Sept. 29, 2009
LOS ANGELES, Calif. -
Complete Release in PDF Format 
BRIEFLY...
Having dropped two consecutive matches for only the second time this season, LMU (9-5) will look to get back on the winning track as it returns home to host No. 20 San Diego (8-3) and Saint Mary's (8-3) to open West Coast Conference play. LMU will square-off against the Toreros on Thursday night at 7 p.m. in Gersten Pavilion before welcoming the Gaels to the bluff on Saturday at 1 p.m. Both matches this week will be provided via Gametracker, video stream and audio broadcast at LMULions.com.
LION TRACKS...
In its only match last week, LMU hit just .121 over three sets against UC Santa Barbara en route to being swept by the Gauchos, 25-21, 25-15, 25-19, on the road on Tuesday night in the Thunderdome. Freshman Alaina Bergmsa led the Lions with 10 kills, but took 35 swings and committed seven errors for a .086 hitting percentage. Sophomore Ariana Covington hit .211, notching seven kills on 19 attacks with three errors. Alesha Young handled the majority of the setting duties for the Lions, dishing-out 19 assists while also notching two kills on two attacks. Freshman Kenna Crouse proved to be a small highlight for LMU, collecting five kills and three block assists. She hit .500 (5-1/8) in the third set alone with two block assists. LMU as a team recorded five total blocks, led by Bergsma with a block solo and a block assist. Leah Sully paced all players with 15 kills on 32 attacks for a .312 hitting percentage. She also posted two block assists, helping UCSB to six total team blocks. Rebecca Saraceno was right behind Sully with 14 kills, two service aces and 18 digs for a double-double. UCSB hit .333 as a team, including a .371 mark in the second set. Dana Varggas dished-out 40 assists in only three sets for UCSB to help the Gauchos to the stellar hitting percentage.
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.
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, including this week against No. 20 San Diego. 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.
Thursday's women's volleyball match versus No. 20 San Diego, along with Friday's men's soccer match against San Francisco, are this week's "Team LMU" events. "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.
LIONS IN THE RECORD BOOKS...
Junior Becky Stehling already pervades the LMU Record Books with a little less than 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 .379 hitting percentage so far, tops in the West Coast Conference. Over a longer span of time, her .359 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. Freshman Alaina Bergsma has a shot to finish this year in the single season book for a few categories. She averages 4.02 kills per set (4.32 is the benchmark), has accumulated 21 service aces (42 is the benchmark), and has averaged .44 aces per set, which would put her sixth in the books if the season ended prior to this week. Sophomore Lauren DeGrandmont has posted 162 digs this year, and with just over half the season left, she needs to reach 370 to enter the single season record book. Her 3.24 digs per set average this year sits just out of the top-10 (3.45 is the benchmark), while her 2.15 digs per set in her career is inching closer to the books (2.88 is the benchmark). Sophomore Alesha Young is also trying to place her name in the books, averaging 6.56 assists per set in her career. That mark would place her sixth in the record books at this point, but a player must have two full years of competition completed to qualify, so Young will have to wait until the season is over to enter the books.
TORERO TALK...
No. 25 San Diego enters the match against the Lions toting an 8-3 overall record, having won seven straight matches. The Toreros, who dropped three consecutive matches prior to the seven-match streak, have been ranked the entire season, with the low-water mark being No. 24 on September 7 and the highest ranking No. 15 in the first two weeks of the season. San Diego's only losses this year have come at the hands of then-No. 2 Texas on August 30 and UC Santa Barbara on September 4 and 5. So far this year, USD has knocked-off two ranked opponents, recording victories over then-No. 23 Long Beach State on August 28 and then-No. 18 UC Irvine on September 17 in five sets. The Lions have dropped matches to both UCSB and UC Irvine this season. Ali Troost leads the Torero offense with 134 kills on 304 attacks for an average of 3.27 per set. Troost also leads the team in service aces with 15. Torey Ellick is the leading hitter in terms of percentage, connecting at a .339 clip with 115 kills on 248 attacks. Ellick also guides the team on the block, notching a team-high tying five block solos and a team-best 22 block assists. Kelsi Myers sets the offense for USD, dishing-out 487 assists at a rate of 11.88, tops in the WCC. San Diego as a team owns a .256 hitting percentage, second in the WCC, due in large part to the stellar setting. Kayleen Webster earns the bulk of the digs, collecting 192 so far this year at a rate of 4.68 per set. The Lions lead the all-time series against the Toreros, led by 11th-year Head Coach Jennifer Petrie, 34-20. On the other hand, USD does own the series as of late, taking nine of the last 10 matches, including each of the last six contests. The two teams last met on November 20, 2008 at LMU as the Toreros swept the Lions.
GAEL GOSSIP...
Saint Mary's, which received votes in the2009 AVCA Division I Coaches Top-25 Poll for the third consecutive week, enters the weekend toting an 8-3 overall record, having dropped two of its last three matches after rattling-off six straight wins prior to that. Though they have not been ranked at any point this season, the Gaels have received votes in four of the six Top-25 polls this year. All three of SMC's losses this year have come at the hands of ranked opponents, falling to then-No. 6 California in four sets on August 29, then-No. 13 California on September 18 and then-No. 11 Stanford on September 19. Getting it done at home, the Gaels are 5-0 on home hardwood versus 2-2 on the road and 1-1 on neutral floors. Lauren Corp leads the Gael offense with 140 kills at a rate of 3.50 per set. She is hitting .273, just behind the leaders of Shannon Lowell and Megan Burton at .281. Megan York and Lowell pace the team from the service area, notching nine aces apiece to help Saint Mary's to 41 as a team. Lowell is also the most active player on the block, totaling 13 block solos and 35 block assists. Kapua Kamana'o gets the bulk of the time at the setter position, dishing-out 355 assists (9.10 per set) to help the team to a .262 hitting percentage. Missy White has also seen time as the setter this year, managing 104 assists at a rate of 4.73 per set. LMU leads the all-time series against the Gaels, led by fifth-year Head Coach Rob Browning, 34-13. Saint Mary's does hold the advantage recently, however, earning victories in three of the last five contests, and seven of the last 10. The two teams last met on October 30, 2008 at LMU as the Lions suffered a five-set loss.
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.
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.
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 381-200, 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.
