Oct. 7, 2015 LMU Volleyball on Facebook | | LMU Volleyball on Instagram
FOLLOW THE LIONS
LMU at Gonzaga â€" Thursday, October 8 | 6 PM | Spokane, Wash. | Watch on theW.tv | Live Stats |
LMU at Portland â€" Saturday, October 10 | 12 PM | Portland, Ore. | Watch on theW.tv | Live Stats
QUICK HITS
◊ LMU snapped a three-match losing streak with a victory over Saint Mary's on 10/3 ... owns an RPI of 57 entering this week ... is ranked 34th in the nation (4th in WCC) in assists/per set (13.74) ... has played 5 five-set matches this year (2-3 record) after playing 6 such matches last season ... has not been swept in a match this year ... has won 13 of 16 first sets this year (7-6 in those matches), but is 3-0 when the opponent wins the first set ... made its 12th appearance in the NCAA Tournament last year, and its second trip in the last three years (dropped the First Round match to Michigan State) ... finished 5th in the WCC (23-8 overall | 11-7 WCC) and was one of four WCC teams in the NCAA Tournament (LMU, BYU, USD, SCU) ... BYU played in the National Championship match ... had five players awarded with All-Conference honors last year, including three first-team selections (DeWitt, Keil, Tedrow) and two All-Freshman selections (Sponcil, Castellanos) ... the three first-team selections were the most since LMU earned three in 1996 ... earned a National Ranking last year for the first time since 2004 ... reached 20 wins for the first time since 2003 (26-7) ... is 289-153 (.654) at home since 1982.
◊ Tom Black has posted 94 victories as LMU's head coach.
◊ Jamie Lea led the Lions with 19 kills in each of the first two matches this year ... is averaging 3.80 kills per set (8th in WCC).
◊ Sarah Sponcil was named Lumberjack Classic All-Tournament ... recorded a triple-double vs. Virginia on 8/28 (13 K | 28 A | 17 D) - the first for LMU since Heather Hughes had 19 K, 11 A, 11 D vs. Gonzaga on 11/1/07 ... has managed at least a double-double in all but five matches this year ... was named a preseason All-WCC selection.
◊ Rachelle Suaava was named Lumberjack Classic All-Tournament ... is hitting .265 (162-70/347) with a team-best 66 block assists and 5 block solos (1.15 per set) ... ranks 3rd in WCC in total blocks (71).
◊ Hannah Tedrow is averaging 11.50 assists per set (1st in WCC | 13th in nation) ... was named a preseason All-WCC selection.
◊ Kekai Whitford was named Lumberjack Classic All-Tournament.
THIS WEEK
The Lions will continue West Coast Conference play on the road this week, traveling to Gonzaga and Portland for a pair of matches this week ... Thursday's match at Gonzaga is scheduled for 6 pm, while Saturday's clash at Portland will begin at Noon ... live stats and video links for both matches can be found at LMULions.com.
LET'S SETTLE THIS ON NEUTRAL GROUND
With Inauguration Day for new LMU President Timothy Law Snyder scheduled for October 6, LMU had to play its 10/3 match against Saint Mary's at Pepperdine ... LMU has historically been extremely impressive in matches played at neutral sites, in which neither team is playing on their home court ... with the victory over the Gaels, the Lions are currently 3-0 in neutral matches this year after finishing last year 4-1 in neutral matches ... 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 121-58 (.676) in neutral contests since the 1983 season, including having posted perfect neutral records in eight of those 33 seasons ... over that span, LMU has had only five seasons with losing records in neutral matches.
LION TRACKS
LMU went 1-2 over three matches last week, dropping decision to #15 BYU and Pacific before collecting its first WCC victory against Saint Mary's in three sets ... sophomore Sarah Sponcil collected 42 kills (3.82 per set) and 27 digs (2.45 per set) over the three matches ... In LMU's victory over Saint Mary's, Sponcil collected a match-high tying 14 kills while hitting .464 and notching a pair of aces ... the native of Phoenix, Ariz. posted a double-double in a loss to Pacific on Thursday, teaming 17 kills with 11 digs.
DiG PiNK
For the ninth consecutive year, LMU volleyball will help raise awareness and funds for the fight against breast cancer through the Side-Out Foundation DiG PiNK campaign ... LMU's DiG PiNK event will be played on October 22 versus San Diego ... fans are encouraged to wear pink and can donate at the match ... LMU will hold a pre-match tailgate and barbeque in addition to a silent auction, with items including an autographed LMU volleyball, LMU volleyball team jersey and the opportunity to sit on the bench at an upcoming home match ... all proceeds from the auction will go to the Side-Out Foundation ... to donate before, during, or after the event, please visit: http://bit.ly/1GcN1hc
WATCH IT LIVE ONLINE
LMU Athletics will video stream all home volleyball matches this year through the LMU Sports Network and theW.tv ... the video stream is free of charge, and will be accompanied by an audio play-by-play broadcast ... to watch any and all home matches this year, please visit: lmulions.com/multimedia/LMUSportsNetwork-WVB.html
ABOUT GONZAGA
Gonzaga enters the match with LMU sporting an 11-6 overall record (2-2 WCC) having dropped consecutive matches for just the second time this year ... the Bulldogs fell in five at San Francisco and in four at Santa Clara last week ... they began WCC play with victories over then-No. 23 Pacific and Saint Mary's ... Savannah Blinn leads the attack, registering 250 kills at a rate of 4.10 per set ... Gonzaga is hitting .250 as a team receiving sets from Faith Smith (368 assists | 6.03 per set) and Lauren Joseph (196 assists | 4.67 per set) ... Emmy Allen leads the team in aces with 13, helping Gonzaga to 51 as a squad ... the Bulldogs feature a strong block which averages 2.78 blocks per set, led by 60 blocks from Kaylie Loewen (8 block solos and 52 block assists) ... Imani Wimbush and Blinn have also contributed 50 blocks apiece ... Gonzaga is led by seventh-year head coach Dave Gantt.
ABOUT PORTLAND
Portland enters the week sporting an 11-5 overall record (1-3 WCC) having dropped three straight matches ... the Pilots most recently dropped matches to Santa Clara and San Francisco last week, dropping a five-setter at Santa Clara and suffering a sweep at the hands of the Dons ... Emily Liger leads the team on the attack, posting 225 kills at a rate of 3.88 per set ... Liger has also served up 20 aces to guide Portland to 86 as a squad ... the Pilots are hitting .232 as a team while receiving sets from Djurdjina Milovic (615 assists | 10.60 per set) ... Brittney Markwith provides a solid block at the net, posting 60 blocks, including three solos and 57 block assists ... Hannah Troutman has managed 10 block solos and 28 block assists, as the Pilots are averaging 2.36 blocks per set ... Portland is led by second-year head coach Brent Crouch.
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
One of Southern California's premier athletic facilities, Albert Gersten Pavilion is in its 34th year as home of the Loyola Marymount volleyball in 2015 ... 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 went 11-3 at home last year, the best home mark since starting 11-3 in 2004 ... since 1982, the Lions have posted an overall record of 289-153 (.654) in the friendly confines of the Pavilion ... in conference play, the record is even more impressive with a 145-70 (.674) 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.
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 top-ranked 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 ... Black, who recently completed a stint coaching the team to a third-place finish at the FIVB World Cup in Japan, helped guide the Americans past five nations, all ranked in the top seven in the world, in five days, securing the sixth Grand Prix crown for the United States ... Russia took the silver and Brazil earned the bronze medal ... under his title with the National Team, Black's primary responsibility is working with the setters and the team offense ... working directly under his instruction, Molly Kreklow was named "Best Setter" of Grand Prix ... to follow Tom and Team USA, please visit teamusa.org/USA-Volleyball.
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 seventh 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 ... Pepperdine currently leads the 2015-16 standings, 2.5-0 ... LMU won the challenge for the first time last year ... to learn more about the PCH Cup and view the current scorecard, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/6n4l82s
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 in 2013 ... the 2014 season went much better when the Lions were pit against Top-25 squads, as LMU went 2-2 on the year ... so far this season, LMU is 1-1 after sweeping then-No. 20 UCLA on the road on 8/30 and falling in four to then-No. 15 BYU on 9/29.
ALL-TOURNAMENT PERFORMERS
Senior Rachelle Suaava, sophomore Sarah Sponcil and freshman Kekai Whitford were named Lumberjack Classic All-Tournament selections after turning in solid efforts over the three matches ... Suaava collected 45 total kills on 80 swings with just nine errors (.450) over the course of three matches and 13 sets (3.46 kills per set), reaching double-digit kills in each match ... LMU's leading presence on the block, she managed 14 block assists, including four in each of the first two matches before posting six in the finale against NAU ... Suaava averaged 1.08 blocks per set and 4.15 points per set ... Sponcil registered a double-double in each match, finishing the tournament with 41 kills (3.15 per set), four aces and 42 digs (3.23 per set) ... serving as LMU's libero, Whitford totaled 37 digs (2.85 per set) while serving up an ace.
PICKED BEFORE THE SERVE
The West Coast Conference released its preseason All-WCC selections, and LMU's Hannah Tedrow and Sarah Sponcil were honored ... BYU led the way with three preseason selections, while LMU and Santa Clara each collected a pair ... serving as LMU's setter last year, Tedrow registered 1,304 total assists (11.54/set) en route to being named AVCA Pacific South All-Region and an honorable mention All-American ... LMU's team-leader in double-doubles with eight, Tedrow amassed 22 service aces, 248 digs and 83 total blocks, including six block solos .. the native of Foothill Ranch, Calif. garnered first team All-WCC honors, and posted 30+ assists in all but two matches last season ... Sponcil, who was named AVCA Pacific South Region Freshman of the Year, emerged as a force on the attack in her first season, collecting 344 kills at a rate of 3.04 per set ... the Phoenix, Ariz. native teamed the kills with 14 aces and 272 digs, with the latter placing second on the team ... the WCC All-Freshman team selection finished second on the team in double-doubles with seven.
TOP OF THE CLASS
LMU's newest group of freshmen volleyball players was tabbed Highest Honorable Mention according to PrepVolleyball.com prior to the 2015 season ... the Lions, who garnered Highest Honorable Mention honors in PrepVolleyball's recruiting rankings entering the 2011 and 2012 seasons, had the 24th-best class in 2014 ... in order to determine the top recruiting classes, PrepVolleyball.com petitions a panel of college coaches from across the country to develop the list.
SURVEY SAYS
In a preseason poll of the Conference's 10 head coaches, LMU was selected to finish fifth in the West Coast Conference in 2015 ... after a record-setting march to the 2014 NCAA National Championship match, BYU was picked as the unanimous favorite to win the Championship ... the top three teams were separated by 19 votes, with 10 points separating the two-time defending WCC champion Cougars from Santa Clara.
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.
WINS FOR THE AGES
LMU managed a few streak-stopping victories last year, most notably defeating UCLA, San Diego and Long Beach State ... prior to LMU's sweep of UCLA on 8/30/14, the Bruins had won seven straight matches over the Lions ... the all-time series now stands at 10-3 in favor of UCLA, as the Lions swept the Bruins for the second straight year on 8/30 in match two of the season ... this year's victory came on the road, and was the first on the road for LMU at UCLA since December 4, 1986 (3-2) while playing in the NCAA Tournament ... eight of the 10 UCLA victories in the series have been sweeps ... the Lions then recorded a victory over Long Beach State on 9/11/14, 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 last year, LMU swept then-No. 23 San Diego on 9/30/14 ... 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 11/18/95.
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 19 season-openers, but they dropped a four-set match to Virginia to start the 2015 campaign ... the only other 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.
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