Aug. 26, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
LOS ANGELES, Calif. -
BRIEFLY...
The Lions will open the 2009 season this weekend on the road at the Texas Christian University tournament. LMU will battle Grambling State to open tournament play on Friday before meeting Arkansas and Texas Christian University on Saturday. This season marks the 20th under Head Coach Steve Stratos as the Lions will look to bounce-back after finishing sixth a year ago in the West Coast Conference.
FOLLOWWW THE LIONS ONLINE...
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, all LMU home matches will be broadcast live online at www.LMULions.com. Just visit the Lion volleyball page, click on schedule, and click on the link 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 is also proud to introduce a new weekly podcast show, hosted by Jesse Kass. The show will feature radio highlights and recaps from recent games, interviews with student-athletes, and previews of upcoming events. The show will be available online at LMULions.com. Fans can also subscribe to the podcast via iTunes.
CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF THE LIONS?...
It's easy to follow the Lions throughout the 2009 season! Just log on to www.LMULions.com for all the latest Lion volleyball coverage, including updated schedules, statistics, 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).
DiG PiNK...
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 LMU's DiG PiNK site.
GAMEDAY AT GERSTEN...
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.
TEAM LMU THIS WEEK...
This week's women's soccer match versus Northern Arizona 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. This week's "Team LMU" sponsor is LMU Connect. To view more information about the current and future "Team LMU" events, please visit the "Team LMU" site.
LION TRACKS...
The Lions began the 2008 season at 9-3, highlighted by a five-match winning streak from September 12 to September 19. Over that span, LMU captured the 2008 Four Points Sheraton LAX/LMU Volleyball Classic Championship by finishing undefeated against Pittsburgh, San Jose State and UC Irvine. Unfortunately for the Lions, they would go on to drop 10 of their last 11 matches en route to finishing the season with a 13-17 overall record, and a 3-11 mark in the West Coast Conference. Those records placed the team sixth overall in the competitive WCC. Despite the uncharacteristic record for LMU last year, the Lions did manage to earn a number of individual accolades throughout the season. Emily Day highlighted the group by earning WCC Player of the Week honors on September 29. She went on to be voted All-Tournament at the MCM Elegante Lobo Classic and the Four Points Sheraton Classic, earning Tournament MVP honors at the conclusion of the latter. The postseason continued to bring honors to Day's doorstep, where she earned a spot on the WCC Fall All-Academic team and the All-Conference first team. CoSIDA also recognized the math major on the academic side, voting her to the Academic All-District team. Day's stellar senior campaign was capped by a selection to Collegiate Volleyball Update's Stellar Spikers honorable mention squad. Becky Stehling joined Day in the postseason accolades department, receiving honorable mention All-WCC honors and a spot on the WCC Fall All-Academic squad. During the season, Stehling garnered an All-Tournament selection at the MCM Elegante Lobo Classic. Ariana Covington was the only other Lion lauded after the season, earning a spot on the WCC All-Freshman team. That selection marked the second consecutive year, and third in the last four, that the Lions have had at least one player named to the All-Freshman team.
GET OFF ON THE RIGHT PAW...
If history is any indication of the future, LMU is destined for greatness when it opens its season on Friday against Grambling State. The Lions have won 11 of their last 12 season-openers, with the only loss coming in 2007 to St. John's. Over that span, LMU has recorded six sweeps and won by a count of 3-1 on four occasions.
STEHLING IN THE RECORD BOOKS...
Junior Becky Stehling already pervades the LMU Record Books with half of her LMU career yet to be contested. 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. Over a longer span of time, her .353 career hitting percentage entering the year ranks third in LMU history. Only Kelli Nerison (2001-04) and Mardell Wrensch (1992-95) have better percentages over their careers, notching marks of .356 and .355, respectively.
GRAMBLING GRUMBLINGS...
Grambling State enters the 2009 season on a high note, looking to repeat as the Eastern Division Champions in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Grambling State finished last year with a 26-9 overall record and a perfect 8-0 mark in their conference division. In the predicted order of finish, Alabama A&M and Grambling State were selected during the preseason poll to win their respective divisions for the second year in a row. The two teams met in last year's conference tournament championship game with the Lady Bulldogs emerging the victors. Senior outside hitter Kayla Williams was named second team SWAC Preseason All-Conference. Williams played in 110 of Grambling State's 123 sets last year, collecting a team-best 289 kills at a rate of 2.63 per set. Also a force from the service area, she produced 23 aces last season.
THE RAZORBACK REPORT...
The University of Arkansas volleyball team was voted to finish fifth in the Southeastern Conference's Western Division this year. The Razorbacks enter their second season under the direction of Head Coach Robert Pulliza in 2009. The team returns just five players from a team that finished 7-23 a year ago, and welcomes seven newcomers as the season begins. The Razorbacks are paced by a small, but experienced, group of returners, led by senior starters Kristin Seaton and Lindsay Scanlan. Also returning are sophomore liberos Phoebe Bautista and Mackenzie Rhea, and hitter Kelli Stipanovich. All four players were mainstays of the lineup last year, with Stipanovich pacing the team with 303 kills. In addition, the Razorbacks added a lot of height and athleticism with the incoming class. Transfer Allison Johnson is listed at 6-3, joined by a pair of 6-1 players, Amanda Anderson and Janeliss Torres-Lopez.
HORNED FROG HUDDLE...
Texas Christian University returns 11 letterwinners, including five starters, from a team that finished 20-12 a year ago. Last year's record marked TCU's third consecutive winning season, and its second straight 20-win campaign. Depth and experience will be a strength for Head Coach Prentice Lewis' Horned Frogs in 2009, with the return of five of its starters, including the leader in kills per set (Lauren Otto) and in blocks per set (Kourtney Edwards). Two Frogs garnered preseason accolades from the league in right-side hitter Christy Hudson and libero Katelyn Blackwood. Blackwood averaged 3.97 digs per set a year ago. The addition of four talented freshmen set the stage for a strong 2009 squad.
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 372-195, the most victories in LMU volleyball history and second-most among current WCC coaches. His .656 winning percentage places him in the top-50 (47th) among active Division I coaches, while his 372 victories place him 48th among the same group. In conference play, he owns a record of 173-93, good for a .650 winning percentage. With 173 career conference victories, Stratos again ranks second among active coaches in the WCC.
- GO LIONS -
