The Year in Review
The Heritage Continues: Athletics

Pepperdine University experienced another strong effort by its athletics program during the 2002-03 academic year, highlighted by a single-season, record-tying nine teams advancing to NCAA Championship postseason play. Sports Illustrated ranked Pepperdine University 50 out of 324 Division I athletic programs in their "America's Best Sports Colleges" list, October 2002, concluding, "Amazing success for a school of 3,000."

The 2002-03 West Coast Conference (WCC) seasons culminated with Pepperdine claiming its second consecutive Commissioner's Cup. The Commissioner's Cup is an all-sports award presented at the end of each academic year to the league's top performing school in conference play. The Waves also completed a sweep by winning the Men's and Women's All-Sports Award, recognizing athletic achievement within each gender.

Pepperdine teams captured WCC championships in seven sports: women's basketball, men's golf, women's golf, women's soccer, men's tennis, women's tennis, and women's volleyball. In addition, the men's volleyball and men's water polo teams won their respective Mountain Pacific Sports Federation regular season titles.

The baseball, women's basketball, and women's soccer programs were joined by the men's and women's golf, tennis, and volleyball teams at the NCAA Championships. The women's golf team earned a best-ever second place finish at the NCAA Championship conducted in May at Purdue. During the fall, the women's soccer and women's volleyball programs both recorded best-ever showings at their respective NCAA Championships. The women's soccer team earned the No. 3 national seed and advanced to the third round while the women's volleyball team advanced to the "Elite Eight" before losing to USC, the eventual NCAA champion.

Four of the program's thirteen head coaches-Laurie Gibbs (women's golf), Nina Matthies (women's volleyball), Frank Sanchez (baseball), and Tim Ward (women's soccer)-earned "Coach of the Year" honors. Gibbs was named the West Region "Co-Coach of the Year" by the National Golf Coaches Association. Matthies and Ward both earned West Region "Coach of the Year" accolades from the American Volleyball Coaches Association and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, respectively. This was the second time Mathies has received this honor. Matthies, who was tabbed the WCC's "Coach of the Year" for the eighth time in her career earlier this season, has guided the Waves into the regional semifinals for the fourth time in five years.

Eleven student-athletes earned All-American honors: Diego Acuna (men's tennis), Calle Hansen (men's tennis), Katherine Hull (women's golf), Brad Keenan (men's volleyball), Karl Niehaus (water polo), Sean Rooney (men's volleyball), Jesse Smith (water polo), Ashley Swanson (women's soccer), Katie Wilkins (women's volleyball), Fred Winters (men's volleyball), and Lindsey Wright (women's golf).

Winning their respective sport's "Player of the Year" award were Kevin Estrada (baseball), Calle Hansen (men's tennis), Carolina Llano (women's golf), Tamara McDonald (women's basketball), Michael Putnam (men's golf), and Katie Wilkins (women's volleyball). Katherine Hull (women's golf) was tabbed the National Golf Coaches Association "Player of the Year" and won the inaugural Dinah Shore Award. She was also selected the WCC's
"Co-Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year." Hull is the first female athlete from Pepperdine to receive the honor, which recognizes the finest accomplishments in athletics, academics, and community service by individuals who have completed their eligibility.

In men's basketball, sophomore guard Terrance Johnson and senior forward Jimmy Miggins were both named to the All-WCC first team in a vote conducted this spring by the league's head coaches. Pepperdine rookie guard Alex Acker was selected the league's "Freshman of the Year" and was an honorable mention All-WCC pick, along with senior forward Boomer Brazzle.

In women's basketball, senior guard Tamara McDonald was named the WCC's "Player of the Year" this March, and sophomore guard Shanell Law was selected to the all-conference team.

In April, Pepperdine cruised to its 13th consecutive WCC men's tennis title. In women's tennis, Pepperdine captured the WCC women's tennis title.

Men's head volleyball coach Marv Dunphy was formally honored as one of four coaches named to the U.S. Volleyball Association's Men's 1978-2002 All-Era Team. Dunphy was recognized by USA Volleyball at the Dorothy C. Boyce Annual Awards and Recognition Banquet in Minneapolis. The men's volleyball team, under his coaching, secured
the regular season WCC title and was the top seed for the league's postseason tournament. Senior middle blocker Brad Keenan, sophomore outside hitter Sean Rooney, and junior outside hitter Fred Winters were each named to the All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation first team. Brad Keenan was named Volleyball Magazine's 2003 "Player of the Year," while sophomore outside hitter Sean Rooney and junior outside hitter Fred Winters were tabbed All-Americans in July. All three players were also tabbed All-Americans by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

The women's golf team captured their fifth consecutive WCC title this spring. Freshman Carolina Llano claimed individual medalist honors. Senior All-American Lindsey Wright, the defending tournament champion, finished second, and senior Katherine Hull finished in a three-way tie for third place. Hull, a three-time All-American, is arguably the greatest women's golfer in Waves' history.

In men's golf, Pepperdine won its fifth consecutive WCC title in April at the Riverbend Golf Course in Fresno.