Dec. 2, 2014 LMU Volleyball on Facebook | | LMU Volleyball on Instagram
2014 NCAA TOURNAMENT
LMU (23-7) will play in its 12th NCAA Tournament this week, traveling to Stanford, Calif. for a first-round match against Michigan State (18-13) on Friday at 4:30 p.m...the winner of the match between the Lions and Spartans, which will be contested in Stanford's Maples Pavilion, will play the winner of #1 Stanford (29-1) and CSU Bakersfield (16-14) on Saturday at 7 p.m...LMU last made the NCAA Tournament in 2012, falling in a first-round match to Western Kentucky at Stanford...
2014 NCAA Tournament Interactive Bracket | Printable Bracket | Stanford Tournament Central
LMU vs. Michigan State - Friday 4:30 PM | Live Video | | Live Audio
#1 Stanford vs. CSU Bakersfield - Friday 7 PM | Live Stats
WHAT A SEASON IT HAS BEEN
The LMU volleyball program earned an at-large bid into the 2014 NCAA Tournament on Sunday, marking the 12th appearance in the tournament, including the second in three years, for the volleyball program...the Lions entered the AVCA National Rankings for the first time since 2004 on September 15 (#23)...LMU, which is receiving votes in the AVCA Poll and is #40 in RPI this week, began the year at 12-0, the best record to start a year in program history (previous: 10-0 | 2003)...LMU has reached 20 wins for the first time since 2003 (26-7)...the current 23-7 mark is the best through 30 matches since 2003 (25-5)...prior to entering the polls this season, LMU last sat in the polls 10 years ago, sporting a #20 ranking on September 13, 2004...LMU has been listed in the Top-25 110 times...LMU also started the year 7-0 at home, the best mark over the first seven home matches since the 2003 squad went 12-0 at home en route to a 14-1 record in Gersten that year...LMU's 11-3 record at home is the best home start since starting 11-3 in 2004...the Lions have posted a number of big victories this year, including defeating NCAA Tournament player and then-No. 23 San Diego, #12 national-seed UCLA (currently ranked #17 in the nation), UCSB and Long Beach State (currently ranked #15 in the nation and in the NCAA Tournament), who all received votes in the preseason poll...LMU also defeated NCAA tournament participant and then-No. 25 Santa Clara in WCC play...the Lions are 2-0 against the perennially-powerful Pac-12, defeating Washington State to go along with the victory over UCLA...the West Coast Conference sports two teams this week that are either listed in the Top-25 or receiving votes...BYU is #12, while the Lions are receiving votes...LMU, which has posted 12 sweeps this year, opened the season with five straight sweeps, meeting that standard for the first time since 1997 (five straight sweeps)...
WATCH IT LIVE ONLINE
Fans accustomed to watching LMU volleyball matches online will not be disappointed while the Lions are competing in the 2014 NCAA Tournament, as Stanford University will live stream the events...links to the video streams can be found at LMULions.com and on the LMU volleyball schedule page...
WCC WELL-REPRESENTED
Four West Coast Conference volleyball programs advanced to the 2014 NCAA Tournament as released on Sunday...No. 12 BYU, the 2014 WCC Regular Season Champions, will join LMU, San Diego and Santa Clara...this is the largest contingent of WCC programs to advance to the NCAA Postseason since 2012 when BYU, LMU, Pepperdine, Saint Mary's, San Diego and Santa Clara qualified...
LION TRACKS
Prior to learning that it was awarded an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament, the LMU volleyball team dropped a match to #12 BYU on November 25...LMU played tough, but the Cougars proved too much as they defeated the Lions in four sets by scores of 30-28, 25-12, 23-25, 25-21 to wrap up the 2014 regular season...the match was Senior Night for LMU, as the Lions celebrated seniors Litara Keil, Caitlin DeWitt and Ashley Maxfeldt as they played in their final home match...BYU senior Jennifer Hamson took well to LMU's Senior Night, exploding for 25 kills on 40 swings with only three errors (.550), teaming those marks with a block solo and 10 block assists...BYU as a team managed 22 total blocks, guided by 14 block assists from the NCAA blocking leader, Whitney Young...both marks were season-highs allowed by the Lions...Keil paced the attack for the Lions, collecting 15 kills and hitting .375 in the loss...the native of Long Beach, Calif. also managed four aces and four block assists as LMU finished with five aces and five blocks as a team...
ALL-CONFERENCE SELECTIONS
With the 2014 NCAA Tournament still ahead, five LMU volleyball players were lauded for their stellar seasons on Tuesday, earning All-West Coast Conference honors as announced by the Conference office...seniors Caitlin DeWitt and Litara Keil were joined by junior Hannah Tedrow on the first team, while freshmen Sarah Sponcil and Kristen Castellanos earned a spot on the All-Freshman team...while the selections are the first for DeWitt, Sponcil and Castellanos, Keil has now been lauded three times, as she took home honorable mention honors in each of the last two years...the three first-team selections, tied with BYU for most this year, are the most since LMU earned three in 1996 en route to a Sweet-Sixteen appearance in the NCAA Tournament...this year also marks the first since 2007 that LMU has earned a pair of All-Freshmen selections...
IT'S JUST A NUMBER
With a victory over No. 24 Pepperdine on November 8, 2012, LMU snapped a streak of 36 straight losses to ranked opponents (last victory: 10/5/06 at #12 Santa Clara)...LMU finished that year 1-5 against ranked foes before going 0-4 in such matches last year...the 2014 season has been much better when the Lions are pit against Top-25 squads, as LMU is 2-2 on the year...
LET'S SETTLE THIS ON NEUTRAL GROUND
LMU has historically been extremely impressive in matches played at neutral sites, in which neither team is playing on their home court...the Lions are currently 4-0 in neutral matches this year...LMU was 1-1 in neutral contests in 2013 after finishing 2-3 in 2012...2011 saw the Lions go 4-2 in neutral matches, while they were 6-2 in 2010...overall, LMU is 118-57 (.674) in neutral contests since the 1983 season, including having posted perfect neutral records in eight of those 32 seasons...over that span, LMU has had only five seasons with losing records in neutral matches...the last 14 years have seen LMU go 44-14 (.759) in neutral contests...
WINS FOR THE AGES
LMU has managed a few streak-stopping victories this year, most notably defeating UCLA, San Diego and Long Beach State...prior to LMU's sweep of UCLA on 8/30, the Bruins had won seven straight matches over the Lions...the all-time series now stands at 10-2 in favor of UCLA, with LMU's only other victory coming on 12/4/86 (3-2)...eight of the 10 UCLA victories in the series have been sweeps...the Lions then recorded a victory over Long Beach State on 9/11, snapping a seven-match skid for the Lions against the 49ers...the last Lion victory over LBSU came on 9/10/94...the road victory for LMU was also the first over Long Beach State since 11/17/87...perhaps the biggest win of the year so far, LMU swept then-No. 23 San Diego on 9/30...that victory snapped a 16-match losing streak to the Toreros (last victory: 10/28/05)...LMU was just 6-26 over the previous 32 matches against USD...the sweep of USD was also the first for the Lions since November 18, 1995...
HOW SWEEP IT IS
LMU's sweep over Pepperdine on 11/8 at home completed the season sweep of the Waves, as LMU beat Pepperdine in straight sets on the road on 10/11...this year marks the first time since 1996 that LMU won both matches in the season series against the Waves, and the first time in the storied history between the two that LMU recorded a sweep in both wins...
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
LMU has earned a pair of West Coast Conference Player of the Week selections this year, with the most recent going to Hannah Tedrow on September 23...Tedrow was named WCC Player of the Week after earning Tournament MVP honors at the Washington State Cougar Challenge...over the three matches played, Tedrow collected 119 assists (11.90 per set) while managing a pair of aces and 31 digs (3.10 per set)...the native of Foothill Ranch, Calif. also added two block solos and three block assists as the Lions hit .296...she managed 30+ assists in all three matches, including 49 in the championship match against WSU...Tedrow also collected a double-double against Portland State (36 assists | 13 digs)...LMU's first WCC Player of the Week selection went to Caitlin DeWitt on September 8... DeWitt was named MVP of the Sacramento State Invitational after guiding LMU to perfect 3-0 mark at the tournament...she posted 49 kills (4.90 per set) with only eight errors on 83 attacks for a .482 hitting percentage over the three victories over UCSB, Sac State and Fresno State...she also managed eight block assists (0.80 blocks per set)...the Casper, Wyo. native posted 19 kills (.424 hitting percentage) with four block assists against UCSB to start tournament play on September 5 before registering 12 kills on 17 errorless attacks (.706) against the host Hornets on September 6...
NO MORE HEARTBREAK, PLEASE
LMU suffered 10 losses in West Coast Conference play last year, with five of those 10 losses coming in five sets...after going 12-0 in non-conference play to start this year, LMU dropped a heartbreaking five-set match to Pacific to start the WCC schedule on 9/25...LMU won the first two sets of that match before dropping three straight - just as it did against Gonzaga and San Diego in two of the five-set losses from 2013...LMU has since dropped two more five-set matches in WCC play, falling to Santa Clara at home on 10/18 after holding a 2-1 lead in the match score after three sets and to Pacific on 11/22...the losses were two of LMU's three home blemishes this year...
ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE
Michigan State, which has won five straight matches, enters the NCAA Tournament with an 18-13 overall record after finishing seventh in the Big Ten...the Spartans are making their fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance...four Spartan players earned All-Big Ten honors this year, including Chloe Reinig who leads the team with 403 kills at a rate of 3.66 per set...Kori Moster, a senior libero, earned honorable mention honors having posted 511 digs (4.60 per set) and a team-high 26 aces...the Spartans are hitting .225 as a team receiving sets from All-Freshman selection Rachel Minarick (1,057 assists | 10.07 per set)...they have registered 299.5 blocks, averaging 2.70 per set...Alyssa Garvelink and Jazmine White pace the block with 113 and 112 blocks, respectively...Michigan State is led by 10th-year head coach Cathy George...
ABOUT STANFORD
Stanford enters the NCAA Tournament as the #1 overall seed after going 29-1 this season winning the Pac-12 Championship for the 16th time...the only Cardinal loss this year came to fellow top-four seed Washington in the second-to-last match of the regular season...All-Pac-12 honoree Inky Ajanaku leads the team with 383 kills (3.55 per set) and a .446 hitting percentage...the Cardinal is hitting .316 as a team receiving sets from Pac-12 setter of the year Madi Bugg (1,262 assists | 12.02 per set)...Stanford has also managed 290 blocks ( 2.64 per set) and 123 aces, led by Megan McGehee with 29...Stanford is led by 14th-year head coach John Dunning...
ABOUT CSU BAKERSFIELD
CSU Bakersfield enters the NCAA Tournament carrying a 16-14 overall record having won the WAC Tournament...the Roadrunners have won five straight matches...CSUB is led by Danika Youngblood with 404 kills at a rate of 3.74 per set...Molly O'Hagan is hitting .305 with 359 kills as the `Runners are hitting .217 as a team receiving sets from Luiza Martins (1,270 assists | 11.44 per set)...Eryn Riley paces the team to 147 aces, but CSUB has also allowed 143 aces...the Roadrunners have totaled 178.5 blocks led by O'Hagan with nine solos and 91 block assists...CSUB is led by first-year head coach Giovana Melo...
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
One of Southern California's premier athletic facilities, Albert Gersten Pavilion is in its 33rd year as home of the Loyola Marymount volleyball in 2014...since opening night, the Pavilion has become one of toughest places to play in the West Coast Conference...the volleyball Lions first moved into the facility in 1982, and recorded 14 wins in Gersten's inaugural season...LMU is 11-3 at home this year, the best home start since starting 11-3 in 2004...since 1982, the Lions have posted an overall record of 285-150 (.655) in the friendly confines of the Pavilion...in conference play, the record is even more impressive with a 145-69 (.678) home record in WCC action...in 32 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...
WELLS FARGO PCH CUP
Separated by 19.1 miles of scenic coastline, longtime cross-town adversaries Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine came together in an effort to boost their decades-long rivalry with the creation of the Wells Fargo Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) Cup...the series, which is in its sixth 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...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...LMU currently leads the 2014-15 standings, 6-1...Pepperdine has won the challenge in each of the first five seasons...to learn more about the PCH Cup and view the current scorecard, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/6n4l82s
DiG PiNK
For the eighth consecutive year, LMU volleyball helped raise awareness and funds for the fight against breast cancer through the Side-Out Foundation DiG PiNK campaign...LMU's DiG PiNK event was played on October 16 versus San Francisco...even if you did not donate at the match, there is still time to help the Lions reach their donation goal...to view LMU's team page, and to make a donation, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/2014LMUDiGPiNK
SACRAMENTO STATE INVITATIONAL CHAMPIONS
The LMU volleyball team won the 2014 Sacramento State Invitational Tournament Championship from September 5-6, sweeping UCSB and host Sacramento State before taking down Fresno State in four sets...senior Caitlin DeWitt, junior Hannah Tedrow and freshman Sarah Sponcil were named to the All-Tournament team, with DeWitt claiming her second Tournament MVP honor of the year...DeWitt finished the tournament hitting .482 with 49 kills (4.90 per set) and only nine errors on 83 attacks to accompany 18 digs and eight block assists...Sponcil finished the three matches with 32 kills (3.20 per set) while hitting .406 on 69 swings to go along with five service aces, 22 digs and four block assists...setting the attack to a .403 team hitting percentage throughout the tournament, Tedrow managed 126 assists (12.60 per set) with seven kills, 17 digs and eight blocks (two solo and six block assists)...
CONCOURSE HOTEL AT LAX ALL-TOURNAMENT
A trio of Lions were recognized following the Concourse Hotel at LAX Classic to open the year, as senior Caitlin DeWitt was named Tournament MVP after guiding LMU to a 3-0 mark that included a victory over UCLA on Saturday night in the Championship Match...senior Litara Keil and junior setter Hannah Tedrow were also lauded, earning a spot on the All-Tournament team...DeWitt collected a team-best 31 kills at a rate of 3.44 per set as the Lions swept LIU Brooklyn, Binghamton and UCLA...the native of Casper, Wyo. connected at a .347 clip over 72 swings, teaming that mark with four aces and four blocks (one solo and three block assists)...DeWitt bookended her solid weekend with 11 kills apiece against LIU Brooklyn and UCLA...in each of the first two matches of the year against LIU Brooklyn and Binghamton, DeWitt hit better than .400 and posted a pair of aces...Keil finished the tournament having collected 18 kills on 38 swings while hitting .395...the native of Long Beach, Calif. had her best match of the tournament against UCLA, matching up against the Bruin size and posting four block solos and three block assists to accompany nine kills and two service aces...she finished the weekend with four service aces, six block solos and three block assists (1.29 blocks per set)...Tedrow set the Lion attack throughout the tournament, quarterbacking the Lions to a .321 hitting percentage over the course of the three matches...the native of Foothill Ranch, Calif. dished out 94 assists at a rate of 10.44 per set...she was also one of LMU's leading servers during the tournament, posting a team-high tying five aces to only one service error...
GET OFF ON THE RIGHT PAW
The Lions have had a knack for coming out of the gates strong in recent memory, having won 16 of their last 18 season-openers, including a sweep of LIU Brooklyn to open the 2014 season...the only losses over that span came in 2007 to St. John's and then-No. 10 USC in 2010...LMU has recorded 10 sweeps and won in four sets on five occasions...
SURVEY SAYS
According to the 10 West Coast Conference head coaches, the LMU women's volleyball team is tabbed to finish fifth in the WCC this year...BYU, which opens the season with a #9 ranking according to the AVCA, was chosen to win the 2014 West Coast Conference title...defending WCC Champion, San Diego, is picked to finish second after opening the year with a #13 preseason ranking according to the AVCA...
PICKED BEFORE THE SERVE
Senior Litara Keil was tabbed a preseason All-WCC selection after taking home honorable mention All-WCC honors for the second consecutive season last year...as a junior in 2013, Keil notched 354 kills at a rate of 3.50 per set while hitting .278...the kills mark was second-best on the squad, while her kills per set mark was eighth-best in the WCC...on the block, Keil posted four block solos and 73 block assists for a total of 77 blocks (0.76 blocks per set) to lead the team in all blocking categories...the native of Long Beach, Calif. reached double-digit kills in all but six matches last year...
HEADED TO THE HALL
The 1996 women's volleyball team will be inducted into the LMU Hall of Fame on February 21 as part of the 16th class to be inducted...the 1996 squad turned in the best season in program history, finishing 26-3 overall and reaching the Sweet Sixteen...they would also claim their third straight WCC crown that season with a perfect 14-0 WCC record, marking the first team in LMU history to win a trio of titles...the team roster that season included Suzanne Radcliffe, Heather Brooke (Vinck), Jessica Olivier, Tate Medley, Lydia Kniffin (Day), Tracy Duffey (Holman), Cindy Weglarz, Jeannette Hecker, Krista Del Colliano, Kim Blankinship, Alyssa Carbonetti-Bellevue, Sarah Sulentor (Noriega), Karissa Guthrie (Meith), Nelly Fullard-Leo (Weglarz), Head Coach Steve Stratos, and assistant coaches Larry Smoot and Erika Stevens...
@LMU_VOLLEYBALL ON TWITTER
For fans, parents and players interested in following LMU volleyball even closer this year, LMU volleyball will be tweeting under the handle @LMU_Volleyball...to get the inside look at LMU volleyball, make sure to follow @LMU_Volleyball on Twitter...
TOP OF THE CLASS
LMU's newest group of freshmen volleyball players was tabbed as the 24th-best recruiting class in the nation according to PrepVolleyball.com prior to the 2014 season...the Lions, who garnered Highest Honorable Mention honors in PrepVolleyball's recruiting rankings entering the 2011 and 2012 seasons, were the only West Coast Conference team listed in the Top-30 this year...in order to determine the top recruiting classes, PrepVolleyball.com petitions a panel of college coaches from across the country to develop the list...according to the publication, "the Lions have topped some previously strong recruiting classes with perhaps their finest yet ... this class brings power, depth, ball control and a high volleyball IQ to a rising LMU squad."...
U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A!
After completing his third year serving as LMU head volleyball coach in 2012, Tom Black accepted an assistant coach position under head coach Karch Kiraly with the U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team...Black will continue in his head coaching duties at LMU this year while serving on the Team USA staff before taking a sabbatical at LMU for the 2015 season...prior to being named an assistant coach, Black spent the previous three summers as a consultant coach for the U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team as the squad prepared for the 2012 London Games...
Volleyball Release - Michigan State 
