Aug. 25, 2011
LOS ANGELES, Calif. -
Complete Release in PDF Format 
BRIEFLY
LMU will begin the 2011 season this weekend when it hosts No. 11 UCLA, Cal State Fullerton and Quinnipiac for the Four Points by Sheraton LA Westside Invitational. The two-day tournament will see the Lions open their season against Cal State Fullerton on Friday at 7 p.m. LMU will then begin and conclude play on Saturday, hosting Quinnipiac at 10 a.m. and No. 11 UCLA at 7:30 to close tournament play.
TOURNAMENT NOTES
The Four Points by Sheraton LA Westside Invitational will begin on Friday at 4 p.m. when No. 11 UCLA and Quinnipiac do battle in Gersten Pavilion. After LMU and Cal State Fullerton finish Friday's action with the evening match, the Lions and Quinnipiac will resume play on Saturday at 10 a.m. UCLA and Cal State Fullerton will play at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday before Fullerton draws Quinnipiac in the 5 p.m. match. The Lions will then host the Bruins in the final match of the tournament on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The match between the two squads is LMU's Team LMU Match of the Week. Every match will offer online live video and stats at LMULions.com
QUICK HITS
LMU is celebrating its centennial year throughout the 2011-12 athletic season
LMU was 15-15 overall last year and 6-8 in the WCC to finish fourth
LMU will play one televised match this year, hosting Pepperdine on October 5 on ESPNU
The Lions were picked to finish fifth in the newly expanded nine-team WCC
LMU opens the 2011 season by hosting the Four Points by Sheraton LA Westside Invitational
The Lions have won 12 of their last 14 season-openers
LMU has not defeated a ranked opponent in each of its last 26 contests
After hosting the Four Points by Sheraton LA Westside Invitational, LMU hits the road until September 29
LMU is 247-132 (.652) at home since 1982
Senior Jasmine Rankins was named Preseason All-WCC and COBRA Magazine All-Preseason
LMU'S CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
The Centennial celebration at Loyola Marymount University, LMUat100, kicked off with the 2011 Commencement ceremonies and will continue through May 2012. LMU Athletics will celebrate along with the University with full list of special events, frequent online features and Centennial games for each of its NCAA Division I programs. The events for athletics started with the record-setting LionsFund Golf Classic and Dinner Auction in May and with the start of the fall 2011 sports season, the LMUat100 Celebration will be a busy one. The Lions will honor LMUat100 with a Centennial game for each of its programs, starting with men's water polo against rival Pepperdine on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 12 noon. Each game will feature special promotions and features that sport, its history at LMU, and the student-athletes and coaches who have made it a rich part of LMU's history. Volleyball's centennial match is slated for September 29 when the Lions welcome BYU to Gersten Pavilion for the first time as a conference affiliate.
PICKED BEFORE THE SERVE
Senior Jasmine Rankins was the lone Lion named to the 2011 WCC Preseason All-Conference team. Rankins led the Lions last year in attacks (1,202), kills (425), service aces (50), block solos (12) and points (510). Her aces and kills marks also led all players in the West Coast Conference. The conference-best 50 service aces placed Rankins tied for fifth in the LMU single-season record books, matched with Cindy Weglarz (1997). Her .45 service aces per set, which ranked 16th in the nation, also placed in the Top-10 in the LMU single-season books, ranking sixth. The outside hitter averaged 3.79 kills per set, good for 67th in the nation and second in the conference. Rankins took home three All-Tournament selections over the course of the 2010 campaign, earning the honor at the Luxe City Center Trojan Invite, Varney's Kansas State Invitational and BYU Molten Classic. The native of Oceanside, Calif., who led the Lions with nine double-doubles, finished second in the WCC in terms of kills in conference matches alone with 203. As she did over the entire 2010 season, Rankins led all players in service aces in WCC play with 20 (.40 per set).
QUEEN COBRA
After a breakout season that resulted in a first team All-West Coast Conference selection and a spot on the 2010 COBRA Magazine All-Region team, senior Jasmine Rankins has been tabbed to COBRA's All-Preseason Third Team this year. COBRA Magazine begins its third season of volleyball coverage in 2011. Founded by Gezus Zaire, COBRA's goal is to tell inspiring stories of black volleyball players that show young African American players that they too have opportunities to thrive in the sport despite cultural differences and economic disadvantages.
THE LIONS ARE READY FOR THEIR CLOSEUP
LMU's home volleyball match against rival Pepperdine, originally scheduled for October 6, will now be played on October 5 and will air on ESPNU, it was announced on August 15. The match is set to begin at 6 p.m., and is part of ESPN's Wednesday Night Women's Volleyball package. The televised match is the first for the Lions since October 7, 2006 when they traveled to then-No. 22 San Diego for a televised match on FSN West.
TITAN TALK
For the second time in as many years, LMU will square-off with Cal State Fullerton in the first tournament of the year. The two last met at USC on August 28, 2010 as the Lions defeated the eventual NCAA tournament qualifier in five sets. The Titans are the defending Big West Conference champs after finishing with a 26-6 overall record and a 14-2 mark in the conference. Fullerton returns nine letterwinners and four starters from last year's team, including All-Big West honorees Kayla Neto and Torrie Brown. Senior Andrea Ragan set the Titan offense last year, dishing-out 1,295 assists to help Fullerton to a .246 team hitting percentage. Carolyn Zimmerman is in her 10th season at Fullerton and holds a record of 134-137. The Lions own a 21-14 lead in the all-time series between the two team. LMU is 4-1 over the last five and 9-1 over the last 10 against the Titans.
BOBCAT BANTER
The Bobcats, members of the Northeast Conference, return seven letterwinners and six starters from last year's squad that went 6-24 overall and 4-12 (ninth) in the NEC. Senior Kayla Lawler handles the setting duties and averaged 8.86 assists per set to go with 2.13 digs per set last season. On the outside, the Bobcats return senior Kelby Carey, who averaged 2.15 kills per set and 2.86 digs per set and senior Stephanie Biediger, who averaged 1.97 kills per set and 2.22 digs per set. Robin Lamott Sparks is in her fifth year at Quinnipiac and holds a 16-108 record. Saturday's meeting will be the first between the Lions and Bobcats.
SCOUTING THE BRUINS
The Bruins are ranked 11th nationally in the preseason AVCA poll after reaching the NCAA Tournament second round with a 22-9 record last season. UCLA, which has won 12 straight season openers, is led by Rachael Kidder, whose 3.47 kills per set of a year ago lead all returning Bruins. Senior setter Lauren Van Orden also returns after dishing out 11.67 assists per set in 2010. She also averaged a team-best.25 service aces per set. Senior middle blocker Katie Camp's 1.14 blocks per set and senior libero Lainey Gera's 4.92 digs per set lead the UCLA defense. Michael Sealy is in his second year at the helm of the UCLA program. The Bruins have dominated the all-time series with the Lions, winning eight of the nine matches, including each of the last five. LMU last defeated UCLA on December 4, 1986 in five sets to advance to the NCAA second round.
Saturday night's women's volleyball match against No. 11 UCLA will be this year's first TEAM LMU Game of the Week. The purpose of TEAM LMU is to bring Lion fans together as one, creating an atmosphere that helps build the Lions into champions, while allowing all to enjoy the benefits of our corporate partners. For more information about TEAM LMU, log on to: www.LMULions.com/teamlmu
STELLAR IN THE SAND
The 26th Universiade, or the 2011 World University Games, concluded on Aug. 24 and with it athletes from LMU took home three Silver Medals - led by former volleyball stars Heather Hughes (2004-07) and Emily Day (2005-08). All told seven LMU Lions participated in the 26th University Games in Shenzhen, China. The Universiade is an International multi-sport event, organized for university athletes by the International University Sports Federation (FISU). Hughes and Day joined forces to capture a pair of silver medals - the first beach volleyball medals ever for the United States at the World University Games. Day and Hughes made it to the gold medal match, where they fell to Germany's Karla Borger and Britta Buethe, 21-19, 21-14. It was the second time that the pair had faced the German team, defeating Borger and Buethe in the third round, 21-14, 17-21, 17-15. Day and Hughes advanced to the s final by defeating China's Jin Jieqiong and Miao Chenchen in the semifinals, 18-21, 21-19, 15-10. No stranger to working together on the beach, the duo made history in 2007 when they became the lowest-seeded team to advance from the qualifier to an AVP event. The two also reunited in the sand on May 2 to win the 2010 College Beach Volleyball Championship at West Beach in Santa Barbara, Calif.
ROAD WARRIORS
After playing just nine of 30 matches in 2010 at home, LMU will once again spend the majority of the schedule on the road. The Lions will host 12 home matches this year, but will be on the road for 18 more to fill the 30-match schedule. Out-of-state voyages include a visit to Oregon State (September 4-5), a trip to Kentucky (September 9-10), the annual trek up to Gonzaga and Portland in conference play (September 22 and 24), and a trip to the newest member of the WCC, BYU, in Provo, Utah on November 3.
HOME SWEET HOME
One of Southern California's premier athletic facilities, Albert Gersten Pavilion begins its 30th year as home of the Loyola Marymount Lions. Since opening night, the Pavilion has become one of toughest places to play in the West Coast Conference. The Lions first moved into the facility in 1982, and recorded 14 wins in Gersten's inaugural season. Since 1982, the Lions have posted an overall record of 247-132 (.652) in the friendly confines of the Pavilion. In conference play, the record is even more impressive with a 124-56 (.689) home record in WCC action. In 29 years, the 1996 (WCC volleyball championship team and Sweet Sixteen participant) and 2003 (NCAA second round appearance) squads have been the most successful with 14-1 marks, for .933 winning percentages.
LET'S SETTLE THIS ON NEUTRAL GROUND
LMU has been extremely impressive in matches played at neutral sites, in which neither team is playing on their home court. Despite a pair of losses at the BYU Molten Classic, LMU was 6-2 last year on neutral court, and is 33-8 (.805) over the last 10 seasons. LMU has posted perfect neutral records in five of the last 10 seasons. Over that span, the only year in which LMU did not manage at least a .500 record was in 2004, playing to a 0-2 mark.
NEW INTERACTIVE BOOK AVAILABLE ONLINE
For the second year in a row, LMU Athletics, in conjunction with zmags.com, is proud to offer fans a new interactive publication viewing experience. All LMU yearbooks in 2011-12 will incorporate zmags' Flash-enabled technology to bring fans clickable content featuring videos and live updated weblinks. Despite the transition from printed guides to online content, LMU interactive books will continue to feature player and coach biographies, team histories, and information about Loyola Marymount University and its athletics programs. The publications will work in tandem with LMU's official athletics website, www.LMULions.com, to offer up-to-date statistics and news. Additionally, the publications are easily downloadable and printable, allowing fans to take the documents with them. All historical information is available in a second PDF publication, also on www.LMULions.com.
DiG PiNK
For the fifth consecutive year, LMU volleyball will help raise awareness and funds for the fight against breast cancer through the DiG PiNK campaign. LMU's DiG PiNK event is scheduled for October 5 versus Pepperdine at 6 p.m. To view LMU's team page, and to make a donation, please visit: www.side-out.org/application/teams/team_page/1213
ALL-CONFERENCE RETURNERS
In addition to Jasmine Rankins, LMU's Alyse Hensley also received postseason honors from the West Coast Conference. Hensley earned a spot on the honorable mention All-WCC squad, while also taking home All-Freshman team honors. Hensley burst onto the scene in 2010, collecting 258 kills at a rate of 2.50 per set. She hit .290 over the course of the year, second on the team in that category and 10th in the West Coast Conference. Hensley also hit .322 with 149 kills (3.04 per set) in West Coast Conference matches, claiming seventh in both categories. A native of San Diego, Calif., she totaled three block solos and 54 total blocks en route to 289 points. Hensley's 258 kills placed second on the team in that category, while her hitting percentage was tops amongst freshmen on the LMU roster and second only to San Diego's Freshman of the Year winner Chloe Ferrari in the conference ranks.
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, which is in its second year, serves 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 over 12 of their intercollegiate athletic teams through both regular and post-season competitions over the course of the academic calendar. 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. For the sports in which the two teams do not meet head-to-head, the teams will battle for points that will be awarded on the basis of overall finish at their respective post-season championships. The Waves have won each of the first two competitions. To learn more about the PCH Challenge and view the current scorecard, please visit: http://www.lmulions.com/trads/PCH-Cup.html
REMEMBER...IT'S JUST A NUMBER
The Lions are scheduled to play 10 matches this year against teams that at least received votes in the 2011 AVCA Division I Coaches Top-25 Preseason Poll. The ranked foes waste no time making their presence known this year, as the Lions open the 2011 season against tournament-qualifier and vote-receiver Cal State Fullerton. Non-conference adversaries UCLA (#11), Long Beach State (#22) and Kentucky all at least received votes, as the Lions' third match of the year will be against the Bruins. WCC-foe San Diego ranks 20th according to the preseason poll, while Pepperdine and Saint Mary's also received votes. LMU played four matches against ranked foes last year, finishing 0-4 in those contests. Rankings have been nothing short of perfect in the recent past when predicting LMU's fate against ranked opponents, as the Lions have dropped 26 consecutive matches against those teams. 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.
GET OFF ON THE RIGHT PAW
Despite going down in straight sets last year to then-No. 10 USC, the Lions have had a knack for coming out of the gates strong in recent memory, having won 12 of their last 14 season-openers. The only other loss over that span came in 2007 to St. John's. In addition, LMU has recorded seven sweeps and won in four sets on four occasions.
AND THE SURVEY SAYS
According to the 2011 Coaches Preseason Poll, the LMU volleyball team is picked to finish fifth this year in the newly expanded West Coast Conference. Pepperdine received seven first place votes and a total of 62 points to earn the top spot in the preseason poll. The Waves finished third last year, but will be returning the most Preseason All-Conference selections of all nine teams. Saint Mary's and San Diego split the remaining first place votes, with the Gaels expected to finish second again this year, in front of reigning WCC champion San Diego. Last year's fifth place finisher Santa Clara came ahead of LMU and newcomer BYU, securing the fourth place spot. The Lions secured fourth place in the WCC last season, while BYU also finished fourth last season in its final year with the Mountain West Conference. Portland and San Francisco shared the seventh place spot in the preseason poll, while Gonzaga landed in ninth.
