Nov. 24, 2009
LOS ANGELES, Calif. -
Complete Release
BRIEFLY...
Having completed the WCC schedule for the season last week, LMU (12-16, 3-11) will hit the road for its final match of the year on Saturday at 12 p.m., traveling to Long Beach, Calif. for a match against Long Beach State (19-7, 12-4). The match, part of the 2009 Mizuno Thanksgiving Tournament, will be provided via Gametracker, audio and video stream at LMULions.com.
BERGSMA NAMED WCC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR...
Freshman Alaina Bergsma was named the 2009 West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year, it was announced by the conference office on Tuesday. Bergsma, a native of Chandler, Ariz., becomes just the fourth Lion in LMU history, and first since 1994, to be named WCC Freshman of the Year, joining Amy Moeller (1992), Suzanne Radcliffe (1993) and Tracy Holman (1994) on the list. For her efforts, Bergsma also earned a spot on the All-Conference first team and the All-Freshman squads. To this point in the season, Bergsma is the LMU team-leader in attacks (1,092), kills (416), service aces (37), block solos (17), and points (487). Proving her worth in the WCC, she currently ranks second overall, and first in terms of freshmen, in the conference in kills, service aces and points. Bergsma, who has managed a WCC-best 11 double-doubles this year, posted the third-best kill total in a single match so far in the conference this season, notching 32 against Gonzaga on November 5. In addition, her 28 in just three sets against Portland on November 7 have proved to be the most in the WCC for a three-set match. Bergsma and fellow freshman teammate, Kenna Crouse, share the best mark in the WCC for aces in a single match, as Bergsma collected six against Cal State Northridge on September 15. In conference matches alone this season, Bergsma is first in kills per set with 223 kills at a rate of 4.96 per set. San Francisco's Sarah Mandala is the closest competition at 4.75 kills per set. In those same matches, Bergsma ranks first in points (254 total/5.64 per set) and second in aces (16 total/.36 per set).
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 15th in the nation, and second amongst her freshmen counterparts, in kills per set at 4.47. The only freshman player with a better mark is Tulsa's Tyler Henderson at 4.62. The national leader is Temple senior Yun Yi Zhang at 5.55 kills per set. Bergsma is also tied for sixth in the nation amongst freshmen players in aces per set with 37 aces at a rate of .40 per set. The native of Chandler, Ariz. is the LMU team-leader in attacks (1,092), kills (416), service aces (37), block solos (17), and points (487). So far this year, she has been named a CVU.com National Top Performer twice, a WCC Co-Player of the Week on November 9, the 2009 TCU Nike/Molten Invitational Tournament MVP, and an All-Tournament selection four times.
LION TRACKS...
LMU suffered a three-set sweep at the hands of San Francisco on Thursday night on the road in West Coast Conference play. The Lions dropped the three sets by scores of 25-15, 25-22 and 25-22. Sophomore Ariana Covington led all players in the match with 16 kills on 38 swings for a .263 hitting percentage. Unfortunately for LMU, Covington's 16 were not enough, as no other Lion recorded more than four kills in the three sets. Freshman Nikki Lane dished-out 28 assists and served-up an ace for LMU as the Lions hit just .114 as a team. Junior Megan Nash led the Lions with 10 digs and two service aces, teaming those stats with four kills. Both teams collected seven total blocks, as LMU was led by Nash's two block solos and three block assists.
LMU then dropped a four-set match to Santa Clara on the road on Saturday afternoon to close West Coast Conference play. The Lions were defeated by scores of 25-10, 25-19, 19-25, 25-13. The Lions hit just .133 over the course of the match, with the lone bright spot coming in the third-set victory when they hit a combined .400 (15-1/35). LMU distributed the ball well in the loss, as Nash, Covington and Becky Stehling each collected nine kills. The Lions, who entered the week ranked first in aces in the WCC, managed just two on Saturday, both coming from sophomore Jasmine Rankins. Nash and Stehling proved to be the highlights for LMU, with Nash hitting .381 with 11 digs, a block solo and a block assist. Stehling teamed her nine kills with five block assists to pace LMU on the block. Lane continued to serve as the Lion starting setter, passing-out 39 assists over the four sets.
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. So far, LMU has raised more than 1,800 dollars.
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 Saturday, January 9 as the Lions travel to Pepperdine for a women's basketball game at 4 p.m. The Waves currently lead the Lions in the standings, 4-3.5, after earning 1.5 points for a road victory in volleyball on November 13. To learn more about the PCH Challenge and view the current scorecard, please visit http://www.lmulions.com/trads/PCH-Cup.html.
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.
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 highlights a student-athlete and gives an inside look to why LMU is such a special place. In addition, highlights from top games and other game day features are within the show. Take a look at the newest show or past shows at LMULions.com. It's all here thanks to Lions' All-Access.
LMU SPORTS WEEKLY...
LMU's weekly podcast show, LMU Sports Weekly, is hosted by Jesse Kass. The show features radio highlights and recaps from recent games, interviews with student-athletes and coaches, and previews of upcoming events. All shows are now online at LMULions.com. Fans can also subscribe to the podcast via iTunes. Just search "LMU" in the iTunes Store.
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.
ACE, ACE, BABY...
LMU enters the week ranked first in the WCC in aces per set (1.26) and total number of aces (130). Leading the charge for LMU is freshman Alaina Bergsma, who is second in the WCC in total aces (37) and aces per set with .40. Collecting a season-high 11 aces against Gonzaga on November 5, the Lions have posted 10 or more aces in a single match on four different occasions this year, including the match against the Bulldogs, back-to-back matches against TCU (10) and Idaho (10) on August 29 and September 4, and September 15 versus Cal State Northridge (10). The Lions have managed three or more aces in 21 of their 28 matches this season, and have been held to no aces just twice, at Pepperdine on October 17 and at Saint Mary's on October 29.
The women's basketball tournament on Friday and 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.
