MALIBU, Calif. - The Pepperdine women's swimming and diving team returns from the Holiday break this weekend with the Chris Knorr Invitational, hosted by Cal Lutheran, on January 2-3. The Waves won the 2014 edition of the invitational, topping both UC Santa Cruz and the hosting Regals.

MEET 5: Pepperdine at Chris Knorr Invitational | January 2-3 | Thousand Oaks, Calif.

SCHEDULE: The Chris Knorr Invitational opens at 4 p.m. on Friday with the 1650 freestyle ... A full lineup of swim events will be contested on Saturday, beginning at 10 a.m.

LOOKING BACK: The Waves had a spectacular outing at the A3 Performance Meet ... The majority of all swims by all student-athletes went down as season-best times, with over two dozen personal record times and splits lowered ... Jessica Mosbaugh broke the 200 butterfly record, bringing her program record count to four ... Mosbaugh ended the year for Pepperdine at the AT&T Winter Nationals, competing in both the 100 and 200 breaststrokes.

LOOKING AHEAD: The Waves continue competition on Jan. 16-17 with the Beach Cup ... This year's event is hosted by Fresno State.

SOCIAL HUB: The Pepperdine swimming and diving team is on Twitter @PeppSwimandDive ... Fans can like the Waves on Facebook by searching for PeppSwimDive ... The team is also on Instagram and goes by the handle: PeppSwimDive ... Follow or like us for all the latest news on the Waves!

WARM WELCOME: Coach Nick Rodionoff signed eight to an NLI last month ... Lauren Allard, Allie Carter, Julianna Chan, Megan Henley, Jessica King, Samantha Newman, Taylor Pinkerton and Morgan Rosztoczy have all signed National Letters of Intent and will join the team next fall.

THE TEAM: Pepperdine returns 15 student-athletes from last year's squad, including All-PCSC performers Jessica Mosbaugh, Sydney Newman and Allison Naasz ... Mosbaugh enters her junior campaign as the defending 200 breaststroke conference champion and current Pepperdine record holder in the 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke and 200 IM ... Newman, now a sophomore, was the Waves' top diver as a freshman ... Naasz excelled for Pepperdine in the freestyle, both individually and in relays ... Nicolette Barreiro is expected to be a top contender in the butterfly ... Seniors Codie Cox (fly/back) and Cailey Stuebner (free/back/fly/IM ) should also make their mark during the 2014-15 season ... Emma Fitzsimmons, Katie Giacobbe, Laura Graziano, Erin Himes, Blair Kacynski, Kathrine Kuhlmann, Kelly Presper and Elena Witham are all back after scoring points at the conference championships in 2014 ... Amanda Rowe is also back in the pool after redshirting as a sophomore in 2013-14.

#PURPOSE: The Pepperdine University Department of Athletics is committed to Christian values, to the academic well-being of all of our student-athletes and to competing for championships ... We prepare students for success by challenging them to think differently - find your purpose, serve others and lead by example ... The Competing with Purpose campaign highlights the commitment to our core values that student-athletes, coaches and staff dedicate themselves to daily ... Competing with Purpose provides the foundation on which champions are built.

Nick Rodionoff: Head coach Nick Rodionoff is now in his 15th season at the helm of the Pepperdine swimming and diving program ... Rodionoff has guided the Waves to 11 top-five finishes at the Pacific Collegiate Swim & Dive Conference Championships, including a tied-for-program-best second place result in 2008 ... He was elected PCSC Coach of the Year in 2002 and 2009 ... Rodionoff's swimmers have broken 13 school records in 20 possible events and have recorded 70 of Pepperdine's all-time fastest marks ... He first came onto the Pepperdine scene in 1974 to coach the men's diving team ... Prior to coming to Malibu, Rodionoff served as the diving coach to nearby UCLA from 1964-74 ... He has been inducted into the International Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame, as well as the National High School Coaches Hall of Fame following a 33-year run at Birmingham High School, where he also taught ... Rodionoff is the only coach in the United States to have coached national champions in both swimming and diving and also guided the women's national relay team to a 200 freestyle record ... He was the 1999 recipient of the Fred A. Cady Memorial Coaches Award.

ROOKIES: The Waves welcome six newcomers to the roster in 2014-15, including five freshmen and one sophomore ... Freshmen include Sabrina Altman, Lauren Stigers, Rachel Wilt, Abby Crawford and Heather Connelly ... Kayla Gonzales joins the team as a sophomore.

2013-14 SEASON RECAP: The Pepperdine women's swimming and diving team had a banner year, finishing fifth in the PCSC Championships ... The top-five result marked the team's highest finish since the program's reinstatement in 2010 ... Jessica Mosbaugh became the Waves' first-ever conference champion in the 200 breaststroke ... Sydney Newman, Allison Naasz and Emily Parks all individually earned All-PCSC status in at least one event, while Mosbaugh was an all-conference performer in three individual events ... Mosbaugh took home PCSC Div. I Swimmer of the Year acclaim, while Newman was the Diver of the Year.

ABOUT PEPPERDINE: Pepperdine boasts a one-of-a-kind athletic department with unprecedented success for a school of its size. The Waves have won NCAA Division I championships in five different men's sports — one of just 17 schools to have accomplished this feat — and nine overall. Of this elite group, Pepperdine has the smallest undergraduate enrollment, is the only school without football and is the only university that has not been affiliated with a "major" conference. The Waves have won a total of 23 team or individual national championships in their history. Pepperdine has also earned the Division I-AAA All-Sports Trophy, an award based on postseason success that's given to the top non-football school, three times (most recently in 2011-12). Located in scenic Malibu, Calif., the university overlooks the Pacific Ocean and its campus and athletic facilities are regularly voted among the nation's most beautiful. Pepperdine, which is affiliated with the Church of Christ, ranks #54 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges.