Forward Alfred Aboya visited a specialist Monday and was cleared to play in Wednesday’s game against George Washington despite suffering a fracture of the orbital floor of his right eye in UCLA’s win over Yale.
Aboya had a noncontact practice with the team Monday and is set to return to full-contact today. He will wear protective goggles in practice.
The junior from Yaounde, Cameroon, was injured by an inadvertent elbow in the first half against the Bulldogs on Friday.
After the game, coach Ben Howland was afraid that Aboya would miss a considerable amount of time. Aboya has played considerable minutes in the Bruins’ first games, averaging 19.8 minutes, 2.8 rebounds and 3.3 points per game.
UCLA has already seen its fair share of injuries. All-American point guard Darren Collison hasn’t played yet because of an MCL sprain. Guard Michael Roll has missed all of the Bruins’ games with an injury to his left foot.
On a brighter note for the team, freshman forward Kevin Love was named Pac-10 Player of the Week.
Love led the Bruins to the CBE Classic Championship last week in Kansas City, Mo., with wins over Maryland and Michigan State. He averaged 18 points and 10.7 rebounds in the two wins and then followed up with a solid outing in the Bruins’ win over Yale on Friday night.
NOVEMBER MADNESS: There have been some wild finishes in the opening rounds of the NCAA women’s soccer tournament.
UCLA is the only No. 1 seed left of the remaining eight teams. The Bruins take on No. 2-seeded Portland on Friday night with a trip to College Station, Texas, for the College Cup at stake.
Of the eight highest-seeded teams in the field, only three survived to the third round.
Top seeds North Carolina, Stanford and Penn State all failed to reach the quarterfinals. Two No. 2 seeds, Texas A&M and Purdue, fell as well.
The defending national champion Tar Heels fell to Notre Dame, and Penn State lost to West Virginia.
Stanford fell in what may be the tournament’s biggest upset. The Cardinal were shut out on their home field against unseeded Connecticut.
Connecticut barely got out of the first round, beating Boston College 5-4 in penalty kicks. The Huskies are one of only two teams not ranked in the tournament’s top-16 seeds to reach the quarterfinals. The other was Duke.
SPICER HONORED: Junior Nellie Spicer of the UCLA women’s volleyball team was named to the All-Pac-10 First Team for the third consecutive year.
Spicer averaged 12.8 assists per game for the Bruins this season.
The setter was the only Bruin on the first team, but senior Rachell Johnson and juniors Ali Daley and Kaitlin Sather were given an honorable mention.
Freshmen Dicey McGraw and Katie Mills were named to the honorable mention All-Freshman Team.
The Bruins finished with a 20-10 record and were awarded the No. 8 national seed in the NCAA Tournament.
They will begin with a first-round matchup against Alabama A&M this Friday in South Carolina.
Compiled by Sam Allen, Bruin Sports senior staff.