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Briefs: Hunt helping USA

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UC Irvine men’s water polo coach Marc Hunt has been named lead assistant coach on the interim staff for the USA men’s national team, USA Water Polo announced.

Hunt will work with interim head coach Jovan Vavic (USC head coach) and Marko Pintaric (USC assistant coach) on the Team USA staff.

“It’s an absolute honor to represent our country at the USA men’s senior team level,” Hunt said. “We have a challenging task at hand. I’m looking forward to working together with some very talented players and coaches.”

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The team selected by Vavic and his staff will represent the USA at the Union Americana de Natacion World Championship Qualification Tournament in Calgary, Canada, Jan. 28 through Feb. 2. The United States men did not qualify for the FINA 2013 World Championships at the London Olympic Games, and therefore must compete against teams from at least Canada and Brazil to gain a berth. The FINA World Championships are being held in Barcelona, Spain next summer.

After the qualification event, USA Water Polo will appoint a men’s national team head coach and staff for the remainder of the Olympic quadrennial. That staff will start new training and selection for the upcoming FINA World League and World Championship events.

Hunt, a two-time UCI All-American, has been UCI men’s coach for eight seasons. He has guided UCI to a top-five ranking in the final national poll five times.

— From staff reports

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UCI signs three

Brittany Glassow, Jenny Dee and Irene Chavez have signed national letters of intent with the UC Irvine women’s basketball program, Coach Doug Oliver has announced.

Glassow, a 5-foot-11 forward, averaged 12.0 points and seven rebounds per game as a junior at Willamette High in Oregon. Glassow earned second-team all-league and all-state honors while helping the Wolverines to the Class 5A final.

She was also a first team all-state tournament pick as a junior and was an all-state goalkeeper on the soccer team.

“[Glassow] will bring a defensive presence inside and out,” Oliver said. “She is a tenacious rebounder.”

Dee, a 5-10 guard from Rancho Buena Vista High in San Diego County, led the Avocado West Conference in points scored and was named second-team all-conference. She averaged 14.6 points, four rebounds and two steals per game as a junior.

Dee was a member of the Rancho Buena Vista team that CIF San Diego Section semifinals last season.

“[Dee] is a skilled and crafty guard who can score at will,” Oliver said. “She can get to the rim and shoot from deep.

Chavez is a 5-5 point guard from Gunderson High in San Jose where she earned third-team All-San Jose Mercury News recognition as a junior.

She is a two-time Blossom Valley Athletic League Santa Teresa Division MVP and first-team choice. Chavez was also a 2010 first-team selection and named Freshman of the Year by the league as well as the San Jose Mercury News.

“[Chavez] is a true point guard who can create open looks for her teammates and is capable of scoring,” Oliver said.

“We are excited to have these three young ladies join our team. Each one brings a different dimension to our program and will immediately impact our success.”

— From staff reports

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‘Eaters add hitters

Outside hitters Tucker Pikula and Reid Dominguez have signed national letters of intent to play men’s volleyball at UC Irvine, Anteaters Coach David Kniffin has announced.

The 6-foot-1 Pikula earned first-team All-Trinity League honors as a junior last spring at Mater Dei High, where he was also a member of the 2010 CIF Southern Section Division I championship team.

Pikula was an all-tournament choice at the 2012 Junior National Championship, where he helped his Newport Beach-based Balboa Bay Volleyball Club finish second.

He was a gold medalist and MVP of the 2011 Junior National Tournament.

The 6-5 Dominguez was a first-team All-Trinity League honoree at Orange Lutheran last season.

“There is no greater testament to the program, the culture and our tradition than to continue to bring in future players such as Reid and Tucker,” Kniffin said. “Aside from the obvious talent, there is a humbleness and blue collar work ethic that emanates from both of them.”

The duo represents Kniffin’s first recruiting class. The first-year coach took over for John Speraw, who left for UCLA after leading the Anteaters to the 2012 NCAA title, the program’s third national championship in six seasons.

UCI will meet Concordia in an exhibition match on Jan. 2 at Crawford Court. They open the regular season at the UC Santa Barbara Invitational Jan. 4 and 5.

— From staff reports

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In UCI bound

Kaley In, a senior at Stockdale High in Bakersfield, has signed a national letter of intent to play women’s golf at UC Irvine, Anteaters Coach Julie Brooks announced Tuesday.

In, is ranked No. 56 nationally in her class nationally and No. 14 in the state by GolfWeek.com. She is a two-time first-team all-area selection and won both the South Area title and Central Section Championship in a playoff. The Bakersfield native was tied for second at the Central Section individual championships last year.

“Kaley is a great addition to the team,” Brooks said. “Her talent will help us compete for championships.”

— From staff reports

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