  Again, since the WCC does not have football or swimming but some of its members do, this will also cover some Pioneer Football League (USD), Pacific Coast Swimming Conference (USD, Pepperdine and LMU),and Western Water Polo Association (LMU and Pepperdine) action.  All teams compete in the NCAA’s Division I.

Loyola Marymount Lions

The men’s cross country team nearly pulled off the unthinkable at the WCC Championships in Belmont, California over the weekend: they almost beat Portland.  The 4th ranked Portland Pilots won the conference title for the 30th consecutive year, but LMU came within 10 points of the massive upset, the closest margin of victory in conference history.  LMU’s women also had a fantastic showing and placing second to Portland by only 5 points.

The men’s soccer team ran its record to 3-4-1 in WCC play (5-6-5 over all) with a 1-0 win over St. Mary’s.  The Lions are currently 5th in the conference.  The third place women’s soccer team (9-6-3) traveled to San Francisco and knocked off the Dons, and are now 4-2 in WCC play.

The 5th ranked Lions men’s water polo team remained undefeated in WWPA play (6-0) with a 14-8 win over #14 Santa Clara and an 8-4 win over #11 UC Davis, both games at UC Davis.

The Lions women’s swim team had their first duel meets over the weekend and came away with wins over Fresno Pacific and CSU Bakersfield, but lost to Pacific.

The Lions women’s volleyball team has fallen on tough times.  The lost at home to St. Mary’s and #24 Santa Clara over the weekend, and have now lost four in-a-row, falling to 2-7 in conference play.

Pepperdine Waves

Pepperdine didn’t fare quite so well at the WCC cross country championships.  The Waves men came in fifth and the women placed sixth (of eight for both).

The women’s soccer team had a better weekend, crushing St. Mary’s 4-0 on the road.  The Waves are now 4th in the conference at 3-3 (8-9-2 over all).

The women’s #19 volleyball team had a terrible weekend and will likely see its top 25 ranking stripped away after losing at home 3-1 to St. Mary’s and 3-0 to #24 Santa Clara.  The losses were the Waves’ 3rd and 4th in-a-row since earning their highest national rank of the year at #15 two week ago.  The Waves are now 5th in the WCC at 4-5 after opening the season with a perfect 12-0 preseason.

The #6 Waves men’s water polo team lost to #1 USC at home last week 14-5, the team’s first loss since September 21.  But Pepperdine recovered to edge out #10 Long Beach State 8-7 in Long Beach to avenge that last loss in September.

San Diego Toreros

The Toreros saw their Division I leading 28-game home win streak snapped on Saturday when the Dayton Flyers came to town and won 30-22.  It was a game of streaks, and Dayton had its last.  The Flyers scored first to take a 6-0 lead, the Toreros roared back with 22 unanswered to lead 22-6 in the second quarter.  The Flyers answered with 24 unanswered of their own and the Toreros come back.  The loss marks the second in-a-row for San Diego after a perfect 6-0 start.  USD is 4-2 in the PFL and 6-2 over all.

The news was even worse for the Torero cross country team, whose men finished eighth at the WCC Championships, with the women placing seventh.

After opening the season with one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the nation (0-5-3), the Torero men’s soccer team came alive in WCC play, winning six of its first seven games and surging into first place in the conference.  Despite a shutout loss to St. Mary’s over the weekend, the Toreros are still in first place at 6-2.

The women’s soccer team is enjoying even greater success, with a perfect 6-0 record in the WCC, 14-3-2 over all, and a #14 national ranking.  The Toreros traveled to Spokane over the weekend and held off Gonzaga 3-2.  The Toreros host #3 Portland (6-0 WCC, 16-1-0 over all) on Saturday with the WCC title on the line in their regular season finale.

The #15 women’s volleyball team treaveled tot he Pacific Northwest and came away with two more straight-sets wins over Gonzaga and Portland.  The Toreros have not dropped a set since October 23.