Wells gets nod

Zach Wells, who starred at Newport Harbor High and then for UCLA,

will start his third professional game when the MetroStars host Real

Salt Lake in the Major League Soccer opener for both teams at Giants

Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., at 4 p.m. Pacific time today.

The 6-foot-2, 187-pound Wells fills in for Jonny Walker, the

MetroStars’ starter since 2003 who had surgery in November to repair

a torn rotator cuff.

Wells, drafted with the 21st pick in the MLS SuperDraft prior to

the 2004 season, made four saves while allowing four goals in his two

starts last season, in which the MetroStars went 1-1.

MetroStars’ Coach Bob Bradley told reporters an exact return date

for Walker is uncertain.

Wells, 24, set the UCLA career record with 269 saves and was named

College Cup Defensive Most Valuable Player during the Bruins’

national championship run in 2002.

-- Bryce Alderton

Mustangs rebound

* VOLLEYBALL: Ryan Bagwell had nine kills with six service aces

while teammate Mitch Caldwell pounded seven kills to help the host

Costa Mesa High boys volleyball team regain the winning feeling with

a 25-17, 25-9, 25-13 decision over Golden West League foe Orange

Friday.

Garrett Walthers finished all four of his possible kill attempts

and added five stuff blocks in a match the Mustangs (7-2, 4-1 in

league) made few errors in, Coach Dave Sorrells said.

Anteaters sweep SJSU

* TENNIS: The UC Irvine women’s tennis team defeated San Jose

State, 7-0, in the opening round of the Eighth Annual UCI Spring

Invitational Friday afternoon at Anteater Tennis Stadium.

The Anteaters swept the three doubles matches to claim the doubles

point as the teams of Anna Bentzer and Inna Agababian, Becky Bernhard

and Hui Leow, as well as Jessica Broadfoot and Izabela Mijic won.

Mesa peels Orange

* SOFTBALL: Junior Jackie Butler allowed one run in throwing a

three-hitter, with seven strikeouts, and the Costa Mesa High softball

team powered a six-run sixth inning to defeat visiting Orange, 7-1,

in Golden West League play Friday.

Butler improved to 4-2 and the Mustangs improved to 8-5, 3-1 in

league as senior Tiffany Campos had a two-run triple, and both

sophomore Christy Gregory and senior Danielle Morton went 2 for 4

with an RBI apiece.

Golden West League

Costa Mesa 7,

Orange 1

Score by Innings

*--*

Orange 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 - 1 3 1

Mesa 0 0 1 0 0 6 0 - 7 8 1

*--*

Sjule and Paredes; Butler and Pulaski. W -- Butler, 4-2. L --

Sjule. 2B -- Toledo (O), McAleer (CM), Gregory (CM). 3B -- Campos

(CM), Brewington (O).

Vanguard rallies in 6th

* BASEBALL: The visiting Vanguard University baseball team pieced

together a six-run sixth inning and went on to defeat Westmont, 14-7,

in a Golden State Athletic Conference game Friday.

Westmont’s third reliever, John White, walked in two runs in the

sixth before being relieved himself, but VU scored again on a wild

pitch, and then Shea Alderete smacked a three-run homer to cap the

rally.

Golden State Athletic

Conference

Vanguard 14,

Westmont 7

Score by Innings

*--*

Van. 1 2 0 3 1 6 0 1 0 - 14 16 1

West. 1 0 1 0 4 0 1 0 0 - 7 9 2

*--*

Erickson, Klein (5), Riddle (9) and Westerfeld; Crick, Zielke

(5), White (5), Richenbacher (6). 2B -- Salazar (VU), Westerfeld

(VU), Sparks (VU), Chapman (W), Gore (W), Fouret (W), Gaustad (W). HR

-- Alderete (VU).

Stanford sweeps UCI

* VOLLEYBALL: UC Irvine’s men’s volleyball team was swept by host

Stanford, 30-21, 30-24, 30-24, in a Mountain Pacific Sports

Federation match Friday night.

Matt Webber led the Anteaters (6-18, 4-13) with 13 kills, while

Brian Thorton had 32 assists and Jayson Jablonsky had a team-high

eight digs and two aces.