Nov. 13, 2009

Box Score

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - LMU (12-14, 3-9) dropped its final home match of the season on Friday night to cross-town rival Pepperdine (15-10, 8-4) in Gersten Pavilion. The Waves earned the 3-1 victory, and 1.5 points for a road win in the PCH Challenge standings, by a count of 25-19, 25-19, 23-25, 25-11. Pepperdine now leads the PCH Challenge standings, 4-3.5.

Freshman Alaina Bergsma once again led the Lion attack with 12 kills on 53 attacks. Her best mark came in LMU's third-set victory, as she posted five kills on 18 swings. The native of Chandler, Ariz. teamed the kills mark with 16 digs to record another double-double. Sophomore Ariana Covington and freshman Kenna Crouse chipped-in 11 kills in their own right, but it was not enough for the Lions over the course of the match. Covington joined Bergsma as one of two Lions with a double-double, collecting 10 digs to accompany the 11 kills. Freshman Nikki Lane made her first collegiate appearance, starting at setter for the Lions and dishing-out 28 assists. LMU hit just .133 as a team over the course of the four sets, allowing a .285 mark on the other side of the net.

Kim Hill led all players with an efficient 14 kills on just 28 attacks for a stellar .464 hitting percentage. Even better in terms of percentage, Victoria Adelhelm connected at a .476 clip with 10 kills on 21 attacks and no errors. Rachel Grochmal added 12 kills of her own to help Pepperdine to the win. Senior Kiah Fiers continued her solid play at the setter position, collecting 40 assists, six digs and two block assists. Grochmal (12 kills and 14 digs) and Caitlin Racich (10 kills and 12 digs) each collected double-doubles in the win.

The Lions never led in set one, as Pepperdine opened-up a 9-4 lead early on back-to-back Lion attack errors. Despite a set-best seven kills from Crouse in the opener, LMU hit just .180 as a team and could not make up the ground it allowed early in the period. With the score at 10-6, the Waves posted four unanswered points to take a comfortable 14-6 advantage, forcing the final LMU timeout of the set. The Lions managed to inch back into the contest, cutting the deficit to five points at 18-13, highlighted by kills from Crouse and Covington to bookend a four-point swing. Now trailing by just three points at 22-19, LMU saw Pepperdine regain its composure and score each of the final three points to take the set.

The second set mirrored the first as the Lions trailed virtually from the beginning. After earning the first point of the period, LMU quickly found itself in an 11-4 hole as Pepperdine rattled-off six straight points from 5-4 to 11-4. LMU refused to surrender so easily on its home court, crawling within three points at 16-13, highlighted by three of Bergsma's four kills in the period. Just as it did in the first set, Pepperdine regained control when the pressure was heightened, opening-up a 22-16 lead on back-to-back swings from Hill and Lilla Frederick. The Waves took the set to set-point at 24-18 before Adelhelm found the floor two plays later for the win.

The Lions came out of the intermission fighting en route to a 25-23 victory in the third set. Bergsma led the way with five kills on 18 swings, but it seemed to be the serving that truly made a difference. The Lions did not have another player with more than one kill in the set, but they did record three service aces in the period after failing to record one in each of the previous two sets. Junior Becky Stehling had two of the three, while Covington collected the third. The two teams played even to 10 before LMU earned a 17-11 lead that forced a Pepperdine timeout. The break served its purpose as the Waves cut the deficit to two points at 19-17, highlighted by three of Hill's six kills in the set. The momentum continued in Pepperdine's direction after a Lion timeout, as the visitors evened the tally at 19 to make things very interesting. Fortunately for LMU, the Lions would right the ship by scoring four unanswered from that point to take a 23-19 lead. Showing a high level of fight, Pepperdine spoiled three straight set-point attempts for the Lions before LMU found Bergsma for the final swing of the period.

The fourth set was all Pepperdine as the Waves cruised to a 25-11 victory in the period to take the match. Racich contributed five kills, while Adelhelm and Grochmal each added four for Pepperdine. The Waves hit a blistering .481 in the period, while LMU managed a -.038 mark on the other side of the net. Although the set started close, with the team playing even to five and then to a 9-8 Pepperdine lead, the Waves quickly took momentum. Leading 11-9, Pepperdine scored nine unanswered points with Fiers in the service area to take a 20-9 lead. LMU would score just two more points in the period before succumbing to the loss.

LMU returns to action next week when in travels to Northern California to complete WCC play with matches against San Francisco and Santa Clara.