Sept. 11, 2005

LINCOLN, Neb. - Pepperdine got back on track Sunday afternoon as it swept past the Pacific Tigers, 30-15, 30-25, 30-17 in the Wave's final match of the Info USA/Arby's Players Challenge at Nebraska Memorial Gym in Lincoln, Neb.

A meeting with the Pacific Tigers is just what Pepperdine needed Sunday afternoon after falling to No. 1 Nebraska and No. 4 Penn State to open this weekend's tournament. The Tigers were also 0-2 on the weekend and had been held to minus .040 hitting in their first six games.

Pepperdine opened the match by scoring 12 of the first 13 points of the match. The first two Tiger points came off Wave serving errors. Pepperdine would extend its lead to 23-9 as Julie Rubenstein and Katy Daly each logged four kills in the game. As a team, the Waves hit at a .333 clip compared to Pacific's minus .207.

Rubenstein hit a career-high .419 with a match-best 16 kills. Melissa Mehlhorn turned in her third double-double of the season as she dished out 34 assists with a match-best 13 digs in the winning effort. Sophomore Lecca Roberts hit .600 for the match with 10 kills on 15 swings to go along with six blocks.

Game two was much closer in points, but was still dominated by the Waves overall. Pepperdine hit .316 to Pacific's .133 in the second frame. Rubenstein tallied eight kills with two errors in game two, while the team posted five blocks to the Tiger's two.

The match ended with the Waves turning in a .424 effort hitting with 17 kills on 33 swings and just three errors.

Pacific was held to .000 hitting in the match as no Tiger player had more than seven kills.

The Waves will return to action Friday night at 7 p.m. when it travels to Los Angeles for a match against No. 8 Southern Cal.