Pepperdine golfers in the national spotlight
T
he Pepperdine University men’s and women’s golf teams have been making headlines, with a member of each team being named conference Players of the Month and the men’s team being recognized by a national magazine.
Senior Alex Coe and Junior Eileen Vargas were named West Coast Conference Players of the Month for the men’s and women’s teams respectively due to their February performances. Coe had two top ten national tournament finishes during the month, while Vargas placed in the top 15 twice.
Golfweek magazine named the men’s squad its Team of the Week for the men’s winning performance in the Ashworth Collegiate Invitaional on Feb. 28. The team defeated 14 other schools, including host USC, by nine strokes at tournament, which took place at North Ranch Country Club in nearby Westlake Village.
The men followed that win with an impressive third-place finish this past weekend at the General Jim Hackler Invitational in South Carolina. Coe was the individual winner, posting rounds of 70-71-69. His 210 stroke total was a career low.
The women’s team was competing in the Santa Clara Colby Invitational when The Malibu Times went to print with the Waves holding an 18-shot lead after the first round and Vargas heading the individual competition.
Pepperdine baseball wins tough series
A late rally in the final game prevented the Pepperdine University baseball team (12-10) from completing a three-game sweep over Oklahoma State on Sunday.
The Cowboys defeated Pepperdine, 3-2, on Sunday after trailing, 2-1. The loss for the No. 23 Waves came after wins on Friday and Saturday by scores of 4-1 and 6-3.
Pepperdine will play again this weekend with a home series beginning on Friday against Dartmouth. The first game will start at 7 p.m.
Pepperdine volleyball rips San Diego
The No. 3 Pepperdine University men’s volleyball team easily swept San Diego on Saturday (30-20, 30-21, 30-27) in a home match that lasted just 76 minutes. The win elevated the Waves’ record to 12-4.
Pepperdine will compete at home on Friday against UCLA in the second match of the year between last year’s national championship game opponents. The game will begin at 7 p.m.
Pepperdine men’s tennis continues down winning path
The second-ranked Pepperdine Universwy men’s tennis team defeated No. 7 Baylor in a tight match on Monday in Malibu, with the Waves winning, 4-3
Pepperdine (16-1) earned doubles wins from junior Richard Johnson and freshman Omar Altmann and the pair consisting of senior Scott Doerner and sophomore Andre Begemann.
Doerner and seniors Pedro Rico and Ivor Lovrak won in singles competition.
Doerner was named West Coast Conference Player of the Month. He posted a 3-2 record in February, with both losses coming against nationally ranked top five opponents. He was also instrumental in helping the Waves reach the finals of the ITA National Team Indoor Championships
The women’s team, ranked 17th in the nation, competed against No. 11 Baylor after The Malibu Times went to print.
The women will play again on Friday when they host New Mexico at 1:30 p.m. The men will host Pacific on Saturday at 10 a.m.
-Jonathan Friedman