Dec. 3, 2009

The calendar may say its Winter time, but the Fall sports action is heating up, as four UCLA teams continue or begin play in the NCAA Tournament this weekend.

The weekend begins with the UCLA women's soccer team playing in its seventh consecutive NCAA College Cup on Friday, taking on Pac-10 rival Stanford in a National Semifinal match in College Station, Texas at 2:30 p.m. PT. The match can be viewed live on ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN360.com. You can also follow along with Gametracker.

The Bruins (21-2-1) will look to end the undefeated season of the Cardinal (24-0) and exact revenge on a 2-0 loss at Stanford on Oct. 18. The Bruins have defeated Boise State (7-1), San Diego State (5-0), Virginia (3-0) and Portland (2-1) on their way to the National Semifinal contest.

Later Friday night, the women's volleyball team opens postseason play at Pauley Pavilion against Long Beach State in the first round at 8 p.m. The match will be preceded by Georgia Tech against Baylor in the other first-round contest at 5:30 p.m. Gametracker and free audio and video will be available at UCLABruins.com.

UCLA earned a #8 national seed for the tournament and finished the regular season at 23-8 overall and in a tie for second in the Pac-10 with a 13-5 mark. The Bruins are a perfect 14-0 in first and second round matches at Pauley Pavilion since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1998.

On Saturday, the UCLA men's water polo squad plays in a National Semifinal contest in Princeton, N.J. against Loyola Marymount at 2 p.m. PT. The match will be video streamed online at NCAA.com.

The Bruins (22-6) advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004, earning an automatic berth as champions of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament. UCLA bested Pepperdine (8-5), USC (10-6) and California (10-7) on consecutive days last weekend.

About an hour after the men's water polo team leaves the pool, the UCLA men's soccer team takes to the pitch to face #3 Wake Forest in Winston Salem, N.C. at 4 p.m. PT. You can follow all the action with Gametracker. If the Bruins win, they will advance to the College Cup next weekend, which will be played just down the road in Cary, N.C.

The Bruins (12-3-4), a #6 national seed, earned a first-round bye into the NCAA Tournament and defeated Sacramento State in the second round by a score of 2-1. UCLA then hosted UC Santa Barbara last Saturday in a rematch of the 2006 National Championship match and came away with another 2-1 victory.

If the UCLA women's volleyball team defeats Long Beach State on Friday, the Bruins will face either Georgia Tech or Baylor in the second round at Pauley Pavilion on Saturday at 7 p.m.

On Sunday, UCLA could have a pair of teams playing for a National Championship. If the women's soccer team defeats Stanford on Friday, the Bruins will take on either North Carolina or Notre Dame in the title match at 10 a.m. PT. The match will air live on ESPN2 and ESPN360.com.

Midway through the women's soccer contest, the men's water polo team may also be playing for a national title, facing either USC or Princeton at 11 a.m. PT if the Bruins beat Loyola Marymount on Saturday. The National Championship match will be aired live on CBS College Sports. If UCLA falls to LMU, the Bruins will take on the USC-Princeton loser in the third-place match at 9 a.m. PT.