Sept. 16, 2003

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Briefly...
Loyola Marymount earned their third tournament title in as many weekends after going 2-1 in round robin play at the 2003 Cougar Mania Volleyball Tournament. In their final matchup of the tournament, the Lions dropped their first match of the season to host Washington State 1-3 (28-30, 21-30, 30-26, 30-32) in front of a crowd of 807. Earlier in the tournament, LMU (10-1) defeated both New Mexico (3-6) and Saint Louis (5-7) in three games. The Lions, Washington State (3-6), and Saint Louis all ended the weekend with a 2-1 record, forcing a tiebreaker of head-to-head games won. LMU came out on top to claim its third tournament title of the season. The Cougars ended in the second slot, with Saint Louis and New Mexico rounding out third and fourth place, respectively.

Up Next
The Lions travel to Hawaii this week to face UNLV and No. 2 Hawaii on Thursday and Friday. This will mark the second meeting for LMU and the Rebels, as the two met in the first match of both teams' seasons. The Lions used a double-double outing from senior co-captain Kealani Kimball to secure the win over UNLV in three games (30-18, 30-21, and 30-27).

UNLV Rebels
The UNLV women's volleyball team finished second in the Gonzaga Volleyball Classic after defeating Boise State 3-1 (30-23, 28-30, 30-21, 30-24) on Saturday night. The Rebels dropped a 3-2 (18-30, 30-28, 30-24, 24-30, 14-16) decision to Idaho State earlier in the afternoon and finished the tournament with a 2-1 record.

No. 2 Hawaii Wahine
No. 2 Hawaii moved its winning streak up to eight matches as they defeated long-time nemesis Stanford in five games for the Sprint Hawaii Invitational championship.

Kealani Kimball Named Cougar Mania Tournament MVP
LMU's Kealani Kimball was selected as the tournament's most valuable player. 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.

Newsome's Block Party
Tiana Newsome's 11 solo blocks in the Lions' 11 matches brought her career solo blocks to 87, moving her up to the third slot on LMU's all-time career solo block leaders. Newsome surpassed former Lions Stacy Trapp (1988-1991) and Cathy Petrissans (1984-1987), and needs just 17 more solo blocks to own the title. Newsome also moved up the ranks of the career block assist leaders and is now tied for first with 262. She also sits among the total blocks leaders (ranking third with 349). The Peoria, Ariz., native already ranks first on LMU's all-time block average with an average of 1.34 bpg.

LMU Earns Top 25 Ranking
After beginning the season with a 10-0 run, including a 3-1 win over No. 7 UC Santa Barbara on September 2, Loyola Marymount volleyball ranks 25th on this week's USA Today/AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 poll. The Lions had been earning points since the preseason and were ranked 22nd last week, but this week's 181 points were good for the 25th ranking. Several LMU opponents are also included in the top 25. LMU will face No. 2 Hawaii (9-1) on September 19. WCC opponents Pepperdine (8-2) and Santa Clara (5-4) are ranked seventh and 17th this week. The Lions will meet each of these teams twice, beginning in October.

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, the conference announced on Monday, September 8. The selection marked the first Player of the Week honor for the Lions this season. 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. Over the course of the week, DeBernardi never dropped below a .286 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. DeBernardi ranks second in the WCC in hitting percentage (.401) and tenth in kills per game (3.62). 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.

Oehlman Advances on All-Time Assist Leaders
Junior setter Nicole Oehlman's 274 assists in the Lions' seven matches moved her to third on LMU's all-time career assists leaders. Oehlman has now recorded 2,807 assists in a Lion uniform, surpassing Anita Irwin (1987-1990) and Jeannette Hecker (1996-1999).

LMU Drops Creighton in Four Points Sheraton Volleyball Classic
In their second match of the LMU Four Points Sheraton Classic, the Lions defeated Creighton 33-31, 31- 29, 30-15, to remain undefeated at 6-0. Senior Kealani Kimball recorded 15 kills and two solo blocks to lead LMU.

LMU Opens Four Points Sheraton Volleyball Classic with Win Over Northeastern
Loyola Marymount opened the Four Points Sheraton Volleyball Classic by recording their fifth consecutive victory. The Lions used an 11 kill, 32 assist performance from setter Nicole Oehlman to defeat Northeastern 30-13, 30-14, 30-18. It was Oehlman's first double-double of the season.

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.

Lions Defeat Sacramento State
Loyola Marymount claimed the title of the 2003 LMU Furama Hotel Invitational, completing the sweep of the participating teams by defeating Sacramento State Saturday night in three games, 30-20, 30-17, 30-22. Kimball recorded her second double-double of the invitational, with 11 kills and 23 digs against the Hornets. DeBernardi added 12 of her 28 total kills for the 3-0 win. The victory gives LMU the all-time advantage over Sacramento State 3-1, with the last meeting between the two teams taking place in 1995.

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 continues to maintain one of the top volleyball 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 272-124, the highest winning percentage in LMU volleyball history and among current WCC coaches.