Lions End Losing Streak to Waves

The Loyola Marymount women’s volleyball team broke a 10-match losing streak to West Coast Conference rival Pepperdine, 15-8, 15-11, 15-7, Saturday night at Gersten Pavilion.

Pepperdine has won five of six WCC titles and held a 15-3 lead in the series going into the match.

“It feels like we finally broke that spell,” Loyola senior middle blocker Dana Bragado said. “I’ve been beaten by them for three years. I think from now on we’re going to beat them permanently. Loyola has improved tremendously since I got here.”

The victory also gave Loyola a 6-0 league record for the first time in school history. The Lions are 15-7 overall, having won nine of 10 matches.

“We knew it was going to take some time to build a program,” said third-year Loyola Coach Steve Stratos, who has a 1-4 record against Pepperdine. “These kids are playing with big hearts and they’re playing with a lot of discipline.”

That wasn’t the case with Pepperdine 7-13, 3-3). The Waves looked sloppy and they clearly lacked intensity, especially during the third game.

Pepperdine Coach Nina Matthies, in her 10th year, said Loyola is improved, but added that her team is struggling.

“I knew it was going to be a long year,” she said. “I knew it from the beginning. We’ve been battling with intensity and focus. We’re not able to stay with it. We’ve been coming and going.”

Pepperdine had a 4-0 lead in the first game, but Loyola battled back for a 9-8 lead before scoring six unanswered points for the victory.

The Waves trailed throughout most of the second game. At 9-6, Loyola outside hitter Deanna Doolittle served for five points to give the Lions a 13-6 lead.

Pepperdine fought off a couple of game points and trailed, 14-11, but the Loyola middle blocker Tahlia Wagner blocked Joli Eberhart’s service return for the game-winning point.

Pepperdine committed most of its 18 errors in the final game. The Waves had only 44 digs in the match to Loyola’s 71.

Eberhart, whose sister Mary plays at Pepperdine, had a game-high 16 digs and 13 kills. Wagner had 13 kills and six blocks and Bragado had 12 kills and four blocks.

Freshman middle blocker Julie Greer had 10 kills and three blocks and junior Doolittle added 11 kills and 12 digs.

Loyola sophomore setter Robin Ortgiesen (Mira Costa High) had 50 service assists and 14 digs. Pepperdine was led by middle blocker Barbara Stross (12 kills, five digs, five blocks).

“They played real strong and steady and they didn’t make any errors,” said Matthies, a graduate of Mira Costa High. “Steve has done a great job with them.”