Sept. 22, 2009

Complete Release in PDF Format

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - BRIEFLY...
After finishing as the runner-up to host Pacific at the 2009 Hilton Stockton Invitational last weekend, LMU (9-4) will once again hit the road, traveling to Santa Barbara, Calif. to square-off against UC Santa Barbara (8-2) at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. The match against the Gauchos, the only one on tap for the Lions this week, will be provided via Gametracker and audio broadcast at LMULions.com.

LION TRACKS...
LMU recorded its fourth sweep of the season on Friday, defeating Nevada, 25-13, 25-22, 25-23, in the Lions' first match of the 2009 Hilton Stockton Invitational. LMU hit just .181 as a team, but held Nevada to a .104 mark on the other side of the net in the victory. Sophomore Ariana Covington led all players with 13 kills on 33 attacks, while also posting two service aces and seven digs. Freshman Alaina Bergsma, who had just one kill in the first set, finished the match with seven, adding three service aces and a block assist to total 10.5 points. The Lions finished the match with eight service aces. Junior Becky Stehling did not hit for her regular high percentage this match, but did prove effective, notching eight kills on 17 attacks for a .176 mark. Sophomore Alesha Young set the Lion offense, dishing-out 36 assists, while also contributing three kills.

The Lions trailed 24-21 in the third set of a match against Cal State Bakersfield before mounting a comeback that saw the Lions win 26-24 en route to sweeping the Roadrunners on Friday night in LMU's second match of the day. LMU took set one by a count of 25-22 before routing CSUB, 25-11, in the second set. Covington once again led the Lion offense in the match, collecting 14 kills on 31 attacks for a .419 hitting percentage. Bergsma continued to play well for LMU, posting 13 kills on 32 attacks for a .375 mark, helping LMU to a .351 overall hitting percentage in the match. Perhaps providing the most guidance toward that superb hitting percentage was Stehling, who connected for nine kills on 12 attacks with no errors, resulting in a career-high tying .750 hitting percentage. Young dished-out 36 assists serving as the setter in the sweep. LMU managed seven service aces as a team, including four in the second set alone, while posting seven team blocks.

LMU was swept in the Tournament Championship by host Pacific on Saturday night to close the tournament in Stockton, Calif. The Lions fell 25-17, 25-22, 29-29, in the close match, including taking the third set to its final point before the Tigers completed the comeback. Bergsma and Young garnered All-Tournament honors following the completion of the match. Mallori Gibson, who was named the Tournament MVP after the match, led the Pacific attack in the match, posting 15 kills on 31 attacks for a .419 hitting percentage. Svenja Engelhardt also notched 15 kills, hitting .310 on 29 attacks. Olivia Riley set the Tiger offense, passing-out 42 assists to help Pacific to a .376 overall hitting percentage. Pacific posted six team blocks, highlighted by Natalia Tomaszewska's one block solo and three block assists. The Lion offense was paced by Bergsma, who connected for a match-best 18 kills on 38 attacks for a .395 hitting percentage. Bergsma also posted five digs, a block solo and a block assist. Young dished-out 23 assists as LMU hit .272 as a team, the highest mark coming in the second set at .344.

FOLLOW THE LIONS ONLINE...
Log on to www.LMULions.com for all the latest info on the Lions, including updated schedules, rosters, player bios, and more. Don't forget to also sign up to follow the Lions on Facebook (Facebook.com/LMULions) and Twitter (Twitter.com/LMULions). All LMU home matches, and the majority of the matches on the road, will be broadcast live via Gametracker. In addition, in conjunction with Stretch Internet and Lions' All-Access, all LMU home matches will be broadcast with both audio and video live online at www.LMULions.com. Just visit the Lion volleyball page, click on schedule, and click on the links located on the right side of the schedule for that particular match. All broadcasts will be archived within 72 hours of their original airing and will include both the pre-game and post-game shows.

LMU SPORTS WEEKLY...
LMU is also proud to introduce a new weekly podcast show, LMU Sports Weekly, hosted by Jesse Kass. The show will feature radio highlights and recaps from recent games, interviews with student-athletes and coaches, and previews of upcoming events. The debut show is now online at LMULions.com. Fans can also subscribe to the podcast via iTunes. Just search "LMU" in the iTunes Store.

INSIDE THE LIONS...
"Inside the Lions" is a special look into LMU Athletics and its student-athletes in a 10 to 15 minute show hosted by a student-athlete, sophomore men's basketball guard Jarred DuBois. Airing roughly twice a month, the show will highlight a student-athlete and give an inside look to why LMU is such a special place. In addition, highlights from top games and other game day features will be within the show. Take a look at the newest show or past shows. It's all here thanks to Lions' All-Access.

COMING TO A GAME?...
Fans, come cheer on the Lions this year in Gersten Pavilion. LMU will host 14 home matches this season, including six matches during LMU's Crowne Plaza LAX Tournament from September 11-12. To reserve your tickets today, please contact the LMU Ticket Office at (310) 338-LION. Tickets are also available at the Ticket Office prior to the start of the match. When traveling to the venue, please remember that the Loyola Marymount University campus is located in Westchester at One LMU Drive, approximately four miles north of the Los Angeles International Airport. Fans traveling to LMU must use the main entrance off of Lincoln Blvd. on LMU Drive. Those seeking handicap parking must also use the main entrance, where they can get directions from the guard at the front gate. Gersten's doors open one hour before the start of the match.

STARS IN STOCKTON...
Sophomore Alesha Young and freshman Alaina Bergmsa were each named to the 2009 Hilton Stockton Invitational All-Tournament team following LMU's run to the Tournament Championship match. Young, LMU's primary setter this season, finished the three matches, sweeps over Nevada and Cal State Bakersfield, and a loss to Pacific, with 95 assists as the Lions hit .270 as a team. Not only helping LMU on the set, Young also notched seven kills on 15 attacks for a .400 hitting percentage, teaming that mark with three service aces and 18 digs. The native of Costa Mesa, Calif. posted 36 assists in both of the Lion sweeps. The All-Tournament selection marked the second time this year that Young was lauded, earning the honor at the 2009 TCU Nike/Molten Invitational. Bergsma, who earned All-Tournament honors at each of the four tournaments this year for LMU, collected a team-best 38 kills on 90 swings for a .311 hitting percentage over the three matches in Stockton. The native of Chandler, Ariz. also posted three service aces, three assists and 16 digs. Showing her skills on the defensive side of the net, Bergsma also collected a block solo and four block assists. Her best performance came in the Championship match against Pacific, where she notched 18 kills on 38 swings for a .395 hitting percentage, three assists, a block solo and a block assist.

REMEMBER...IT'S JUST A NUMBER...
LMU will play 12 matches this year against teams that qualified for last year's NCAA Tournament. With success comes a ranking, and the Lions should see their fair share of ranked opponents this season. So far, LMU is 0-2 against ranked foes this year, falling in three sets to then-No. 9 UCLA on September 5, and then-No. 20 UC Irvine in four on September 12. Rankings have been nothing short of perfect in the recent past when predicting LMU's fate against ranked opponents, as the Lions have dropped 20 consecutive matches against those opponents. The last Lion victory against a ranked opponent came on October 5, 2006 at Santa Clara, as the Lions earned a sweep of the then-No. 12 Broncos.

Saturday's men's water polo match versus Long Beach State is this week's "Team LMU" event. "Team LMU" was created to generate awareness and excitement for LMU sporting events on game days. Staff and students are encouraged to wear LMU gear on designated "Team LMU" days and to attend the games. To view more information about the current and future "Team LMU" events, please visit www.LMULions.com/teamlmu.

STEHLING IN THE RECORD BOOKS...
Junior Becky Stehling already pervades the LMU Record Books with nearly half of her LMU career yet to be contested. Stehling's .369 hitting percentage a year ago placed her fourth in the books for a single season, and also set the sophomore record in that category. Even better this season, she totes a .394 hitting percentage so far, tops in the West Coast Conference. Over a longer span of time, her .361 career hitting percentage entering this week places first in LMU history. Kelli Nerison (2001-04) is second to Stehling, recording a .356 mark, while Mardell Wrensch (1992-95) sits third in the books at .355.

GAUCHO GOSSIP...
UC Santa Barbara, which received votes in the2009 AVCA Division I Coaches Top-25 Poll for the second consecutive week, enters the match against the Lions toting an 8-2 overall record, having won three straight matches, and six of its last seven. Santa Barbara's only losses this year have come at the hands of New Mexico (August 29) and Oregon State (September 11), in five and four sets, respectively. The Gauchos have already bested WCC teams three times this year, including back-to-back victories over then-No. 15 San Diego on September 4 and 5. The other victory came over Santa Clara at home on September 16. Rebecca Saraceno is the leading attacker for LMU, collecting 170 kills at an impressive rate of 4.25 per set. Saraceno is also second on the team in aces with 10, trailing Leah Sully at 14. Sully is a second option on the swing for UCSB, notching 107 kills on 298 attacks. Stacie Schmidt is the equivalent to Becky Stehling for the Lions, hitting an unbelievable .457 (93-14/173) out of the middle. Dana Vargas sets the Gaucho offense, dishing-out 461 assists at a rate of 11.52 per set. Lily Lopez is the most active on the block, collecting six block solos and 28 block assists to help UCSB to 65 total team blocks. UCSB, led by 34th-year Head Coach Kathy Gregory, leads the all-time series against LMU, 27-8. The Lions do hold a 3-2 lead over the last five matches. The two teams last met on September 16, 2008 at LMU as the Lions earned a four-set victory.

DIG FOR THE CURE...
For the third consecutive year, LMU volleyball will help fight breast cancer, this year participating in the DiG PiNK campaign. LMU's DiG PiNK event is scheduled for October 24 versus San Francisco. To view LMU's team page, and to make a donation, please visit www.side-out.org/application/teams/team_page/1213.

QUEENS OF CROWNE PLAZA...
Freshman Alaina Bergsma and junior Becky Stehling were each named to the 2009 Crowne Plaza LAX All-Tournament team following the conclusion of the weekend tournament on September 12. The Lions reached the Tournament Championship match on their home floor, but could not defeat then-No. 20 UC Irvine, falling in four sets. Bergsma finished the Crowne Plaza Tournament with 56 kills, four service aces, five block solos and four block assists for a total of 67 points. The native of Chandler, Ariz. connected for 20 kills in each of the first two matches before posting 16 against the Anteaters in the Championship. In addition, Bergsma collected a double-double against Houston and Boise State, narrowly missing a third straight against Irvine by two digs. Stehling earned her first All-Tournament nod this season after posting 30 kills on 58 attacks with only nine errors for a .362 hitting percentage. She added a service ace and six block solos en route to helping guide LMU to the Championship match. Stehling's best match was the first of the tournament, resulting in a season-best 18 kills on 30 attacks for a .433 hitting percentage. Three of her six total block assists also came against Houston that first day.

THE HOT-HAND IN VEGAS...
Freshman Alaina Bergsma made it two-for-two in terms of earning a spot on an All-Tournament team after claiming a spot at both the TCU and UNLV tournaments. The native of Chandler, Ariz. played in eight sets and two matches at the UNLV Tournament, collecting 32 kills at a rate of 4.00 per set. Bergsma also notched three assists, a service ace, 11 digs, a block solo, four block assists and 36 total points. She collected 19 kills in the five-set loss to Idaho on Friday before posting 13 more in the finale on Saturday night, a sweep of host UNLV. In that match against the Rebels, Bergsma managed 13 kills on 27 attacks for a .444 hitting percentage, making just one error along the way.

LeBRON, PEYTON, ALAINA...
Freshman Alaina Bergsma garnered Tournament MVP honors after excelling at the 2009 Nike/Molten Invitational hosted by Texas Christian University. Bergsma collected 46 kills over the three matches played, averaging 4.60 kills per set and hitting .375 with only 10 errors in 96 attacks. Not only a threat on the attack, she also served-up seven aces while posting seven block assists. The 6'3" outside hitter also finished second on the team in digs over the tournament, notching 24 at a rate of 2.40 per set. Bergsma's best match of the weekend was against Arkansas on Saturday morning, collecting a match-high 20 kills on 30 attacks for an incredible .600 hitting percentage. Enjoying a stellar match across the board, Bergsma collected three service aces, eight digs and teamed with Megan Nash for two block assists to total 24 points. She managed 11 of her 20 kills in the final set alone, hitting .625 on 16 attacks. She had double-digit kills in each of the three matches, hit above .400 while taking at least 20 swings in both of the first two matches, recorded at least two service aces in each match, and recorded a double-double in the Championship Match against TCU, teaming 15 kills with 10 digs.

TEXAS CHRISTIAN TRIO...
Three Lions were recognized for their achievements after helping LMU to finish 3-0 at the 2009 Nike/Molten Invitational. The Lions swept Grambling State in the opener on Friday night before earning a second consecutive sweep against Arkansas on Saturday morning. Playing host TCU for the Tournament Championship on Saturday night, the Lions took the match in four sets. Freshman Alaina Bergsma led the trio, garnering Tournament MVP honors. Sophomore Ariana Covington and Alesha Young each earned a spot on the All-Tournament squad following the conclusion of the championship match. To read about Bergsma's stellar weekend, please see the "LeBron James, Peyton Manning, Alaina Bergsma" portion of this release. Covington finished the tournament with 24 kills at a rate of 2.40 per set. She hit .321 while making just eight errors in 56 attacks. Getting it done on the defensive side of the ball, she collected 21 digs at a rate of 2.10 per set, and also notched seven block assists for a total of 27.5 points during the three days. Covington's best match was her first, where she collected 10 kills and hit .529 against Grambling State, committing just one error in 17 attacks. Serving as the team's setter for the majority of the tournament, Young dished-out 103 assists at a rate of 10.30 per set. The native of Costa Mesa, Calif. also took it upon herself to record a few kills, collecting 12 on 18 attacks with no errors for a .667 hitting percentage. On the defensive side of the ball, Young recorded 15 digs and one block assist. Her lone ace in the tournament resulted in the final point of the Championship Match, handing LMU the title.

GET OFF ON THE RIGHT PAW...
History repeated itself in a big way this year, as LMU defeated Grambling State in the season-opener, sweeping the Tigers in three sets. The Lions have now won 12 of their last 13 season-openers, with the only loss coming in 2007 to St. John's. Over that span, LMU has recorded seven sweeps and won by a count of 3-1 on four occasions.

LIONS IN THE PRESEASON POLL...
According to the 2009 Coaches Preseason Poll, the LMU volleyball team is picked to finish sixth this year in the competitive West Coast Conference. San Diego, which has won four of the last five WCC Championships, was a unanimous selection to finish first once again in the WCC, earning seven of the eight first-place votes (a team cannot vote for itself) to earn 49 points. Saint Mary's, picked to finish third, received the only other first-place vote, falling just one point short of second-place Pepperdine in the preseason poll, collecting 37 to the Waves' 38. Santa Clara was right in the thick of things as well, claiming 35 points and the fourth spot on the list. San Francisco (24 points) and LMU (21 points) hold the fifth and sixth spots, respectively, while Gonzaga and Portland each earned 10 points to share seventh overall.

THE STATS ON STRAT...
Steve Stratos has led the Lions to 18 winning seasons in his 19-year tenure at the helm of the program. In his time at LMU, Stratos has led the Lions to nine 20-win seasons and 11 postseason appearances. He has posted a career record of 381-199, the most victories in LMU volleyball history and second-most among current WCC coaches. His .656 winning percentage entering the year placed him in the top-50 (47th) among active Division I coaches, while his 372 victories placed him 48th among the same group. In conference play, he owns a record of 173-93, good for a .650 winning percentage. With 173 career conference victories, Stratos again ranks second among active coaches in the WCC.