Oct. 28, 2009

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -

BRIEFLY...
Having snapped an eight-match losing streak by defeating San Francisco on Saturday afternoon, LMU (10-11, 1-6) will begin the second half of WCC play on the road and at the top of the conference standings, traveling to Saint Mary's (14-4, 6-1) and San Diego (14-4, 6-1) this week. Through the first half of WCC play, the Gaels and Toreros sit tied for first place in the conference. The Lions will square-off against Saint Mary's at 7 p.m. on Thursday before heading to San Diego to face USD on Saturday at 1 p.m. Thursday's match can be viewed via livestats at smcgaels.com, while Saturday's match can be followed via Gametracker at LMULions.com.

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 first in the nation amongst her freshmen counterparts in kills per set at 4.24. The closest freshman in that category is Analaine Pelaez of Southern Utah at 4.20. The national leader is Siena senior Burgandy McCurty at 5.51 kills per set. Bergsma is also tied for fifth in the nation amongst freshmen players in aces per set with 32 aces at a rate of .43 per set. The native of Chandler, Ariz. is the LMU team-leader in attacks (842), kills (318), service aces (32), block solos (15), and points (381). 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.

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 continued its involvement with its "DiG PiNK" match on Saturday, October 24 against San Francisco in Gersten Pavilion. This year marked the third consecutive year that LMU hosted a match to raise awareness and funds for the fight against breast cancer. Donations, which will benefit the Side-Out Foundation, can be made on-line by visiting LMU's team page at www.side-out.org/application/teams/team_page/1213.

LION TRACKS...
LMU dropped its eighth consecutive match on Thursday, this time falling in four sets to WCC-foe Santa Clara by scores of 28-26, 25-19, 24-26, 25-17 in Gersten Pavilion. The Lions were out-hit .318 to .223 in the match, while both squads served-up three aces and 11 service errors. Freshman Alaina Bergsma continued to shine for LMU, turning in a superb performance with 17 kills on 40 attacks for a .300 hitting percentage. The native of Chandler, Ariz. committed only five errors in the loss. Sophomore Ariana Covington was one of two Lions with a double-double, teaming 11 kills with 14 digs and a service ace. Junior Becky Stehling rounded-out a trio of Lions with double-digit kills, posting 10 on 27 attacks. Stehling, Bergsma and sophomore setter Alesha Young each collected a block solo for LMU defensively. Young accompanied Covington with a double-double, pairing 10 digs and 37 assists. She also added four kills, including two in the LMU third-set victory. Lindsy Davigeadono, this week's WCC Player of the Week, paced the Santa Clara attack on the night, posting a match-high 20 kills on 29 attacks for a .621 hitting percentage. She made just two errors in the four sets of play. Not to be outdone, Katherine Douglas connected for a .467 hitting percentage, taking 30 total swings and recording 16 kills to just two errors. Douglas was the lone Bronco with a double-double, teaming the 16 kills with 12 digs. Bridget O'Hara led all players in digs with 17, while Dana Knudsen was a force to be reckoned with at the net, collecting five block solos and one block assist.

LMU snapped its eight-match losing streak on Saturday, defeating San Francisco at home in Gersten Pavilion in four sets, 21-25, 25-20, 25-12, 25-23. Bergsma led all players in the match with 24 kills on 60 attacks. She also pitched-in a service ace and team-best 15 digs to record a double-double. Freshman Kenna Crouse contributed 13 kills on 33 swings to finish second for the Lions in that category. Young also posted a double-double, teaming a match-best 48 assists with 11 digs. Stehling led the Lions in hitting percentage, collecting seven kills and a percentage of .375. Sarah Mandala, who leads the WCC in kills-per-set and points-per-set entering this week, finished the match with 21 kills for USF. Leanna Ludes was the lone Don with a double-double, teaming 23 assists with 11 digs. The Dons hit just -.031 in the third set and .167 in the fourth en route to the loss.

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 this Saturday in Belmont, Calif. 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.

ACE, ACE, BABY...
LMU enters the week ranked second in the WCC in aces per set (1.31) and first in total number of aces (102). Leading the charge for LMU is freshman Alaina Bergsma, who leads the WCC in total aces (32) and is tied for first in aces per set with .43. The Lions have posted 10 aces on three different occasions this year, including back-to-back matches against TCU and Idaho on August 29 and September 4. The other 10-ace match occurred on September 15 versus Cal State Northridge. The Lions have managed three or more aces in 16 of their 21 matches this season, and have been held to no aces just once, at Pepperdine on October 17.

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 No. 19 San Diego this Saturday afternoon. 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.

The men's water polo match against UC San Diego on Saturday 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.