Sept. 2, 2009

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -

Complete Release in PDF Format

BRIEFLY...
After capturing the 2009 TCU Nike/Molten Invitational Championship last weekend, the Lions look to continue to build on a stellar start to the 2009 season as they travel to the Alexis Park Classic, highlighted by a match against No. 9 UCLA on Saturday. LMU will open tournament play against Idaho on Friday before meeting the Bruins and host UNLV on Saturday.

LION TRACKS...
LMU came out strong in its season-opener on Friday at the Texas Christian University Invitational, sweeping Grambling State, 25-15, 25-15, 25-18. The Lions hit .459 and made just five attack errors over the course of the match. Defensively, LMU held the Tigers to a .110 hitting percentage and recorded 10.5 blocks, including a match-high four block assists from Alaina Bergsma and Ariana Covington. Bergsma proved to a major part of the Lion success across the board, tallying a match-best 11 kills and two service aces to go with her four block assists. If there was one shortcoming of the Lion game on Friday it was service errors, as the team missed on eight occasions, including four from Bergsma. Junior Becky Stehling, who entered the year ranked third in career hitting percentage, continued to be efficient in the season opener, hitting .692 and recording nine kills and no errors over the match, including .750 (3-0/4) in the first set alone. Sophomore Alesha Young got the bulk of the setting duties on Friday night, dishing-out 25 assists to guide LMU to the stellar hitting percentage. Freshman Olivia Bailey also found time on the floor as a setter, collecting eight assists. Sophomore Lauren DeGrandmont paced the Lions in digs with nine, one short of a match-high.

LMU continued to play quality all-around volleyball on Saturday morning, defeating Arkansas in three sets, 25-16, 25-14, 25-19. The Lions continued right where they left off in attack percentage on Saturday, connecting at a solid .382 pace against the Razorbacks. Bergsma was the standout from the excellent team effort, 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. Offensively, the Lions had plenty of options, including eight kills from freshman Felicia Arriola, seven from Covington, six from Nash and five from the middle in Stehling. Both Stehling and Nash hit .500 on the match, taking sets Young, who collected a season-best 40 assists to help the Lions to the incredible hitting percentage. DeGrandmont played her position well in the match, recording a match and career-high 12 digs. Along with Bergsma's three, Arriola and sophomore Diana Hiromoto each collected a service ace in the win.

LMU defeated host Texas Christian University in four sets to claim the Tournament Championship on Saturday night, 25-18, 25-23, 16-25, 25-16. Following the match, Bergsma was named Tournament MVP, while sophomores Young and Covington were named to the All-Tournament team. Bergsma led all hitters with 15 kills on the night, attacking at a .205 clip (15-6/44). She added two service aces and 10 digs for a double-double. Young, who handled the majority of the setting duties during the match, posted 37 assists, a service ace, seven digs and a block assist. Stehling once again contributed out of the middle offensively, notching nine kills and a .200 hitting percentage. DeGrandmont paced all players with 20 digs, also adding a pair of service aces as the Lions finished with 10 on the night.

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. 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. 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.

REMEMBER...IT'S JUST A NUMBER...
LMU will look to break trend this weekend as it competes against a ranked opponent for the first time this year in No. 9 UCLA. Rankings have been nothing short of perfect in the recent past when predicting LMU's fate against ranked opponents, as the Lions have dropped 18 consecutive matches against ranked foes. 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.

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 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).

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 Vermont on Friday, the East/West Cup, 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 Courtyard by Marriott Los Angeles Westside. To view more information about the current and future "Team LMU" events, please visit www.LMULions.com/teamlmu.

STEHLING IN THE RECORD BOOKS...
Junior Becky Stehling already pervades the LMU Record Books with virtually 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 .356 career hitting percentage entering this week ranks tied for first in LMU history. Only Kelli Nerison (2001-04) has recorded as good a percentage over her career. Mardell Wrensch (1992-95) sits third in the books with a mark of .355.

IDAHO INFO...
Idaho went 2-1 last weekend at a tournament in Fullerton, Calif., sweeping Appalachian State and Lamar before falling in five sets to the host Titans. Senior outside hitter Sarah Conwell paced the Vandals with 3.09 kills per set, while sophomore Alicia Milo averaged 2.89. Despite splitting time with Jennifer Feicht, junior Katie Tribley showed her leadership from the setter position, averaging 6.00 assists per set for the tournament. Senior Meredith Rice was the libero and averaged 3.82 digs per set. Idaho hit .202 as a team, averaging 3.23 blocks and 2.18 aces per set. LMU has squared-off against Idaho three times overall, with the Lions defeating the Vandals in each contest. The two teams last met on September 3, 2005 in Gersten Pavilion.

BRUIN BANTER...
No. 9 UCLA swept No. 25 Santa Clara in the opening match of the Chevron Rainbow Wahine Invitational last weekend before recording another sweep on Saturday against Western Michigan. UCLA then met a top-10 opponent in Hawai'i, dropping a close three-set affair. Junior Dicey McGraw led the Bruins with 32 kills over the weekend, averaging 3.56 per set and hitting .379. Lauren Cook served as the team's setter, dishing-out 92 assists at a rate of 10.22 per set. Lainey Gera, the team's libero, notched a team-best 33 digs at a rate of 3.67 per set. As a team, UCLA hit .275, averaged 1.22 service aces per set and 3.00 blocks per set. Amanda Gil highlighted the Bruin block, totaling 13 total stuffs including two solos and 11 assists. UCLA holds the advantage in the overall all-time series with the Lions, 7-1. The Lions have dropped each of the last four contests against the Bruins, with the only victory coming on December 4, 1986 at Pauley Pavilion.

REBEL RANTS...
UNLV was 1-1 last weekend, playing in a tournament in Gainesville, Fla. The Rebels could not defeat the host Gators, but slipped-by with a four-set victory over Valparaiso in their next match. Sophomore middle blocker Cursty Jackson led UNLV with 3.29 kills and 1.00 blocks per set, while senior middle Erin Greenwood averaged 2.29 kills per set and 1.29 blocks per set. The Rebels employed two setters, senior Samantha Richard and sophomore Amanda Alles. As a team, the Rebels hit .179 and averaged 2.71 blocks and 1.43 service aces per set. The Lions hold a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series against UNLV, sweeping the Rebels twice in 2003 before dropping the last contest, 3-1, on September 1, 2007 at home.

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.

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 375-195, 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 173-93, good for a .650 winning percentage. With 173 career conference victories, Stratos again ranks second among active coaches in the WCC.