TAMPA - South Florida has selected a new coach and lost a veteran administrator.
Claire Lessinger was named volleyball coach after serving as interim coach since Nancy Mueller's resignation in late January.
Meantime, associate athletic director Bobby Paschal announced his retirement, effective April 15. Lessinger, 28, was an assistant for five seasons under Mueller, helping USF to a 106-60 record and two C-USA titles. She is a former player at Clearwater Central Catholic and Florida.
Lessinger was chosen over Rutgers coach Ann Leonard-House; Lamar coach Fiona Bolten-Simmons, a former Florida State and Berkeley Prep star; former Baylor coach Brian Hosfeld, and South Carolina assistant Trina Smith.
"It's a complete honor," said Lessinger, who was known as Claire Roach until her recent marriage. "It's going to be a great situation. We're excited to get going."
Paschal, 62, was the USF men's basketball coach for 10 seasons, from 1986-87 through 1995-96, leading the Bulls to their only NCAA bids (1990 and '92) and two NIT bids. As an administrator, he has been involved in the initiation and implementation of USF football and development of the $18-million athletic facility, expected to be completed in May.
Paschal was named assistant AD in March 1996 and was promoted to associate AD in 2003. A Stetson graduate, he coached at Plant High from 1968-70.
Lacrosse player dies
Cornell captain George Boiardi collapsed and died Wednesday night after being struck in the chest by a ball during a home game against Binghamton.
The senior defenseman, 22, was defending a shot on goal in the fourth quarter when he was hit. The game was halted with 2:33 remaining and never restarted.
Boiardi never regained consciousness, the university said on its Web site.
BASEBALL: Host Saint Leo defeated Massachusetts-Lowell 7-1 to split a doubleheader after losing 6-5.
SOFTBALL: Third-ranked Florida State's 13-game win streak ended with a 1-0 loss to No. 20 Nebraska at the Kia Klassic in Fullerton, Calif. First-team All-American Jessica van der Linden fought through illness to pitch a four-hitter but FSU fell to 32-4. The Seminoles opened pool play with a 1-0 victory over No. 24 Arizona State (27-13). ... Florida (25-3) defeated Jacksonville 4-2 for its sixth consecutive road win. Jenny Gladding pitched her 10th double-digit strikeout game of the season with 13. ... Division II fourth-ranked Tampa (19-3) swept a doubleheader 2-0 and 6-2 over Carson Newman (21-4). Freshman Devlin Doherty (11-2) pitched a one-hitter and Katy Bailey had two-run, pinch-hit double in the opener. Becky Testin (8-1) won the nightcap and hit a three-run triple.
SWIMMING: Georgia began the NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships in College Station, Texas, with a world record in the 200-meter relay of 1 minute 37.27 seconds. Three American records, four U.S. Open records and five NCAA records also were set. Auburn led with 188 points, followed by Georgia (135) and Arizona (86). Florida State (23) was tied for 18th.
TRACK AND FIELD: Miami junior Amber Williams won the 100-meter hurdles and was second in the 200 and shot put to lead heptathlon competition at the Hurricane Invitational in Coral Gables. Miami's Russell Landy was ninth after the first day's events in the decathlon.
WRESTLING: Tyrone Lewis of Oklahoma State recorded a 22-second pin at 155 pounds, leading a group of successful top seeds in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at St. Louis.
Illinois led team standings with 22 points, four more than defending champion and favored Oklahoma State. Iowa, which led all teams with 10 qualifiers, had 15 points for third, followed by Cornell, Michigan and Oklahoma with 14.
The highest seed to fall in the opening round was Matt Valenti of Pennsylvania, No. 3 in the 125-pound class. Mark McKnight of Buffalo won a 2-2 overtime match on riding time.
BAYLOR SUIT: Seven women in a rowing club have sued the school, contending it discriminates against female students. They say Baylor's failure to recognize their club as a varsity sport violates Title IX, which bans gender discrimination in academics and athletics at schools receiving federal money.
Baylor denies the claim, saying it boasts outstanding women's programs.
- Times staff writer Pete Young contributed to this report.
