Sept. 23, 2011

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Loyola Marymount University celebrates its Centennial in 2011-12, and LMU Athletics will be honoring 100 years of history all season. Each of LMU's NCAA Division I programs will be hosting a Centennial Game to honor LMUat100, which included more than 900 fans at the Sept. 10 men's water polo game against Pepperdine in the Wells Fargo PCH Cup. Up next is the women's volleyball match against conference newcomer BYU on Thursday, Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. Leading up to the match, LMULions.com will take a look back at some of the memorable moments from women's volleyball's storied history. Today's look back features the five players who have had their jersey numbers retired.

A total of five LMU players have had their jersey numbers retired after a stellar career at LMU. The five individuals, Mardell Wrensch (2), Tracy Holman (9), Sarah McFarland (14), Sarah Noriega (16), and Kealani Kimball (18), not only distinguished themselves as some of the best athletes in the country, but also represented LMU with dignity and pride.

Mardell Wrensch (2) - 1992-95
Mardell Wrensch was a WCC first team selection for three straight seasons, earning WCC Scholar-Athlete honors all four years. She was also voted team MVP twice and named the LMU Student-Athlete of the Year as a junior. She ranks among LMU's top-10 in 10 career and season statistical categories. Her .355 career hitting percentage places second in LMU's all-time record book, while her mark of .422 in 1995 still tops the list in terms of single-season percentage.

Tracy Holman (9) - 1994-97
Tracy Holman set the all-time career LMU assists record with 5,362. After leading the Lions to their third-straight WCC title as a junior, Holman garnered Volleyball Magazine All-American honorable mention accolades. She was a four-time All-WCC first team selection and 1994 WCC Freshman of the Year. She was the WCC and LMU Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 1998, an honor she also earned at LMU in 1997.

Sarah McFarland (14) - 1997-00
Sarah McFarland was LMU's first two-time All-American, while also being named LMU's Female Athlete of the Year twice. She was a three-time first team All-WCC and AVCA All-Region selection. McFarland led the nation in kills for two straight years, including posting 762 kills in 2000 - a mark that is tops in the LMU and WCC record books. She still holds five NCAA records, including kills/set in a season (7.78 in 2000), kills/set in a career (6.43), attempts/set in a season (17.04 in 2000), attempts/set in a career (14.03), and attempts in a four-set match (111 vs. Notre Dame on 9/21/00).

Sarah Noriega (16) - 1994-97
Sarah Noriega was an AVCA first team All-American, a Volleyball Magazine All-American, a three-time All-West Coast Conference first team selection, and the 1997 WCC Player of the Year. She was also a three-time All-District VIII honoree and was LMU"s Female Athlete of the Year for the 1997-98 school year. Noriega was a member of three WCC Championship teams, and still pervades the LMU Career record books, placing in the top-10 of 18 career and season statistical categories. Before returning to LMU to complete her degree in 2007, Noriega played with USA Volleyball and the U.S. National Team. Some of her highlights include being a participant at the U.S. Olympic Festival in 1995, a World Games participant and a 2000 Olympian. Noriega still holds the NCAA record for kills in a four-set match, when she recorded 47 kills on November 7, 1997 against San Diego.

Kealani Kimball (18) - 2000-03
An All-WCC first team selection for three straight seasons, Kealani Kimball also received Academic All-District VIII honors for her achievements on the court and in the classroom. She was just the fifth LMU volleyball player to receive the first-team honor three consecutive seasons, and the fourth Lion to surpass both the 1,000 kill and the 1,000 dig milestone in her career. In total, Kimball collected 1,105 kills to go along with 1,038 digs.

More information on LMU History:
• LMU Volleyball Media Almanac
• LMU Volleyball All-Time Honors
• LMU Volleyball Career Stats

More on LMUat100:
• Centennial Game Schedule • Athletics LMUat100 Homepage • LMUat100 Homepage