My Dust devotee Norma loves to ask me what’s on the napkin, and once I figure out she means the title of my catch-all column, “Notes on My Napkin,” I realize it is time for another data dump from around the campus.

We start with a report on the in-season sports and finish with, well, basketball, baseball and spring stuff.

Women’s Volleyball is above .500 at 11-9 after a scary win over Cal State Fullerton 3-2 and then an easy sweep of UC Riverside 3-0. The ex AD Bill Shumard loved my crack that my favorite event was Beach volleyball at Fullerton so I could use the 30 minute parking. Not so last week. The star was the reliable senior swinger Delainey Aigner-Swesey who had a season-high 25 kills to power the Beach to a thrilling comeback win Friday after dropping the first two sets.

Next up for the queens of the spike is a Black and Blue rivalry match vs. UC Irvine Saturday, 7PM in the Mid.

Women’s Soccer (8-5-2, 2-1-2 Big West) is still alive for one of those four BWC tourney berths but in fifth with no margin for error. They won at UC Irvine, 2-1 then struggled in a two overtime tie with Hawaii. The Beach is unbeaten in their last six home games. LB hits the road on Friday to face Cal State Northridge (5-10-1, 0-4-1 BWC) in Big West action. Kickoff is set for 7PM.

Now some hoop news for the hard core. Interesting stat is the price of a ticket for the big names on the out of conference schedule: Arizona (11/11) – $38; Kansas State (11/17) – $15; Washington (11/30) – $21; North Carolina State (12/7) – $20 and at Nevada (12/27) – $21. Last week of course was that sneak preview of the Niner men, including a look back bunch. Old timers including NBA retiree Byron Russell (13 seasons in the Association) who split the talent up and artistically had the game end in an 84-84 tie. B-Russ laughed it up including his misses.

“The air balls still hurt,” Russell said. “I gotta hit the rim.”

He was one of more than 30 alumni that played in or attended the game, a game made possible after a year of working his name and number list by former team manager Kevin Fong.

“The turnout was better than I thought,” Fong said. “We went out the night before to Legends and shared some memories. It was like we never left the Beach.”

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The court then was opened to the upcoming edition of Dan Monson’s men for their second scrimmage.

“I think this week we executed better, defended better, rebounded better,” he said. “That’s all you can look for at this time of year, going week to week, because we’re not even close to where we need to be. Last week it was scary how far we had to go, and this week it’s just frightful — frightful more than scary.”

Forward Christian Griggs-Williams, a transfer from Mesa Community College, led the way for the Black team with 19 points but their was lively efforts by returnees Mike Caffey, Kris Gulley, Dan Jennings, and Tyler Lamb..

Hoop rumor of the week is that Cal State Bakersfield is romancing the conference for admission. They bring a nice facility to the league and good baseball but not much else. Meanwhile Pacific’s new head coach, former #2 Ron Verlin, says the WCC looks a lot tougher than the Big West. (Some experts say the WCC is the 12th best NCAA conference and BWC around 20th.)

The next item is offered almost by popular demand, As Miami alum, I am not drinking the USC Kool Aid about the proclaimed mistreatment of USC Vis a Vis Miami. The NCAA has obviously needed to clean up its act but viva le difference. The Trojans at first denied everything in both football and basketball. The Hurricane staff never lied to the NCAA, self imposed penalties immediately, and replaced the AD and bad basketball and football coaches. Sympathy for Pat Haden, but he was on SC’s board of trustees from 1991 until he replaced his fellow Trojan footballer Mike Garrett. His current protestations aimed at Miami and Penn State seem self-serving.

Now baseball chatter. Recently a court ruled the land underneath Jackie Robinson Stadium was confined to healthcare for veterans, UCLA asked the court to reconsider its position — but athletic officials hinted a new Bruins ballpark could be in the offing. Like LBSU UCLA has no on campus baseball facility but they do have a great softball set up. No Title IX problem.

“Despite our optimism and high expectation of playing the 2014 season at Jackie Robinson Stadium,” UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero said in a statement, “we are doing our due diligence to identify other viable locations, in the event that the federal court forces us to vacate the stadium.”

Meanwhile Blair Field has yet to lure a big buck donor although it looks like Dirtbag legend Evan Longoria has now set his roots in Tampa after the Tampa Bay Rays’ $100-million-dollar man recently shelled out $1.485 million in cash for a slick waterfront home in St. Pete. The Mediterranean-style spread is in a “highly coveted section of the upscale Venetian Isles community and comes…with 132 feet of private waterfront and seawall, a dock and davits.” I must stop by over the holidays. —DR. DAN