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LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Junior Avery Bush's play was critical in a five-set victory for #24 LMU (17-2, 5-2 WCC) over San Francisco (10-9, 3-4 WCC) on Thursday, serving up a career-best five aces and sparking a number of crucial runs for the Lions throughout the match. LMU, which finished with nine total aces, beat the Dons by scores of 25-17, 20-25, 25-27, 25-19, 15-10.

Bush, entering the match as a serving replacement, served a total of 25 balls on the night, recording the five aces without an error. Senior Litara Keil guided the attack with 19 kills on 39 swings, teaming that mark with six block assists. The Lions totaled 13 blocks in the win, including seven block assists from Rachelle Suaava. The Lions hit .240 over the five periods, but the total was aided in large part by a .400 clip in the fifth. Junior Hannah Tedrow, who entered the week as the nation's leader in assists per set, collected 53 assists to go along with 17 digs for a double-double.

San Francisco's block also came to play on Thursday as the Dons managed 15 total blocks behind two solos and five block assists from Katarina Pilepic. Pilepic also had 19 kills to lead the way for USF.

In what started as a very close see-saw battle, LMU closed the first set on an 8-0 run, eventually earning a 25-17 victory. Bush served the final seven points, including posting LMU's lone ace of the opener. The Lions held San Francisco to just .027 hitting, recording four team blocks, including three block assists from Suaava. The junior from Waipahu, Hawaii managed two of her three block assists over that final eight-point run. Sarah Sponcil, who teamed with Suaava on one of LMU's blocks, finished the set with a match-leading four kills en route to 17 on the night.

The second set saw the Dons make a late run to victory, as the two teams played even to 19, but USF closed the set on a 6-1 run to take a 25-20 decision. Kiara McKibben collected a service ace and Pilepic notched a kill and two block assists down the stretch to guide San Francisco to victory. USF finished the set with four blocks, holding LMU to a .182 team hitting percentage, but the difference on the stat sheet proved to come at the service line. LMU committed four costly service errors while USF notched a pair of service aces and did not err on serve reception. LMU finished the match having committed seven service errors.

San Francisco held on to claim a crucial third set by a score of 27-25. The Dons recorded five blocks in the set, and led by six at 19-13 late, but LMU made an impressive run to try to steal the third. Bush was once again the catalyst for the run, dropping back to serve and collecting three aces over a seven-point swing that saw LMU claim a 20-19 lead and burn both USF timeouts. The final break seemed to do the trick for the Dons as they quickly rebounded to force set point at 24-21, but LMU was uninterested in giving up easily. The Lions won four straight points, highlighted by a pair of Keil's seven set kills and an ace from Ashley Maxfeldt, to earn a set point chance of its own at 25-24. Unfortunately for the Lions, USF had an answer, as Anja Segota, who had 13 match kills, spoiled the set point in front of a pair of kills from Pilepic. Pilepic, a native of Croatia, finished the stanza with seven kills on 13 errorless attacks to guide USF to a .340 hitting percentage.

The Lions forced a fifth and decisive set by way of a 25-19 victory in the fourth. While blocking proved to be the key for USF in the previous two sets, it was LMU who dominated the net in the fourth, posting five blocks to USF's one. Keil did the bulk of the work on the block, collecting three block assists to accompany four kills. LMU, which hit just .194 in the period, also benefitted from strong serving, including two of LMU's three aces from Sponcil. Knotted at 16, LMU won four straight points, including two on Sponcil's aces, to earn a 20-16 lead. LMU finished the set on a 9-3 run, eventually earning the fourth set on a USF service error.

LMU outlasted the Dons in the fifth, opening up an early 4-1 lead before eventually taking the fifth by a count of 15-10. Bush was once again back to serve at the conclusion of the match, serving the final three points for LMU, including posting her fifth and final ace of the match. Bush's tough serves proved fruitful for the Lions on the attack as well, as Sponcil hammered home an overpass for the match-winner.

LMU will remain at home on Saturday, hosting Santa Clara at Noon.