2016 LMU VOLLEYBALL NOTES Gersten Pavilion | One LMU Drive | Los Angeles, CA 90045 | www.LMULions.com | @LMULions @LMU_Volleyball | WVB Contact: Tyler Geivett | tgeivett@lmu.edu | (310) 338-7638
LMU LIONS (9-3, 0-0 WCC) at PEPPERDINE WAVES (6-6, 0-0 WCC) September 24, 2016 | PCH Cup Match | Malibu, Calif. | Match 13 | Away 4
QUICK HITS ◊ LMU is currently outside of the AVCA Top-25 rankings after most recently playing the week of 9/5-9/11 at #25 in the rankings, but is receiving votes in the poll … is picked to finish fourth according to the annual preseason coaches poll … made its 13th appearance in the NCAA Tournament last year, including its third in the last four years (2012, 2014, 2015) ... went 24-9 overall last year, including 13-5 in the WCC to claim a share of third place in the conference standings … reached the Sweet 16 for just the second time in program history (1996) ... dropped the Sweet 16 match to Kansas (3-1) … swept #6 Stanford to advance to the Sweet 16 - the highest-ranked opponent to ever fall to the Lions (previous: 3-2 at #9 Hawaii on 9/23/05) ... including last year, each of LMU’s last three tournament runs started at Stanford ... was one of four WCC teams in the NCAA Tournament (LMU, BYU, USD, SCU), with BYU also reaching the Sweet 16 ... has recorded back-to-back 20+ win seasons for the first time since 1999-00 ... posted 10+ WCC wins in consecutive years for the first time since 1996-97 … 24 victories were the most since recording 26 in 2003 ... third-place finish was the best for the Lions since finishing third in 2003 ... 13 WCC wins were the most since 1996 (14-0) ... is 299-155 (.659) at home since 1982. ◊ TOM BLACK served as an Assistant Coach with Team USA, helping the US to a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics … worked directly with the setters with Team USA. ◊ KRISTEN CASTELLANOS was named to the Pioneer Classic All-Tournament team after tournament at Denver ... also earned a spot on the Flyer Classic All-Tournament team in Dayton ... recorded fourth-most aces for single match in program history (6) vs. Niagara on 8/27 ... most since Betsi Metter had six vs. College of Charleston on 9/14/13 ... has posted double-digit digs in all but two matches this year. ◊ JAMIE LEA was named preseason All-WCC. ◊ TESS REID posted a double-double in five of her first six collegiate matches ... has managed at least one service ace in four straight matches, including multiple aces in back-to-back contests. ◊ SARAH SPONCIL earned Pioneer Classic MVP after tournament at Denver … also took home MVP at the Flyer Classic in Dayton before being named WCC Player of the Week for his efforts at that tournament ... garnered AVCA All-Region and honorable mention All-America honors last year … listed on ESPNW’s 2016 Top-12 Players to Watch list … is a preseason All-WCC selection ... double-digit kills in all but one match so far this year. ◊ JOE TRINSEY served as an Assistant Coach with Team USA, helping the US to a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. ◊ KEKAI WHITFORD has recorded an ace in five straight matches. THIS WEEK LMU volleyball will open West Coast Conference play on the road at PCH Cup rival Pepperdine this Saturday ... the match with the Waves is scheduled for a 1 p.m. first serve ... LMU is just 6-28 against Pepperdine on the road, and split a pair of matches with the Waves last year ... after the lone match this week, LMU will return home to host #7 San Diego in a nationally-televised match (ESPNU/ WatchESPN) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. LION TRACKS LMU posted a perfect 3-0 record last week at the Flyer Classic hosted by Dayton ... the Lions managed three sweeps, topping host Datyon, Southern Illinois and Youngstown State to capture the Tournament Championship ... Sarah Sponcil was named Tournament MVP at the conclusion of play, putting her in line to take home WCC Player of the Week. SPONCIL EARNS WEEKLY HONOR After being named Dayton Flyer Classic Tournament MVP, junior Sarah Sponcil added a West Coast Conference Player of the Week designation on 9/19 ... the weekly selection was the first of the year for LMU, and the second of Sponcil’s career after taking home the honor on 11/2/15 ... Sponcil guided LMU to a 3-0 recored that included three sweeps over host Dayton, Southern Illinois and Youngstown State ... the native of Phoenix, Ariz. posted 37 total kills (4.11 per set) while hitting .453 over 64 swings with just eight errors ... she added two aces, 23 digs (2.56 per set) and two block assists. SO, YOU WANT TO BE ON TV? With free admission to all remaining home LMU volleyball matches, fans are encouraged to come out and support the Lions ... there is no better time than this Tuesday (9/27) as LMU will host #7 San Diego in a nationally-televised match that will air live on ESPNU and WatchESPN ... action for the showdown begins at 6 pm with the Pregame Celebration sponsored by The Loft ... the event will be held on the LMU Tennis Courts and will feature free beers (limit two per person) for those over 21, and free non-alcoholic beverages for those under 21 ... following the Pregame, come in and cheer on the Lions and the first 250 in the building will get a free CHIK-FIL-A dinner between sets two and three ... also look for special #LIONSTRONG giveaways.
2016 SCHEDULE
OVERALL: 9-3 | WCC: 0-0 | H: 4-1 | A: 1-2 | N: 4-0 Date Day Opponent Time/Result LMU Invitational 8/26 Fri. Illinois State W, 3-1 8/27 Sat. Niagara W, 3-1 8/27 Sat. #12 UCLA L, 3-1 Pioneer Classic (University of Denver) 9/2 Fri. at Denver 9/3 Sat. vs. Utah State 9/3 Sat. vs. Montana State
L, 3-1 W, 3-0 W, 3-0
LMU/Long Beach State Dual Invitational 9/8 Thu. at Long Beach State 9/9 Fri. Harvard 9/10 Sat. Duke
L, 3-0 W, 3-0 W, 3-0
Flyer Classic (University of Dayton) 9/16 Fri. at Dayton 9/17 Sat. vs. Southern Illinois 9/17 Sat. vs. Youngstown State
W, 3-0 W, 3-0 W, 3-0
9/24 9/27 9/29 10/1 10/6 10/8 10/13 10/15 10/20 10/22 10/27 10/29 11/3 11/5 11/10 11/12 11/19 11/22
Sat. Tue. Thu. Sat. Thu. Sat. Thu. Sat. Thu. Sat. Thu. Sat. Thu. Sat. Thu. Sat. Sat. Tue.
at Pepperdine * San Diego * at Saint Mary’s * at Pacific * Portland * Gonzaga * at Santa Clara * at San Francisco * at San Diego * at BYU * Pacific * DiG PiNK Saint Mary’s * at Gonzaga * at Portland * San Francisco * Santa Clara * Pepperdine * BYU *
1:00 pm 7:00 pm 7:00 pm 12:00 pm 7:00 pm 12:00 pm 7:00 pm 1:00 pm 7:00 pm 12:00 pm 7:00 pm 12:00 pm 6:00 pm 12:00 pm 7:00 pm 12:00 pm 12:00 pm 8:00 pm
* - WCC Match | DiG PiNK - DiG PiNK Match
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2016 WCC STANDINGS
WCC OVERALL SCHOOL W L PCT W L PCT #13 BYU 1 0 1.000 12 1 .923 #7 San Diego 1 0 1.000 10 2 .833 Pacific 1 0 1.000 7 6 .538 Saint Mary’s 1 0 1.000 6 6 .500 RV LMU 0 0 .000 9 3 .750 Pepperdine 0 0 .000 6 6 .500 RV Santa Clara 0 1 .000 9 4 .692 Gonzaga 0 1 .000 7 4 .636 Portland 0 1 .000 7 6 .538 San Francisco 0 1 .000 4 10 .286
WCC PRESEASON POLL
NO. SCHOOL (1ST-PLACE VOTES) 1 San Diego (7) 2 BYU (1) 3 Santa Clara (2) 4 LMU 5 Pepperdine 6 Pacific 7 Portland 8 Saint Mary’s 9 Gonzaga 10 San Francisco
POINTS 78 68 67 59 48 43 35 27 25 14
AHEAD IN THE WCC
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 San Francisco at BYU Gonzaga at Pacific Santa Clara at San Diego LMU at Pepperdine Portland at Saint Mary’s
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 San Diego at LMU BYU at Pepperdine Pacific at Santa Clara Saint Mary’s at San Francisco
12:00 p.m. 12:00 p.m. 12:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m.