Oct. 21, 2003

Briefly...
Loyola Marymount (19-3, 4-1 WCC) climbed two spots in the USA Today/AVCA weekly poll after taking care of business with Portland (3-0) and Gonzaga (3-0) over the weekend. Junior Kelli Nerison posted 28 kills and 17 blocks in six short games to lead the Lions.

Up Next
This weekend is an exciting one in WCC action, as the top four teams will square off to shake up the standings. The Lions will put their undefeated home streak on the line when they host No. 12 Santa Clara on Friday and No. 16 San Diego on Saturday. The Broncos will bring their undefeated WCC record to square off with LMU's unblemished home record, as the Lions are 10-0 in Gersten Pavilion this season. Both matches are slated to begin at 7:00 p.m. and will be broadcast live on the Lions Audio Network. Fans can follow the action at www.lmulions.com.

No. 12 Santa Clara (14-6, 5-0 WCC)
Santa Clara swept both of its matches over the weekend in the Leavey Center, defeating San Francisco on Friday and Saint Mary's on Saturday. The Broncos became the first team to sweep the Dons this season when they posted scores of 30-25, 30-27 and 30-20 Friday evening. SCU came back the next night and handed the Gaels three-straight losses by scores of 30-27, 30-23, 30-24. For the weekend the Bronco offense hit .300 as a team and had six players in double-digit kills. Kelli Sousa posted a season-high total for a three-game match with 54 assists against Saint Mary's while Toni Muratore averaged five kills per game in the six games played. The Broncos and Lions have met 42 previous times entering this Friday's matchup with LMU holding a 25-17 all-time advantage in the series. Loyola Marymount in one of only two teams in the WCC to have a winning record against the Broncos, but lately it has been SCU who has dominated the series. Santa Clara has won the last seven meetings between the two schools dating back to 1999.

No. 16 San Diego (15-4, 4-1 WCC)
San Diego freshman Ryan Maspero came off the bench to lead the 17th ranked Toreros over visiting Saint Mary's 3-1 on Friday. USD went on to defeat San Francisco on Saturday in three games. Junior attacker Devon Forster was the catalyst for theToreros, putting down 26 kills in the winning effort. LMU holds the 31-11 all-time advantage over the Toreros, with the Lions' last win coming on October 19, 2001, in San Diego.

LMU Climbs in National Rankings
For the fourth consecutive week, Loyola Marymount volleyball has climbed in the USA Today/AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 poll. After playing to a 19-3, 4-1 WCC record, including a 3-1 win over then-No. 7 UC Santa Barbara on September 2nd and a current home streak of 10-0, LMU ranks 17th on this week's poll. The Lions peaked at the No. 19 spot last week. This week's 572 points, however, are good for the 17th spot, LMU's highest ranking this season. The September 29th poll marked the first time in West Coast Conference history that five WCC teams were ranked in the top 25. The WCC tied the Pac-10 with five teams ranked in the top 25 that week. No other conference had more than three of its teams ranked. This week, all ranked WCC schools moved up in the poll. Pepperdine (15-2, 5-0 WCC) and Santa Clara (14-6, 5-0 WCC) climbed to the fifth and 12th spots, respectively. San Diego (15-4, 4-1 WCC) now sits one spot above the Lions at No. 16.

LMU in NCAA's National Rankings
No.17 Loyola Marymount appears among the nation's best in the weekly NCAA statistical rankings. For the rankings for games played through October 12, LMU ranks 18th in match won-lost percentage at .850. The Lions also rank 29th in team hitting percentage (.267) and blocks per game (2.82). Junior Kelli Nerison ranks 28th in the hitting percentage individual rankings, hitting .387 through the Lions' loss to then-No. 6 Pepperdine.

LMU Takes Care of Portland and Gonzaga
Loyola Marymount defeated Portland in three games (30-22, 30-20, 30-17) Saturday night at the Chiles Center. Junior Kelli Nerison led the Lions with 12 kills and seven blocks, while hitting .706. The Lions then concluded their third week of WCC action undefeated after taking care of Gonzaga Saturday evening 3-0. Nerison led the Lions to their 21st consecutive program victory over the Bulldogs with 16 kills and 10 blocks.

DeBernardi Named Enterprise Student-Athlete of the Month
The LMU Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) announced on October 14th that sophomore Dina DeBernardi joins soccer player Kevin Novak as the Enterprise Student-Athletes of the Month. DeBernardi has been a strong part of the Lions' top-20 run this season, ranking 28th in the nation in hitting percentage (.401) during September. She was selected the WCC Player of the Week on Sept. 8, posting 56 kills and six blocks, leading LMU to an upset of then-No. 7 UC Santa Barbara. Against UCSB she recorded 23 kills with no errors for a .639 hitting percentage. In September, DeBernardi led the Lions in attack percentage (.384) and points per game (4.19) and was second with 3.63 kills per game. Enterprise will present DeBernardi and Novak with their awards prior to the start of the Lions' match against No. 16 San Diego on Saturday.

Nerison Jumps Onto LMU Leaders List for Blocking Match Highs
After appearing in just seven matches last season, junior Kelli Nerison has now made LMU history. Nerison is tied for fourth on LMU's all-time blocking match highs list, posting 12 blocks on October 11th at No. 6 Pepperdine. It was the Laguna Niguel, Calif. native's first career double-double, as she added 12 kills on the match. Nerison joins current teammate Tiana Newsome and former Lion Dana Bragado (11/14/92) in the fourth spot with 12 total blocks in one match.

Lions Audio Network Allows Fans to Follow LMU Athletics
Beginning with the match against San Diego State and continuing with select matches throughout the season, fans can follow LMU volleyball on the Lions' Audio Network. Thanks to an agreement with Yahoo! Sports, more than 110 LMU games will be aired live via the Internet throughout this season. In addition to the increased number of broadcasts, Yahoo! Sports will bring its state-of-the-art technology to the Lions' Audio Network. To ensure the best product for our listeners, the Yahoo! Sports partnership is a subscription-based program. Live programming is a hallmark of every major athletics program in the country and LMU's commitment is an example to the student-athletes and fans of the continuing efforts to Build Champions and Championship programs! Fans can follow all of the Lions' top 25 action this weekend, as both Friday and Saturday's matches will be broadcast live on the Lions' Audio Network, found at www.lmulions.com.

Dina DeBernardi Among Top WCC Athletes of the Month
No.17 Loyola Marymount's Dina DeBernardi was among the conference's top athletes of the month for her play during September, the West Coast Conference announced on October 3rd. DeBernardi then ranked 28th in the nation in hitting percentage, hitting .393 in matches through September 30th. Against San Diego State, DeBernardi hit .522 with 13 kills. The Lions' co-captain hit better than .400 in five matches as a middle blocker and led the team in attack percentage (.384) and points per game (4.19). She also ranked second among all Lions in kills per game (3.63).

Newsome's Block Party
Senior Tiana Newsome has made blocking history this season, adding several more career and season titles to her already-long blocking resume. Newsome owns the following LMU blocking titles: single season solo blocks, single season total blocks, single season block average, freshman season block high, career block average, career block assists, career total blocks, match block high, and junior match block high. She needs just six more solo blocks to claim the career solo block title from Julie Greer (1992-95).

Kealani Kimball Named Cougar Mania Tournament MVP
LMU's Kealani Kimball was selected as the tournament's MVP. It was the senior's first MVP honor of the season. Kimball posted her fourth double-double of the season, with 22 kills and 25 digs against the Cougars. Overall, the Lions' co-captain totaled 49 kills, 41 digs, six aces, and four blocks on the weekend.

Kimball, DeBernardi, Oehlman Named to Cougar Mania All-Tournament Team
Setter Nicole Oehlman and middle blocker Dina DeBernardi joined Kimball on the Cougar Mania All-Tournament team. Oehlman contributed 127 assists, while DeBernardi added 36 kills and nine blocks against tournament opponents.

DeBernardi Named WCC Player of the Week, Four Points Sheraton Classic MVP
Dina DeBernardi was selected as the West Coast Conference's Player of the Week on Monday, September 8. DeBernardi posted 56 kills and six blocks on the week, leading LMU to an upset of No. 7 UC Santa Barbara and their second tournament title in as many weekends. Against No. 7 UCSB, DeBernardi recorded 23 kills with no errors, good for a .639 hitting percentage. The Scottsdale, Arizona, native earned most valuable player honors at the Four Points Sheraton Volleyball Classic, after hitting .395 against Eastern Washington, a team that had just upset No. 15 Long Beach State. She shared the Player of the Week honor with Santa Clara's Becky Potter.

DeBernardi, Oehlman, and Kimball Named to Four Points Sheraton Classic All-Tournament Team
Senior Kealani Kimball and junior Nicole Oehlman joined DeBernardi as all-tournament selections. Kimball contributed 39 kills and five blocks on the weekend, while Oehlman earned her second double-double of the tournament against Eastern Washington, recording 54 assists and 10 digs. Creighton's Katie Grady and Northeastern's Jana Kubalova represented their squads on the all-tournament team. Megan Kitterman and Lindsay Page of Eastern Washington also garnered all-tournament honors.

LMU Wins Four Points Sheraton Volleyball Classic
Loyola Marymount earned its second tournament title in as many weekends, dropping Eastern Washington in five games, 19-30, 25-30, 30-25, 30-23, 15-8. The Lions went 3-0 in tournament play this weekend, defeating participants Northeastern (30-13, 30-14, 30-18) and Creighton (33-31, 31-29, 30-15) prior to Saturday evening's final matchup. Middle blocker Dina DeBernardi was named the tournament's most valuable player after recording 33 kills and six blocks on the weekend.

LMU Drops No. 7 UC Santa Barbara
The Lions used a total team performance to upset the seventh-ranked Gauchos in four games 30-27, 26-30, 30-19, 30-20. Middle blocker Dina DeBernardi recorded 23 kills with no errors, good for a .639 hitting percentage. As a team, LMU hit .338, compared to UC Santa Barbara's .211 average.

LMU Wins 2003 Furama Hotel Invitational
The Lions claimed the 2003 LMU Furama Hotel Invitational title following a 3-0 run where they won each of their nine games. LMU dropped UNLV, West Virginia, and 2002 NCAA tournament participant Sacramento State. There was a three-way tie for second place, as Sacramento State, UNLV, and West Virginia all posted records of 1-2.

Nerison Named 2003 Furama Hotel Invitational MVP
Junior Kelli Nerison was named the 2003 LMU Furama Hotel Invitational MVP. It was the first collegiate MVP selection for the middle blocker, who finished the weekend with 29 kills and 12 blocks.

Kimball and Oehlman Join Nerison on Furama Hotel Invitational All-Tournament Team
Senior Kealani Kimball and junior Nicole Oehlman joined Nerison in representing the Lions on the 2003 LMU Furama Hotel Invitational all-tournament team. Kimball posted 38 kills and 42 digs on the weekend, while Oehlman added 96 assists. Kazmiera Imrie (28 kills) and Lisa Beauchene (81 assists) of Sacramento State, Sheila Ocasio-Clemente (24 kills) of UNLV, and West Virginia's Alison Zemanski (29 kills, 9 blocks) rounded out the all-tournament selections.

The Stratos Story
In his 13 seasons as head coach of the LMU women's volleyball program, Steve Stratos has maintained a high level of excellence throughout his program, both in the classroom and on the court. Stratos has led the Lions to eight 20-win seasons and eight postseason appearances, including four consecutive in the NCAA Championships from 1997-2000. Having coached six All-Americans, as well as numerous academic all-conference selections, Stratos maintains one of the top programs in the nation. In 1996, Stratos became the first coach in West Coach Conference history to be tabbed Coach of the Year three straight seasons after leading the Lions to their third consecutive conference title. Stratos has posted a career record of 281-126, the highest winning percentage in LMU volleyball history and second most WCC victories among current conference coaches.

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