CTVRTLIK IS PICKED FOR THIRD GAMES.

Byline: Daily News Wire Services

Ex-Pepperdine star Bob Ctvrtlik, who will be playing in his third Olympics, headed a team of 17 regulars and six alternates named to the U.S. men's volleyball team Wednesday. Ctvrtlik participated on the gold-medal team at Seoul in 1988 and the bronze-medal team in 1992 at Barcelona. Scott Fortune, Jeff Stork and Bryan Ivie were the other players named with previous Olympic experience.

Brett Winslow, who broke a bone in his right hand when he angrily slammed it into the floor during a practice on May 23, was named as a regular. But if Winslow, whose hand is in a cast, is unable to compete, he could be replaced by one of the alternates before a July 5 roster deadline.

The U.S. women's team, which was announced last month, is led by Tammy Liley, who competed at both the Seoul and the Barcelona Games.

Springboard to Games: Mary Ellen Clark, glad to be competing after a bout with vertigo, overcame a slow start to place fourth in the 3-meter preliminary at the U.S. Olympic diving trials in Indianapolis.

Melisa Moses, a three-time national springboard champion, led the field of 14 women with 304.05 points.

Moses, of Orange Park, Fla., overtook leader Angie Trostel of Cincinnati on the last of her five optional dives, a reverse 2-1/2 somersault with a 2.8 degree of difficulty. Moses' marks by the seven judges ranged from 7.5 to 8.5.

Moses could barely contain her nerves on the opening night of the trials at the Indiana University Natatorium.

``I said a little prayer before the meet and tried to calm down,'' she said. ``I was really consistent, which is what I wanted coming into this meet. I just hope I can keep it up the next two rounds.''

Clark, of Newtown Square, Pa., dropped to 11th after her first two dives, then moved into contention with a reverse 2-1/2 somersault that earned four marks of 8.0 or better.

``I had a little bobble on my first dive. On my second dive I made a mental mistake,'' said Clark, the 1992 Olympic bronze medalist on the platform. ``I have to go after everything. I like the underdog position. Either that or 50-60 points ahead would be fine, too.''

Trostel was second with 295.41 points. Jenny Keim of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., who turned 18 on Monday, was third with 281.70. Clark's total of 277.20 is nearly 27 points behind Moses.

The entire field advances to today's semifinal, and then the top 12 will qualify for the final tonight. The top two divers make the Olympic team.

Clark could live without making the Olympic team, considering that a year ago she was bothered by vertigo and searching in vain for a cure.

The dizziness forced her off the diving board for nine months while she explored possible solutions such as acupuncture, sleeping upright in a chair to help reattach crystals to her inner ear and consuming fistfuls of vitamins and herbs.

Finally, Clark found relief at a clinic in Florida, where she received chiropractic manipulation and massage.

``I believed there was going to be an answer. I hoped it was going to be in time,'' she said. ``I'm a real believer that things happen for a reason. Maybe my body needed the time off, maybe I needed to refuel.''

Clark, 33, returned to full workouts last October.

Soccer choices: U.S. national team members Alexi Lalas, Kasey Keller and Claudio Reyna were chosen for the U.S. men's Olympic soccer team as the wild-card players not subject to FIFA's age restriction.

All three players had been considered likely additions to the under-23 team that will compete in the Olympics.

The American men play Argentina, co-favorites with Brazil to win the gold, in the first round on July 20 at Birmingham, Ala.

Michelle Akers, Mia Hamm and Kristine Lilly were among the top selections for the U.S. women's team, which opens against Denmark on July 21 at Orlando, Fla. Women's soccer is being played for the first time at the Olympics.