Sept. 9, 2003
The 2003-2004 Pepperdine athletics season gets underway this weekend when the women's volleyball team opens practice in preparation for its upcoming campaign.
Joining the women's volleyball team shortly in early-season workouts will be the men's and women's cross country teams, women's soccer and men's water polo.
Cross country and women's soccer are scheduled to begin practice on Thursday, August 14, while water polo gets underway on August 20.
The women's volleyball team, under head coach Nina Matthies, is coming off a 26-7 record in which it advanced to the "Elite Eight" of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history and concluded the year ranked No. 6 in the final American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll in 2002.
Matthies, who is beginning her 21st season as Pepperdine's head coach, welcomes back 10 letterwinners, including five starters from last year's team.
The Waves are led by seniors Katie Wilkins and Lyndsey Hache'. Wilkins, an outside hitter, earned second team All-American honors, All-Pacific Region accolades and was chosen the WCC's "Player of the Year" in 2002.
Hache', a middle blocker, was an All-Pacific Region and first team All-WCC selection a year ago.
Sophomore outside hitter Breegan Mulligan returns for her second season after being selected the WCC's "Freshman of the Year" last season.
The Waves begin their 27-match schedule by hosting the Four Points Sheraton Classic at Firestone Fieldhouse August 29-30. The field includes Eastern Washington, Notre Dame and Arizona.
The men's and women's cross country teams are led by head coach Dick Kampmann, who is beginning his 15th season at Pepperdine. The men's team finished fourth at last year's WCC Championships and is paced by sophomore Chad Trammell.
The women's cross country team also placed fourth at the WCC Championships a year ago and is led by sophomore Lauren Tyree, who was the Waves' top finisher at last year's league championships.
The first cross country meet is scheduled for August 30 when both the men's and women's teams compete at the Cal State Fullerton Invitational in Brea, California.
Sixth-year head coach Tim Ward welcomes back 14 letterwinners, including seven starters, from last year's women's soccer team that produced a school-record 18-2-2 overall record, claimed a share of its first-ever WCC title, advanced to the "Sweet 16" of the NCAA Championships and earned a Top 10 final national ranking.
Highlighting the list of returning players is third team All-American defender Ashley Swanson and the top four scorers from a year ago in junior forward Ali Pavoni, sophomore forward Jenna Fodor, senior forward Lacey Ubaldi and sophomore forward Megan Woods.
Pavoni and Fodor tied for the team-lead with 27 points, while Ubaldi totaled 25 points and Woods tallied 22.
Pepperdine opens its 19-match schedule on Friday, August 29, when it hosts UC Irvine at Tari Frahm Rokus Field beginning at 3 p.m. The Waves' home schedule also includes matches against local rival and perennial national power UCLA (August 31) and defending national champion Portland on October 24.
Terry Schroeder is entering his 18th season as the head coach of Pepperdine's men's water polo team. The Waves are coming off a 16-10 overall record in which they won the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) regular-season title and concluded the year ranked No. 3 in the final Water Polo Coaches Association (CWPCA) Poll.
Pepperdine is led by junior utilityman Jesse Smith who was named a first team All-American by the CWPCA and a first team All-MPSF pick.
The water polo team opens its 2003 season on August 6 when it hosts the Wasko Tournament at Raleigh Runnels Memorial Pool.
