Oct. 20, 2009

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -

BRIEFLY...
Having lost seven straight matches, LMU (9-10, 0-5) will return home to host Santa Clara (11-9, 1-4) and San Francisco (9-9, 3-2) in West Coast Conference action on Thursday and Saturday. The Lions and Broncos will meet at 7 p.m. on Thursday before LMU hosts its DiG PiNK match against the Dons on Saturday at 1 p.m. Both matches this week will be provided via Gametracker, video stream and audio broadcast at LMULions.com.

DiG PiNK...
For the past several years, NCAA women's volleyball programs across the country have done their part in the battle against breast cancer. LMU continues its involvement with its "DiG PiNK" match this Saturday (Oct. 24) against San Francisco in Gersten Pavilion at 7 p.m. This year marks the third consecutive year that LMU has hosted a match to raise awareness and funds for the fight against breast cancer. Donations will be accepted at the match, which will benefit the Side-Out Foundation. Or, donations can be made on-line by visiting LMU's team page at www.side-out.org/application/teams/team_page/1213.

LION TRACKS...
In its only match last week, LMU dropped its seventh consecutive match on Saturday night, swept by cross-town rival Pepperdine, 25-13, 25-14, 25-18, in West Coast Conference play. With the victory, Pepperdine earned a point in the PCH Challenge standings to go ahead 2.5-1.5 overall. Sophomore middle blocker Kim Hill had a match-high 10 kills to help the Waves to the lopsided victory. Hill also hit .471 (10-2/17. Senior setter Kiah Fiers had five kills on seven swings (.714) to go with her 29 assists. Sophomore libero Stevi Robinson provided match highs of 16 digs and four service aces. The Lions, who were outhit by Pepperdine, .280 to .113, also saw Pepperdine post eight service aces to none for LMU. Freshman Alaina Bergsma once again led the Lion attack with seven kills, four of which came in the second set. Sophomore Alesha Young passed-out 18 assists as the Lion setter.

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.

PCH CHALLENGE...
Separated by 19.1 miles of scenic coastline, longtime cross-town adversaries Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine have come together in an effort to boost their decades-long rivalry with the creation of the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) Challenge. The series will serve as an annual scorecard for the NCAA-sponsored athletic contests between the Lions and Waves, and challenges each institution to rise above the other within the West Coast Conference. LMU and Pepperdine will be represented by 12 of their intercollegiate athletic teams through both regular and post-season competitions over the course of the academic calendar. Teams scheduled to compete head-to-head during the regular season include baseball, men's and women's basketball, women's soccer, men's tennis, women's tennis (if scheduled) and women's volleyball. Any head-to-head competition, including matches in the post-season and tournaments throughout the year, will be counted toward the scoring and added to the scorecard as they occur. The remaining programs (men's and women's cross country, women's swimming and diving, men's golf) - in addition to women's tennis (if the teams do not meet head-to-head at any point) will battle for points that will be awarded on the basis of overall finish at their respective post-season championships. The next scheduled meeting between the two schools is slated for the WCC Cross Country Championships on October 31. The Waves currently lead the Lions in the standings, 2.5-1.5. To learn more about the PCH Challenge and view the current scorecard, please visit http://www.lmulions.com/trads/PCH-Cup.html.

TOP OF THE CLASS...
Redshirt-freshman Alaina Bergsma has not only held her own in the competitive and extremely talented West Coast Conference, she is also making a name for herself on the national level. Bergsma enters the week ranked third in the nation amongst her freshmen counterparts in kills per set at 4.13. The only freshmen with better mark this year are Tyler Henderson from Tulsa at 4.27 and Analaine Pelaez of Southern Utah at 4.18. The national leader is Siena senior Burgandy McCurty at 5.34 kills per set. Bergsma is also fifth in the nation amongst freshmen players in aces per set with 30 aces at a rate of .45 per set. The native of Chandler, Ariz. is the LMU team-leader in attacks (742), kills (277), service aces (30), block solos (14), total blocks (44), and points (336). So far this year, she has been named a CVU.com National Top Performer, the 2009 TCU Nike/Molten Invitational Tournament MVP, and an All-Tournament selection four times.

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 0-3 against ranked foes this year, falling in three sets to then-No. 9 UCLA on September 5, then-No. 20 UC Irvine in four on September 12, and then-No. 20 San Diego in a five-set thriller on October 1. Rankings have been nothing short of perfect in the recent past when predicting LMU's fate against ranked opponents, as the Lions have dropped 21 consecutive matches against those teams. 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.

Madness at Midnight on Friday, the men's basketball Crimson vs. Navy tipoff on Saturday, and the men's soccer match against San Diego are this week's "Team LMU" events. Men's soccer is attempting to break the existing attendance record on Sunday. "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 as she closes in on completing her third full year at LMU. 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. Nearly as strong this season, she totes a .339 hitting percentage so far, fourth in the West Coast Conference. Over a longer span of time, her .350 career hitting percentage entering this week places third in LMU history. Only Kelli Nerison (2001-04) and Mardell Wrensch (1992-95) have posted better marks in a career, finishing with percentages of .356 and .355, respectively. Freshman Alaina Bergsma has a shot to finish this year in the single season book for a few categories. She averages 4.13 kills per set (4.32 is 10th), has accumulated 30 service aces (42 is 10th), and has averaged .45 aces per set, which would put her sixth in the books if the season ended prior to this week. Sophomore Alesha Young is also trying to place her name in the books, averaging 6.16 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.

BRONCO BANTER...
Santa Clara, which entered the season ranked 25th in the nation and then received votes over the following three weeks in the AVCA Division I Coaches Poll, enters the match against the Lions toting an 11-9 overall record and a 1-4 record in the WCC, having dropped four of its last five matches overall. Santa Clara's lone victory in conference play came against Portland on October 15. Katherine Douglas and Dana Knudsen pace the Bronco attack with 182 and 181 kills, respectively. Emily Burke sets the offense with 540 assists, while Douglas and Burke each have 15 service aces to lead the team. Tanya Schmidt and Knudsen are the most active on the block, collecting 68 and 64 total blocks, in that order. LMU leads the all-time series against the Broncos, led by 11th-year Head Coach Jon Wallace, 28-27. The Broncos have won seven of the last 10 matches between the two teams, including four of the last five. The two teams last met on November 1, 2008 at LMU as the Lions fell in four sets.

SCOUTING SAN FRANCISCO...
San Francisco, which received votes in the AVCA Division I Preseason Coaches Poll, enters the week with a 9-9 overall record and a 3-2 record in the WCC, having won four of its last six matches overall. Most recently, San Francisco defeated Gonzaga and Portland at home last weekend. Prior to the two victories, the Dons had dropped matches to then-No. 24 San Diego and Saint Mary's. Despite the two WCC losses on the road, USF has extreme success on its home turf during WCC play, recording 10 consecutive victories over WCC foes at home. Sarah Mandala guides the Don offense with 312 kills at a rate of 4.66 per set, good for first in the WCC. Her 346.5 points at a rate of 5.17 also rank first in the conference. She is also second on the team with 15 service aces, trailing only Haley Carroll with 22. Carroll is the team's leading defensive player, notching 343 digs at a rate of 5.12 per set, tops in the WCC. Erin Bragg and Hadley Simmons lead the Don block, collecting 70 and 52 total blocks, respectively. Bragg, who owns 67 block assists and three block solos, averages 1.04 blocks per set. LMU leads the all-time series against the Dons, led by third-year Head Coach Gilad Doron, 38-10. The Lions have won six of the last 10 matches between the two teams overall, but USF has won three of the last five. The two teams last met on November 22, 2008 at LMU as San Francisco edged the Lions in five sets.

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 381-205, 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 173-98, good for a .638 winning percentage. With 173 career conference victories, Stratos again ranks second among active coaches in the WCC.