Loyola Marymount University Volleyball Weekly News
BRIEFLY
After going 2-1 at a tournament for the second consecutive week, LMU (4-2) will continue tournament play when it heads to Provo, Utah to play in the BYU Molten Classic this weekend. The two-day tournament will see the Lions open play against host BYU (2-4) on Friday at 6:00 p.m. PT. LMU will then return to action on Saturday, squaring-off against Wichita State (3-2) and Houston (1-5) at 11 a.m. PT and 4 p.m. PT, respectively.
QUICK HITS
* LMU went 2-1 at the Varney's Kansas State Invitational last weekend
* Jasmine Rankins garnered All-Tournament recognition last weekend
* LMU's .800 hitting percentage in the third set against Oral Roberts is second only to an .889 mark in the first set against Portland on November 14, 1998
* The Lions have served-up a conference-best 41 aces (1.86 per set)
* LMU is 4-0 in neutral contests this year, and 31-6 on neutral ground over the last 10 seasons
* Kenna Crouse (.396) and Megan Nash (.362) sit second and third in the WCC in hitting percentage
* LMU has now had at least a .500 record through the first six matches in each of its last 21 seasons, including a winning record in 17 of the 21
* LMU will play only nine of its 30 regular-season matches at home this year
* LMU is 187-76 (.711) at home since 1990
* Senior Becky Stehling sits third all-time in career hitting percentage at .334
LION TRACKS
LMU went 2-1 at the Varney's Kansas State Invitational last weekend, dropping a three-set match to host Kansas State before rebounding to defeat Georgia Tech in five sets, and Oral Roberts in three. LMU, which entered last week ranked first in the conference in opponent's hitting percentage, allowed just a .182 mark, but hit just .066 on the offensive side en route to the loss on Friday. Jasmine Rankins, who was named to the All-Tournament team at the conclusion of the tournament, led the Lion offensive charge, collecting a double-double of a match-best 11 kills and 10 digs while also pitching-in an assist and one service ace. LMU's freshman setter Paige Craine also made the most of her time on the floor, notching three assists, two service aces and a block assist in just one set played.
Just as it did at the 2010 Luxe City Center Trojan Invitational, LMU came back from a two-set deficit to earn a thrilling five-set victory over an opponent, this time taking down Georgia Tech last Friday. A well-fought match throughout, the five sets saw a combined 40 tie scores and 15 lead changes, including 20 tie scores and 11 lead changes in the third set alone. Rankins once again paced the Lion offense, connecting for a match-high and career-best 24 kills on 47 attacks for a .383 hitting percentage. The native of Oceanside, Calif. also served-up a career-high three aces and collected 11 digs and three block assists for a double-double. Freshman Betsi Metter also posted three service aces, as the Lions managed nine as a team. Sophomore Olivia Bailey dished-out 54 assists, steering LMU to a .302 hitting percentage as a team.
The LMU volleyball team finished play at the tournament on Saturday morning by sweeping Oral Roberts. The sweep was the second of the year for LMU, as it also blanked Bucknell in the final match of the Trojan Invitational at USC. LMU never trailed in the match, and only found itself tied on one occasion. The Lions hit a blistering .432 (43-8/81) over the course of the match, including .800 (17-1/20) in the third set alone. Rankins led all players with 13 kills on 27 attacks for a .333 hitting percentage. Felicia Arriola managed 12 kills on just 18 swings for a .500 hitting percentage, while junior Emily Cheek and senior Becky Stehling each hit a perfect 1.000 with three and four kills, respectively.
TOP OF THE 'RANKINS'
Junior Jasmine Rankins was named to the Varney's Kansas State Invitational All-Tournament team after helping the Lions to a 2-1 week. LMU dropped a three-set match to Kansas State on Friday before defeating Georgia Tech in five sets later that day, and sweeping Oral Roberts on Saturday. The only Lion selected, Rankins notched 48 kills on 107 attacks for a .299 hitting percentage. She averaged 4.36 kills per set, while also serving-up six aces at a rate of .55 per set. She managed 28 digs (2.55 per set) and six block assists (.55 per set). The outside hitter posted two double-doubles, teaming 11 kills and 10 digs against Kansas State, and 24 kills and 11 digs against Georgia Tech. Rankins led the team in attack percentage (.299), kills (48), service aces (6) and digs (28) over the course of the three matches. In addition, she led all players on the court in kills in all three matches. She had a career match against Georgia Tech, connecting for a match-high and career-best 24 kills on 47 attacks for a .383 hitting percentage. The native of Oceanside, Calif. also served-up a career-high three aces in the five-set victory.
AN EFFICIENT SET
LMU posted an unbelievable .800 hitting percentage in the third set of a sweep over Oral Roberts on September 4 at the Varney's Kansas State Invitational. The Lions connected for 17 kills with only one error on 20 swings. Senior Becky Stehling and junior Emily Cheek both hit a perfect 1.000 with four and three kills, respectively. The .800 hitting percentage was the highest by the Lions since entering the "rally scoring" era in 2001. With set records being tracked since 1998, the percentage is second only to an .889 mark in the first set against Portland on November 14, 1998.
BYU BANTER
BYU enters the weekend sporting a 2-4 overall record, most recently dropping two of three matches last weekend. The Cougars opened the year with losses to then-No. 6 Illinois and Middle Tennessee State before recording its first victory on August 28 versus South Carolina. BYU's two victories, against South Carolina and September 4 versus Idaho State, have both come in five sets. Utilizing a balanced attack, BYU is paced by Christie Carpenter's 76 kills at a rate of 2.92 per set. She is followed closely by Stephanie Snow (55 kills at a rate of 2.04 per set) and Nicole Wagner (50 kills at a rate of 1.85 per set). Kiana Rogers sets the offense, dishing-out 244 assists at a rate of 9.04, and guiding the team to a .156 hitting percentage overall. Rogers is also a force to be reckoned with from the service area, serving-up 12 aces on the year. Defensively, Rogers also leads the team in digs with 79, while Warner is the team's leading blocker, posting two block solos and 20 block assists. Head coach Shay Goulding is 31-30 in her third year at BYU. Friday's meeting will be just the second between the two teams in program history. BYU swept LMU in the inaugural meeting on September 11, 1999.
SHOCK TALK
Wichita State, which received votes in the AVCA Top-25 Preseason Poll, enters play at the BYU Molten Classic with a 3-2 record overall. The Shockers split a pair of matches last weekend, defeating Stephen F. Austin on Friday before falling in four sets to Portland on Saturday. All three of Wichita State's victories this year have come via sweep. Camri Zwiesler leads the offense with 65 kills at a rate of 3.61 per set. Mary Elizabeth Hooper has dished-out 112 assists, while Chelsey Feekin has amassed 59 helpers. Emily Adney and Zwiesler are the team's leading threats from the service area, serving-up seven and five aces, respectively. As a team, Wichita State has posted 21 aces. Sarah McGee does the bulk of the work on the block, posting five block solos and 27 block assists to lead the team in those categories. Eleventh-year head coach Chris Lamb is 222-95 over his tenure at Wichita State. Saturday's meeting will be just the second between the two teams in program history. LMU swept Wichita State in the inaugural meeting on September 4, 1993.
COUGAR CHAT
Houston enters the weekend tournament toting a 1-5 overall record, having dropped four straight contests. Most recently, the Cougars were bested by then-No. 13 Florida State, Oklahoma and then-No. 17 Tennessee last weekend. Houston was swept by the ranked-foes, but took Oklahoma to five sets before succumbing to victory. The Cougars' lone victory this year came against McNeese State on August 27 in four sets. Lucy Charuk leads the team on the attack, posting 69 kills at a rate of 3.29 per set. She has hit .342 over 149 attacks. Amber Brooks is the team's setter and leading server, dishing-out 192 assists and posting eight service aces to lead the team to 31 combined. Houston hits .190 as a team, but gets production on the block. Charuk leads the team with five block solos and 22 block assists, as the team sports six solos and 58 assists at a rate of 1.67 blocks per set. Head coach Molly Alvey is in her first season at Houston. LMU is 3-0 against Houston all-time, with the latest victory coming in five sets on September 11, 2009.
TEAM LMU
Sunday's men's water polo match against USC at 12 p.m. is this week's 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
LET'S SETTLE THIS ON NEUTRAL GROUND
LMU has been nothing short of dominant in matches played at neutral sites, in which neither team is playing on their home court. LMU is 4-0 so far this year on neutral court, and is 31-6 (.838) over the last 10 seasons. Including this year so far, LMU has posted perfect neutral records in six of the last 10 seasons. Over that span, the only year in which LMU did not post at least a .500 record was in 2004, playing to a 0-2 mark.
ROAD WARRIORS
The Lions opened the 2010 season close to home at USC, but home matches will be hard to come by this year. The Lions will play 30 regular-season matches in 2010, but only nine home matches, including seven in West Coast Conference play. Out-of-state voyages included a visit to Kansas last weekend, back-to-back weekend trips to the state of Utah starting this weekend at BYU, and of course the annual trek up to Gonzaga and Portland in conference play (November 11 and 13).
HOME SWEET HOME
One of Southern California's premier athletic facilities, Albert Gersten Pavilion begins its 29th 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 1990, the Lions have posted an overall record of 187-76 (.711) in the friendly confines of the Pavilion. In conference play, the record is equally impressive with a 99-42 (.702) home record in WCC action. In 28 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.
NEW INTERACTIVE GUIDE AVAILABLE ONLINE
LMU Athletics, in conjunction with zmags.com, is proud to offer fans a new interactive publication viewing experience. All LMU media guides in 2010-11 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 guides 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. To view the volleyball online publication, please visit:
http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/79b87a22#/79b87a22/1
DiG PiNK
For the fourth 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 30 versus Santa Clara at 1 p.m. To view LMU's team page, and to make a donation, please visit:
www.side-out.org/application/teams/team_page/1213
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 locked-up last year's PCH Cup with a 14.5-8.5 victory over the course of the year. To learn more about the PCH Challenge and view the current scorecard, please visit:
http://www.lmulions.com/trads/PCH-Cup.html
DE'LUXE' PERFORMERS
Junior Jasmine Rankins and sophomore Felicia Arriola garnered 2010 Luxe City Center Trojan Invitational All-Tournament selections after helping the Lions to a 2-1 record over the course of the two-day tournament. Rankins notched 37 kills on 102 attacks for a .235 hitting percentage in the three matches against then-No. 10 USC, Cal State Fullerton and Bucknell. The native of Oceanside, Calif. averaged 3.36 kills per set, while also serving-up three aces at a rate of .27 per set. Stellar on defense, she posted 23 digs (2.09 per set) and six total blocks (.55 per set). Her only double-double came against Fullerton, teaming her 18 kills with a match-best 16 digs. Arriola managed a team-best 39 kills (3.55 per set) on 96 swings for a .240 hitting percentage. On defense, she captured a team-high 31 digs (2.82 per set) and one block assist. The native of Laguna Niguel, Calif. posted a pair of double-doubles, teaming a career-best 19 kills with 14 digs against Cal State Fullerton before notching 10 kills and 10 digs against Bucknell for the only double-double of the match.
WELCOME TO THE BLUFF
Coach Black and his staff have both inherited and built a newcomer class featuring five new options in freshmen Paige Craine, Alyse Hensley, Betsi Metter and Taylor Scioscia, in addition to junior transfer Alex Ferraco. Craine, a 2010 graduate of Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta, Calif., was a three-year varsity letterwinner playing for Todd Garrett. She served as team captain in her final season, while also garnering All-City recognition as a junior and senior. Craine was also named All-CIF as a senior after claiming All-League honors in each of her final two campaigns as a Charger. Hensley, a 2010 graduate of Torrey Pines High School in San Diego, Calif., earned a total of three varsity letters in volleyball, one from Maria Carrillo High School and the final two from Torrey Pines. Named All-League in all three seasons playing high school volleyball, Hensley helped Torrey Pines to the 2009 Avocado League Championship. Metter, a 2010 graduate of Desert Vista High School in Phoenix, Ariz., was a four-year varsity letterwinner playing for Molly West. A team captain as a junior and senior, Metter was named All-City and All-State after both of those campaigns. She left high school owning five Desert Vista school records, including that for career kills at 1,317. Selected 2008 Southeast Valley Player of the Year and Desert Vista Female Athlete of the Year, she led the state of Arizona and was second in the nation in digs with 708 as a junior. A two-time All-Central Region selection, she twice garnered a spot on the Arizona Republic All-Arizona Top-Six Team, a list of Arizona's top-six players regardless of school size. Scioscia, a 2010 graduate of Louisville High School in Woodland Hills, Calif., was a four-year varsity letterwinner in high school. Scioscia served as team captain in her final season, and was named Team MVP as a junior and senior. After garnering second team All-Mission League honors in 2009, she was named honorable mention All-Area by the LA Daily News following her final campaign. Ferraco, who carries junior eligibility after transferring into the program from Fairfield University, had a solid sophomore campaign, appearing in 79 sets, forging 73 kills and 50 total blocks. Ferraco tallied six kills, three blocks and three assists in the MAAC Championship semifinal against Marist on November 22. As a freshman, Ferraco appeared in 14 sets with 13 kills, six blocks, and five digs.
LIONS IN THE RECORD BOOKS
Senior Becky Stehling has already made a name for herself in the record books as she plays her final year as a Lion. Stehling's .369 hitting percentage in 2008 placed her fourth in the books for a single season, and also set the sophomore record in that category. Entering this week, her .334 career hitting percentage places third in LMU history amongst players with at least 350 attacks. Only Kelli Nerison (2001-04) and Mardell Wrensch (1992-95) have posted better marks in a career, finishing with percentages of .357 and .355, respectively. Stehling is also in position to enter the career books for all four blocking categories, as she sits 13th in block assists and blocks per sets, 14th in total blocks, and 15th in block solos.
REMEMBER...IT'S JUST A NUMBER
The Lions are scheduled to play 13 matches this year against teams that at least received votes in the 2010 AVCA Division I Coaches Top-25 Preseason Poll. The ranked foes wasted no time making their presence known this year, as the Lions opened the 2010 season with a three-set loss to then-No. 10 USC on August 27. Non-conference adversaries Georgia Tech, Long Beach State, UC Irvine and Wichita State all received votes, while WCC-foes San Diego (No. 22) and Saint Mary's (No. 25) both found a spot in the top-25. Pepperdine and Santa Clara are the final two WCC teams on the list, earning votes to start the year. LMU, which is 0-1 so far this year against ranked opponents, played four matches against ranked teams 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 23 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 a three-set setback against then-No. 10 USC to begin the 2010 season, 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 losses over that span came this year and in 2007 to St. John's. LMU has had a winning record through the first three matches in 15 of its last 16 years, including starting the year 3-0 on seven occasions. In addition, the Lions have not started a season winless over its first three matches since 1989.
LIONS IN THE PRESEASON POLL
According to the 2010 Coaches Preseason Poll, the LMU volleyball team is picked to finish eighth this year in the competitive West Coast Conference. After finishing in second place last season, the San Diego Toreros have been selected to regain the top-spot and earn their fourth WCC title in six years. The Toreros received six first-place votes and a total of 48 points from the conference coaches, as they return 2009 WCC Player of the Year and All-American Ali Troost. Reigning WCC Champion Saint Mary's took the second-place spot with one first-place vote and a total of 43 points. Pepperdine, which received the remaining first-place vote, tallied 36 points to earn the third-place spot. Rounding out the top half of the poll for the second year in a row was Santa Clara with 33 points. San Francisco landed in the fifth-spot with 23 points. Gonzaga tallied 18 points for a sixth-place finish, while Portland edged LMU for the seventh-place spot.
