Sept. 18, 2009

Box Score

STOCKTON, Calif. - LMU (8-3) recorded its fourth sweep of the season on Friday, defeating Nevada (3-7), 25-13, 25-22, 25-23, in the Lions' first match of the 2009 Hilton Stockton Invitational being hosted by the University of Pacific this weekend. LMU hit just .181 as a team, but held Nevada to a .104 mark on the other side of the net in the victory.

Sophomore Ariana Covington led all players with 13 kills on 33 attacks, while also posting two service aces and seven digs. Freshman Alaina Bergsma, who had just one kill in the first set, finished the match with seven, adding three service aces and a block assist to total 10.5 points. The Lions finished the match with eight service aces. Junior Becky Stehling did not hit for her regular high percentage this match, but did prove effective, notching eight kills on 17 attacks for a .176 mark. Sophomore Alesha Young set the Lion offense, dishing-out 36 assists, while also contributing three kills.

Kylie Harrington paced Nevada on the attack, collecting 11 kills on 30 swings for a .233 hitting percentage. Splitting time at the setter position, Sonnie Sei and Tatiana Santiago dished-out nine and eight assists, respectively. A bright spot of the Wolf Pack match proved to be the 10 team blocks, including one solo and five block assists from Janelle Batista.

LMU easily earned a lead in the match score by taking a 25-13 victory in set one. Covington came out strong in the set, collecting five kills on nine attacks, to lead LMU to a .320 hitting percentage overall. The Lions quickly earned a 6-1 lead to open the set, highlighted by a pair of kills from Covington and two Wolf Pack attacking errors. After Nevada crept a bit closer at 9-6, LMU advanced the lead to 15-7 on another Nevada error to force a timeout. The break served its purpose as Nevada won the next three points out of the break to run the tally to 15-10 and force a Lion timeout. The crimson and navy emerged having regained its composure, earning a 10-point lead at 22-12 on a Diana Hiromoto service ace and a Stehling kill. The Lions took the set to its final point moments later on a kill by Jasmine Rankins before Covington fittingly capped the frame with a service ace.

Covington was at it again in set two, collecting five more kills to help LMU to the 25-22 victory. In addition, the Carlsbad, Calif. native also posted her second service ace of the match. The LMU attack was not as sharp as it was in the first set, hitting .206, but once again the Lions allowed just a .118 mark on the other side. Unlike in the first set, Bergsma made a large difference in the second, connecting for three kills on five attacks with one service ace. Set two started just as the first set had, with LMU taking an early advantage at 5-1. LMU led virtually the entire way in the set, with the only tie score coming at 16-16 after Nevada posted four unanswered points from 16-12, capped by three consecutive Lion attack errors. After the two teams met at 16, LMU ran the tally to 22-18 on a Young ace and one of her two kills in the frame. A Nevada attack error ran the set to its final point before Covington found the floor on a ball from Young to put the set away.

Stehling notched a team-best four kills in the final set, helping LMU to the match win. Bergsma, Covington and Kenna Crouse each contributed three kills apiece in the frame, but the Lions hit just .087 overall. Harrington did all she could for Nevada, posting a set-high five kills on 15 attacks in the loss. The third set saw the Lions trail for the first time all match as Nevada earned a 10-6 lead on a Stehling attack error. Another Lion attack error pushed the deficit to 13-9 before LMU managed to crawl back to even at 16 on a Stehling kill. After trading blows to 22, LMU won three of the next four points to win the match, capped by a Crouse kill from Lauren DeGrandmont.

LMU returns to action tonight at 5 p.m. as it squares-off against Cal State Bakersfield.