MALIBU, California — After playing five of the season's first six matches on the road, including two big wins this past weekend in Nashville, the #13 Pepperdine women's soccer team returns home for a pair of games against Big West competition in UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara. Joelle Anderson was named the WCC Offensive Player of the Week and Top Drawer Soccer's National Player of the Week.

MATCH #7 — Thursday (Sept. 9) at Tari Frahm Rokus Field in Malibu, Calif.: #13 Pepperdine (5-1-0) vs. UC San Diego (1-3-1) at 3 p.m.

MATCH #8 — Sunday (Sept. 12) at Tari Frahm Rokus Field in Malibu, Calif.: #13 Pepperdine vs. UC Santa Barbara (1-2-2, plays at Fresno State on Thursday) at 2 p.m.

TICKETS — Tickets to all Pepperdine home women's soccer matches in 2021 will be available via e-ticket ONLY. Patrons must purchase tickets to any event prior to arriving on campus. Individuals without tickets to an event will not be allowed on campus. Pepperdine faculty, staff and students must show Pepperdine ID card for entry — no ticket purchase is required. To purchase e-tickets and read the spectator guidelines, visit: https://gowav.es/WavesTix. Due to campus construction, nearby parking is limited and guests are advised to arrive early.

WATCH/ONLINE — Both matches can be watched online via the WCC Network. Links to broadcasts and live stats can be found at PepperdineWaves.com.

UC SAN DIEGO — This will be the first-ever meeting between Pepperdine and UC San Diego, which recently moved up to NCAA Division I. Last week, the Tritons picked up their first win of the season against Southern Utah, and also lost 1-0 to the WCC's San Francisco.

UC SANTA BARBARA — Pepperdine is 12-3-0 all-time against UC Santa Barbara. The Waves have won the last four meetings since a home loss in 2008. Pepperdine has won five of the six matches played in Malibu. The Gauchos are coming off a 2-2 tie at Oregon, and also have recorded a 0-0 tie against the WCC's Pacific.

LAST WEEK — The Waves' trip to the Music City was a highly successful one as the Waves defeated Lipscomb 1-0 on a Joelle Anderson golden goal in overtime, followed by a 4-1 victory at Vanderbilt. Tori Waldeck scored twice and had an assist, Anderson had a goal and an assist and Kelsey Hill scored her first goal as a Wave. Carlee Giammona collected three assists.

NOTABLES — Pepperdine's 5-1-0 start is its best since 2012 (also 5-1-0) ... The Waves have won their first five road games for only the second time in program history (in 2003, Pepperdine won its first five before losing the sixth) ... Carlee Giammona tied a school record with three assists against Vanderbilt ... Continuing a trend that began in the spring, the Waves have outshot all six opponents this season.

RANKINGS — The Waves have had a few big swings in the first few United Soccer Coaches polls, going from receiving votes in the preseason, all the way up to #8 after the first week (the team's highest ranking since 2014), then to #23, and now back up to #13.

HONORS — Joelle Anderson has been named to the MAC Hermann Trophy watch list for the second straight season ... Anderson received the WCC Offensive Player of the Week award and Top Drawer Soccer's National Player of the Week award on September 6-7 after scoring a golden goal at Lipscomb and recording a goal and assist at Vanderbilt ... Zoe Clevely received the WCC Defensive Player of the Week award on August 23 (the third of her career) after the season-opening shutouts against #14 USC and SDSU ... Trinity Watson was named to the Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week on August 24 after the two opening shutouts and scoring a goal on a penalty kick.

ANDERSON — Back in January, Joelle Anderson was picked in the third round of the 2021 NWSL Draft by the Houston Dash. But she decided to stick around Malibu for a little while longer before she joins the pros. The four-time All-WCC pick (twice on the first team) and three-time All-West Region honoree is utilizing a COVID-19 redshirt year to play a fifth season at Pepperdine. All-time at Pepperdine, she ranks fifth in points (71), tied for fifth in goals (27) and game-winning goals (11) and tied for ninth in assists (17).

ROSTER NUMBERS — The Waves' 28-player roster breakdown is one graduate transfer, seven seniors, four juniors, eight sophomores, two redshirt freshmen and six true freshmen. Pepperdine has seven returning starters and 19 letterwinners back. Returning players accounted for 76% of last season's goals (19/25) and 59% of the assists (10/17). The Waves will be rebuilding their defense, as three starting backs and a defensive midfielder graduated. Three Waves — Joelle Anderson, Devyn Gilfoy and Calista Reyes — are back for a fifth season after utilizing COVID-19 redshirt years.

SCHEDULE — All six of Pepperdine's 10 non-conference opponents that saw action in spring 2021 posted winning records, and four of them went to the NCAA Tournament (the four Big West teams opted out of the 2020-21 season). The combined winning percentage of the six teams was .698 (55-21-10). Only three of Pepperdine's 10 non-conference games will be at home, and just seven of 19 overall.

WCC — The Waves were picked to finish third in the WCC preseason coaches poll. The order went as follows: Santa Clara, BYU, Pepperdine, Gonzaga, Portland, Saint Mary's, San Francisco, Loyola Marymount, San Diego and Pacific ... Joelle Anderson and Trinity Watson, who both made the All-WCC first team each of the last two seasons, were picked to the preseason All-WCC team again.

LAST SEASON — The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the fall 2020 season to spring 2021. An abbreviated schedule saw Pepperdine go 6-5-1 overall and finish fourth in the WCC. Four of the five losses came against ranked opponents. Joelle Anderson and Trinity Watson repeated on the All-WCC first team. Other returning players honored by the league were two second teamers (Leyla McFarland and Tori Waldeck) and a league-high three WCC All-Freshman team recipients (Waldeck, Julianna Duckett and Victoria Romero).

WAVES IN THE PROS — Several Waves have made their marks professionally. Lynn Williams is a three-time NWSL champion (2016 Western New York Flash, 2018 and 2019 North Carolina Courage). In 2016, she was also the NWSL MVP and Golden Boot winner. As a member of the U.S. National Team, she's earned 40 caps and scored 12 goals. She won a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Bri Visalli, who has been part of the U.S. U-23 team, played in England for a couple of seasons before joining the NWSL's Houston Dash in 2020. In January 2019, the Waves had two NWSL Draft selections for the first time in Hailey Harbison (first round to North Carolina) and Michelle Maemone (third round to Utah). Rylee Baisden was named the 2019 Player of the Year in Australia's NPLW and joined the North Carolina Courage in 2020. The Waves have produced two Olympians (Williams and Roxanne Barker, South Africa, 2012 and 2016) and a Women's World Cup participant (Anisa Guajardo, Mexico, 2015). Anna Picarelli played for Italy and Kristi DeVert was the first Wave to suit up with the USWNT.

ABOUT PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY — Pepperdine boasts a one-of-a-kind athletic department with unprecedented success for a school of its size. The Waves have won NCAA Division I championships in five different men's sports — one of just 18 schools to have accomplished this feat — and 10 overall. Of this elite group, Pepperdine has the smallest undergraduate enrollment, is the only school without football and is the only university that has not been affiliated with a "major" conference. The Waves have won a total of 26 team or individual national championships in their history. Pepperdine has also earned the Division I-AAA All-Sports Trophy, an award based on postseason success that's given to the top non-football school, three times (most recently in 2011-12). Located in scenic Malibu, California, the university overlooks the Pacific Ocean and its campus and athletic facilities are regularly voted among the nation's most beautiful. Pepperdine, which is affiliated with the Church of Christ, ranks #49 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges.