Sept. 9, 2001
LOS ANGELES -- Senior Jami Coughlin led all player with 20 kills and sophomore outside hitter Kim Mehlhorn set another career high with 16 kills to help lead the Arizona State Sun Devil volleyball team to a 3-1 win over preseason No. 24 Loyola Marymount Saturday evening at Gersten Pavilion. ASU finished the annual tournament a perfect 3-0 to claim top honors and improved its overall season record to 4-3. Junior middle blocker Julia Leddy was named tournament MVP.
The Devils won their third straight match and their fourth out of the last five by outlasting the Lions 30-21, 36-38, 30-28, 30-25. The second game marathon was the longest for ASU since moving to the new rally scoring system this year. After going up 2-1 with the 30-28 win in game three, ASU out-hit LMU .417 to .133 in the deciding fourth game to give the Sun Devils the victory.
Coughlin was once again strong on the court, notching her third 20-kill match of the year and with 11 digs added her sixth double-double of 2001. Leddy recorded 12 kills and hit .400 for the match to close out a weekend that earned her Tournament MVP honors. Leddy (Mesa, Ariz.) recorded 25 kills and hit .412 for the tournament and averaged 1.00 blocks per game.
Mehlhorn was not awarded a spot on the all-tournament team, but played outstanding over the three matches to average 3.00 kills and 2.09 digs per game in the tournament. Freshman Alicia Akporiaye led all players with 17 digs to record a season and career high. Sophomore middle blocker Jodi Smith, who doubles on the track team as a high jumper, also earned a spot on the all-tournament team and set a career-high with 13 kills vs. LMU. Junior defensive specialist Brittany Ahlstrom (Mesa, Ariz.) added to a list of career-high nights with 16 digs.
With a majority of their non-conference schedule behind them, ASU will begin a treacherous Pac-10 schedule next weekend by visiting the Bay Area to take on California and Stanford.
Arizona State def. Loyola Marymount 30-21,36-38,30-28,30-25
Arizona State (4-3) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Coughlin, Jami 20-0-1, Mehlhorn, Kim 16-0-1, Smith, Jodi 13-0-3, Leddy, Julia 12-0-8, Akporiaye, Alicia 5-1-3, Habiger, Fernanda 5-0-3, Blocher, Courtney 1-3-0, Ahlstrom, Brittany 0-4-0, Anglin, Cheryl 0-0-1, Totals 72-8-12.0. (Assists) - Anglin, Cheryl 46, Habiger, Fernanda 10. (Dig leaders) - Akporiaye, Alicia 17, Ahlstrom, Brittany 16, Blocher, Courtney 12, Coughlin, Jami 11, Mehlhorn, Kim 10
Tournament Results: ASU - first place LMU second place Indiana - third place New Mexico - fourth place
All-Tournament Team: Anna Reines - New Mexico Melissa Brewer - Indiana Dina DeBernardi - LMU Nicole Oehlman - LMU Jodi Smith - ASU
MVP:: Julia Leddy - ASU