Oct. 14, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - BRIEFLY...
Having lost six straight matches, LMU (9-9, 0-4) will remain on the road for a match against cross-town rival Pepperdine (10-7, 3-1) in West Coast Conference action on Saturday night. The Lions and Waves will meet at 7 p.m. on Saturday to decide the only match for LMU this week. Pepperdine on the other hand traveled to UC Santa Barbara on Tuesday, falling in four sets to the Gauchos. The match against Pepperinde, which is part of the PCH Challenge, can be followed via livestats at pepperdinesports.com, or by clicking on the link in the sidebar of the women's volleyball schedule at www.LMULions.com.
PCH CHALLENGE...
This week's match between Pepperdine and LMU is the fourth overall contest between the two schools in this year's PCH Challenge. The Lions and Waves are currently tied in the standings after each school earned a victory in men's water polo, and the women's soccer teams tied last Sunday in Malibu. To learn more about the PCH Challenge and view the current scorecard, please visit http://www.lmulions.com/trads/PCH-Cup.html.
LION TRACKS...
LMU dropped a five-set contest to Portland, 25-20, 19-25, 25-19, 18-25, 16-14, on Thursday night on the road in Portland, Ore. Prior to Thursday's loss, LMU had won nine of the last 10 matches against the Pilots, including six straight. LMU's last loss to Portland came on November 17, 2005 on the road. LMU fell to 2-3 in five-set matches this year with the loss. The Lions did out-hit Portland, .245 to .232 and served-up seven aces to the Pilots' three, but it was not enough in the loss. Freshman Alaina Bergsma led all players with 21 kills on 55 attacks, teaming that mark with two aces and two block assists for a total of 24 points. Sophomore Ariana Covington posted 12 kills, matching junior Becky Stehling for second-most on the team on Thursday night. Covington, a native of Carlsbad, Calif., also matched Bergsma with two aces to hold a share of the most by any player. Freshman Kenna Crouse was the fourth Lion to finish with double-digit kills, notching 10 in the loss. Sophomore Alesha Young returned to the setter position after serving as the team's libero the previous two matches, dishing-out 34 assists and collecting a match-high tying 11 digs for a double-double. The team of Maria Clemens and Jessica Clemens proved just effective enough to defeat the Lions on Thursday, as Maria posted 17 kills to Jessica's 16. Both players collected double-doubles, with Maria notching 11 digs and Jessica 10. Kaylyn Jones set the Portland offense, dishing-out 52 assists and narrowly missing a double-double with nine digs. Ariel Usher proved to be the most efficient attacker on the night, hitting .389 with seven kills on 18 swings with no errors.
Perhaps a little sluggish from another long match on Thursday, LMU was swept on the road on Saturday by Gonzaga, 25-21, 25-21, 25-21, in West Coast Conference play. The Lions hit just .183 as a team in the loss, with the highlight coming from Bergsma and Stehling with 12 and 10 kills, respectively. Bergsma recorded a double-double, teaming 11 digs with her match-high tying 12 kills and two service aces. Young dished-out a match-best 20 assists, while freshman Olivia Bailey collected 12 in her own right. Michelle Boevers and Emily Johnson matched Bergsma and Stehling, connecting for 12 and 10 kills of their own, in that order. Johnson was the lone Bulldog with a double-double, teaming her kills mark with 10 digs. Denise Van de Mortel passed-out 17 assists, while Kelsey Bashaw had 15, as Gonzaga managed to hit .248 as a team in the win.
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.
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 second in the nation amongst her freshmen counterparts in kills per set at 4.22. The only freshman with a better mark this year is Tyler Henderson from Tulsa at 4.30. The national leader is Temple senior Yun Yi Zhang at 5.64 kills per set. Bergsma is also fifth in the nation amongst freshmen players in aces per set with 30 aces at a rate of .47 per set. The native of Chandler, Ariz. is the LMU team-leader in attacks (710), kills (270), service aces (30), block solos (14), total blocks (42), and points (328). 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.
The LMU men's and women's soccer doubleheaders on Friday and Sunday are this week's "Team LMU" events. The men will square-off against Santa Clara and Saint Mary's, while the women will host Gonzaga and Portland. Action starts at 12:30 p.m. on Friday and 12 p.m. on Sunday as the women begin both doubleheaders. "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 .345 hitting percentage so far, fourth in the West Coast Conference. Over a longer span of time, her .351 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 4.22 kills per set (4.32 is 10th), has accumulated 30 service aces (42 is 10th), and has averaged .47 aces per set, which would put her sixth in the books if the season ended prior to this week. Sophomore Lauren DeGrandmont has posted 169 digs this year, but she needs to reach 370 to enter the single season record book. Her 2.73 digs per set average this year needs to grow to 3.45, while her 2.03 digs per set in her career is striving for 2.88, which would place her 10th. 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.
CRASHING THE WAVES...
Pepperdine enters the match against the Lions toting a 10-7 overall record and a 3-1 record in the WCC, having won three of its last four matches overall. Prior to the recent success, Pepperdine had lost four consecutive matches. Most recently, Pepperdine dropped a four-set match to UC Santa Barbara on the road on Tuesday of this week. The Waves began the conference season 0-1 after dropping the opener to Saint Mary's on October 1. They have since won the last four WCC matches, including a sweep of then-No. 20 San Diego at home on October 3. Sporting a pretty well-balanced offense, Pepperdine is paced by Rachel Grochmal, Lilla Frederick and Kim Hill with 179, 172 and 137 kills, in that order. Hill sports the top hitting percentage for Pepperdine at .377. Kiah Fiers sets the Wave attack, dishing-out 588 assists to help guide the team to a .226 overall hitting percentage. Stevi Robinson and Grochmal are the team's best servers, collecting 25 and 17 service aces, respectively. Robinson leads Pepperdine on defense, collecting 278 digs at a rate of 4.96 per set. Victoria Adelhelm is the team-leader in blocks, collecting three block solos and 42 block assists. Pepperdine, led by 27th-year Head Coach Nina Matthies, leads the all-time series against the Lions, 41-16. The Waves have won eight of the last nine contests between the two teams, including the last five straight. The two teams last met on November 6, 2008 at Pepperdine as the Lions fell in three sets.
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. Fans can also make a donation at the match on the 24th.
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 381-204, 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 173-97, good for a .641 winning percentage. With 173 career conference victories, Stratos again ranks second among active coaches in the WCC.
