The Florida State women's soccer team not only will make its third straight NCAA appearance, it is one of 16 hosts for the 64-team tournament that begins Friday.

"It's very exciting and the fact that we get to step back out on our home field and not end the year on that note is unbelievable," senior forward Cindy Schofield said of a 4-2 home-field loss to Maryland in the opening round of the ACC tournament. "We didn't come out and play to our capabilities, so to get the chance to step out there in front of our home fans (again) is unbelievable."

FSU opens against Ole Miss at 7 p.m., and Central Florida faces Auburn, guided by former UCF goalie and coach Karen Richter, at 4:30. The second-round game is Sunday.

MORE COLLEGES: In men's soccer, South Florida qualified as the No. 4 seed for the Conference USA tournament hosted by Saint Louis. The Bulls face No. 5 seed Cincinnati on Thursday. Junior goalie Troy Perkins is C-USA defensive player of the week. ... In women's soccer, Tampa senior Ginger Lynn is Sunshine State defensive player of the week. ... In volleyball, USF senior Ale Domingos is C-USA co-player of the week.

TENNIS: Kim Clijsters upset top-seeded Serena Williams 7-5, 6-3 to win the season-ending WTA Championships in Los Angeles. Williams finished 56-5 for the year as the world's top player. Clijsters, No. 4 in the rankings, had six winners to Williams' 19, but converted five of 10 break chances.

SOCCER: A coroner determined a former England World Cup forward died from a degenerative brain disease caused by the heading of a heavy leather ball. Jeff Astle, who scored in the final of the Football Association Cup in 1968 and missed an easy chance in a World Cup game against Brazil two years later, died in January at age 59. Derek Robson, a consultant neurological pathologist, told the inquest there was evidence of brain injury consistent with "repeated minor trauma." ... U.S soccer captain and Sunderland midfielder Claudio Reyna is scheduled for surgery on a ruptured ligament in his left knee next week and will be sidelined for six months. ... Former U.S. coach Steve Sampson signed a $1.4-million, four-year contract to coach Costa Rica's national team through qualifying for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

AMERICA'S CUP: Strong wind postponed the start of the quarterfinals in Auckland, New Zealand. Winds of more than 20 knots were recorded; racing cannot start in winds averaging less than 7 knots or more than 19. Competition in the best-of-seven quarters begins today.

HORSES: Breeders' Cup Mile runner-up Rock Of Gibraltar retired to stud in Ireland. The 3-year-old earned more than $2.03-million in his career. ... A power outage canceled the final race of an eight at Hollywood Park. Once the power went out, the track was unable to pay winning mutual tickets. Spokesman Mike Mooney said the tickets would be paid Thursday.

OLYMPICS: The International Skating Union, seeking to regain credibility after the Salt Lake City scandal, created a 20-member restructuring commission that will review the ISU's structure, ethical regulations and violations. ... A vote on whether to drop baseball, softball and modern pentathlon could be postponed, and any decision might not apply until the 2012 Games rather than 2008, IOC president Jacques Rogge said. A rule in the Olympic Charter states no changes in the sports program can be made less than seven years before the games in question.

CANADIAN FOOTBALL: The Montreal Alouettes will tighten security for their next playoff game but insist the move is not a result of Sunday's attack by a fan on a player. Alouettes president Skip Prince said the measures are mostly in response to last year's Grey Cup in Montreal when fans ran on the field at the game's end.

SURFING: American Asher Nolan won the Independence Classic in Barbados.

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