MEN'S VOLLEYBALL: Ranked in the top five in several preseason polls, BYU kicks off its season this week with two games on its home court. The Cougars will face UC Irvine in matches on both Thursday and Friday nights at the Smith Fieldhouse in Provo. Both matches start at 7 p.m.
BYU ended the season with a record of 16-6 overall and 14-6 in league play, finishing third in the mountain division of the MPSF. The Cougars lost 3-1 to Long Beach State in the first round of the league tournament in a close match, 17-16, 15-13, 17-16. The highlight of the BYU season was sweeping No. 1 UCLA at UCLA on March 6.The team was ranked first in the nation at the start of the season and was ranked seventh in the AVCA poll at the end of the NCAA tournament. Ossie Antonetti and Ryan Millar were named first team in the MPSF conference and Hidde Van Beest was named second team. Van Beest led the nation in blocking average.
WRESTLING: Rangi Smart has been named the Western Athletic Conference wrestler of the week for the week of Dec. 27 - Jan. 3. He went 3-0 at the BYU Aloha Classic, including a win over seventh-ranked Joey Killar of Harvard.
Smart is 8-2 overall this season, with his only two losses coming to the top-ranked wrestler in the nation in the 165-pound weight class. Smart is ranked second in the nation, according to the Amateur Wrestling News National Wrestling Coaches Poll.
BYU is currently ranked 24th in the nation.
Next up for BYU will be Ricks College, which will visit the Smith Fieldhouse at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Weber State
BASKETBALL: Mascot Night is slated for the Weber State game Saturday against the University of Montana at the Dee Events Center. Tipoff has been changed to 8:35 p.m. to accommodate Fox Sports Northwest Television.
Over fifteen area mascots are planning to attend the second annual event.
Junior colleges
SLCC SOFTBALL CLINIC: Salt Lake Community College will sponsor a women's softball coaches' clinic for high school, recreation, accelerated and college coaches on Saturday, Jan. 23, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Room 106 of its Redwood Road campus. Clinic presenters will be Jackquie Joseph, Michigan State University coach, and University of Utah's Michelle Townsend-Graves. Early registration is $30, $40 at the door. Call Norma at 957-4083.