COLLEGE NOTEBOOK: UCLA SOCCER IN THE SAME PLACE.

Byline: RAMONA SHELBURNE  Staff Writer

They both started off the season near the top of the polls, filled with high expectations and an unprecedented collection of talent.

But where the UCLA women's soccer team zigged to a fourth straight Pacific 10 Conference title, the men's soccer team zagged through an injury-riddled season, happy when less than half the team was in the training room in one sitting.

Somehow though, they've both ended up in the same place: the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament, one win away from a berth in the College Cup.

``After all the injuries, it could've been a season that was going to the dumps,'' freshman forward David Estrada said. ``But we just kept working and believing in ourselves.''

The men's team will play at top-seeded Duke on Sunday afternoon. The women's team hosts Portland State at 6 p.m. Friday in a rematch of last season's NCAA championship game.

The women's team will be looking for its fourth straight trip to the College Cup. The Bruins road there this year has been significantly tougher than in years past, which is a good thing according to junior striker Danesha Adams.

``Last year, we made it through the tournament pretty easily. I don't think anyone scored on us,'' she said. ``And then (in the national championship game), when Portland scored on us early, we got down and didn't respond well.''

UCLA currently has 99 NCAA team titles. Should both teams advance this weekend, the women's team will have the first crack at winning the school's 100th national title, because the women's College Cup is earlier than the men's.

Volleyball heads to tournament time: The college volleyball season wraps up this weekend and No. 4 USC, No. 6 UCLA and No. 24 Pepperdine should all earn berths.

The Bruins and Trojans are likely to be host sites.

UCLA (26-3, 12-3) and USC (23-3, 12-3) are tied for third in the Pac-10, one game back of co-leaders Stanford (22-3, 13-2) and Washington (23-3, 13-2). The Cardinal and Huskies will settle the conference title Friday night at Maples Pavilion.

Waves rolling: The Pepperdine women's basketball team is off to a hot start after last week's 75-73 upset of then-No. 14 Rutgers. The victory was Pepperdine's first over a ranked opponent since Nov. 29, 1997, when the Waves topped No. 5 Florida, 65-51.

Former Palmdale High center Teiosha George is leading the team with a 12.8 scoring average. Teammate Daphanie Kennedy averaged 16.5 points in two games last week and was honored as the West Coast Conference Player of the Week. Kennedy made the tying basket at the end of regulation in the Waves' win over Rutgers.

Medders comes to town: Former Oak Park High standout Lyndsey Medders is back in town this weekend, leading Iowa State against Virginia Tech at 1 p.m. Friday at the Pepperdine Thanksgiving tournament Medders is projected as one of the top point guards in next spring's WNBA draft.