STOCKTON, Calif. - The University of the Pacific volleyball team is on the road for the final time before closing out the season with four-straight home matches. The two-match road swing will see the Tigers face Loyola Marymount on Thursday at 7 p.m. and Pepperdine on Saturday at noon. The Tigers come into the weekend with seven WCC wins – its most since an eight-win 2018 season. Pacific will be looking for its first win in Los Angeles against Loyola Marymount since Oct. 27, 2016. Two of the last three matches between the Lions and the Tigers has gone five sets. The Wave of Pepperdine is just on the outskirts of top 25 as the top team receiving votes and listed on two or more ballots in the recent AVCA poll. There is no record of a Pacific victory in Malibu in the series history.

at Loyola Marymount
MATCH DETAILS:
Teams:  Pacific (10-13, 7-5 WCC) at Loyola Marymount (15-6, 6-5 WCC)
Date: Thursday, Nov. 4
Time: 7 p.m. (PT)
Location: Los Angeles, Calif. | Gersten Pavilion
Live Stats: https://stats.statbroadcast.com/statmonitr/?id=361190
Live Video: https://wccsports.com/watch

Loyola Marymount Quick Facts
• Name: Loyola Marymount University
• Location: Los Angeles, Wash.
• Nickname: Lions
• Last win for Pacific: Nov. 1, 2018
• Last win for Pacific in Los Angeles: Oct. 27, 2016

at Pepperdine
MATCH DETAILS:
Date: Saturday, Nov. 6
Time: Noon
Location: Malibu, Calif.
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=362010
Live Video: https://wccsports.com/watch

Pepperdine Quick Facts
• Name: Pepperdine University
• Location: Malibu, Calif.
• Nickname: Waves
• Head Coach: Scott Wong
• Last win for Pacific: Oct. 7, 2021

Last Time Out
For the third-straight match and the sixth time on the season, the Tigers posted a straight-set win as they defeated Portland, 25-17, 25-18, 25-16 on Oct. 30 at the Alex G. Spanos Center.
 
NCAA Rankings
Alexa Edwards 
 - 46th in Attacks (934)
 - 53rd in Attacks per set (10.99)
 - 60th in Kills (325)
 - 71st in Kills per set (3.82)

Jenna Heller
 - 87th in Service Aces (31)
 - 97th in Aces per set (0.38)

Jadyn Tubbs 
- 82nd in Total Digs (370)
- 102nd in Digs per set (4.35)

Seeing Double 
Freshman Jenna Heller leads the Tigers with 11 double double performances; plus, sophomore Alexa Edwards has had eight – including a 14 kill, 12 dig effort in the four-set win over Gonzaga earlier this season. 

Ace
Senior Jadyn Tubbs has served up a service ace in nine of the last 10 matches for the Tigers. Plus, freshman Jenna Heller has recorded an ace in 14 of 20 matches.

Bring the Hammer
The Tigers posted a .380 hitting percentage against Gonzaga on Oct. 28 – the highest by a Pacific squad since Aug. 30, 2019, against Montana. Its highest against a conference team since a .402 clip against Portland on Nov. 10, 2018. Earlier this season, in the five-set win over Pepperdine (Oct. 7), the Tigers put down a season-high 67 kills. The 67 kills are the most since a 71-kill effort against Santa Clark on Feb. 23, 2021. 

One-Two Set Punch
Setters Jenna Heller and Gabby Leo have provided a solid one-two punch from the setter position. Against WCC foes, Heller has 212 assists (5.44), and Leo has 157 (4.49) assists, respectively. For the season, Heller has 486 assists and Leo has 317. The Tigers are second in the conference with 955 assists – Pepperdine leads the WCC with 988. 
 
Kumanova Earns Weekly Honor from ASVR
Sophomore Darina Kumanova was named the ASVR Global Player of the Week for her efforts, last week. Kumanova was instrumental in the Tigers' efforts win over nationally-ranked Pepperdine and a heartbreaking five-set loss to Loyola Marymount. In the win over Pepperdine, she had a double double with 12 kills and 13 digs. She delivered the game-winning kill against the Wave in the fifth and deciding set. Against Loyola Marymount, Kumanova posted 13 kills and eight digs in the loss. Past Pacific honorees include Svenja Engelhardt in 2010 en route to being named the ASVR Player of the Year. Engelhardt was a three-time honoree and former Tiger Natalia Tomaszewska received recognition in 2008.

Single Digits
Pacific had just eight hitting errors to go along with 31 kills in the straight-set win over Portland (Sept. 30). The last time that Pacific had single-digit hitting errors was in a nine-error effort against Portland (Nov. 10, 2018). Pacific has had single-digit hitting errors on three occasions since 2015. The last time that they had eight was against Little Rock on August 29, 2014.

Block Party
The Tigers are averaging 1.70 blocks per set including a season-high 12 blocks in the five-set loss to Cal (Sept. 4). The 12 blocks are the most by a Pacific team since a 12 block effort at Portland on October 10, 2019. Kennedy Kaminsky and Alexa Edwards share the team lead with 15 block solos. In nine matches, most recently at Gonzaga, the Tigers have recorded double-figure block assists. Pacific recorded a season-high 18 against CSUN (Sept. 11). The 18 were the most since a 22-block assist effort against Pepperdine on Nov. 3, 2018.

Home Sweet Home
With the win over USF on Sept. 28, the Tigers have won eight of its last nine conference home openers. Plus, Pacific has now won nine of its last ten meetings at home against the University of San Francisco. The lone blemish came last spring on Feb. 9, 2021. 

All-Tournament Honors
• Ramonni Cook (Elk Grove, Calif.) was named to the Sacramento State All-Tournament Team. Cook averaged 2.67 kills per set and a .197 hitting percentage, plus she also averaged 0.67 blocks. In the Tigers' four-set win over CSUN, she had 10 kills en route to a .304 hitting percentage to go along with four blocks. The night before in a five-set loss to Sacramento State, she had 13 kills and three blocks.
• Alexa Edwards (Sacramento, Calif.), Darina Kumanova (Sofia, Bulgaria) and Jadyn Tubbs (Turlock, Calif.) were named to the Pacific Community Classic All-Tournament Team. Edwards, a sophomore outside hitter from Sacramento, had 50 kills and a .252 hitting percentage to go along with six blocks in the three matches to lead Pacific. She recorded a season-high 21 kills in the five-set loss to Cal. She started the tournament with an 18-kill performance in the straight-set win over Tarleton State.

Kumanova, a sophomore outside hitter from Sofia, Bulgaria, has made an immediate impact after transferring in from UMBC. She had 31 kills and a .194 hitting percentage and a team-best 10 service aces. Kumanova had five service aces in the straight-set win over UC San Diego.

Tubbs, a senior libero from Turlock, had a team-best 56 digs and five service aces in the three matches. All five of her service aces came in the straight-set win over Tarleton State.

Serving Up Aces
Pacific has had 12 service aces in three matches, most recently against USF (Sept. 28). The 12 aces are the most by a Pacific squad since they also had 12 aces against Alabama State on Sept. 7, 2018. Of note, Pacific had 13 service aces against the University of San Francisco on October 21, 2017.

Family Tree
Alexa Edwards (Sacramento, Calif.), Jenna Heller (Gilbert, Ariz.) and Sammie Sublett (Ramona, Calif.) are second generation members of the Tigers. Cathy Lumb-Edwards, the mother of Alexa Edwards,  played for the Tigers from 1980-83 and served as a graduate assistant for Pacific's 1986 national championship team. Heller is the third member of her family to attend Pacific, as her father DJ (1989-90) played baseball while her mother Melanie Beckenhauer-Heller (1988-91) was a two-time All-American on the volleyball team. Sublett's mother, Leona Bielefeld-Sublett (1985-88), was a player on both of the Tigers' 1985 and 1986 national championship teams.
 
Classroom Success
The Tigers' Gabby Leo was named to the West Coast Conference All-Academic Team for a second-straight year for her efforts in the classroom. At the conclusion of each athletic season, the WCC selects an all-academic squad for each WCC-sponsored sport. To be considered, a student-athlete must maintain at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average, while also being a significant contributor to her team.