Box Score

Playing on the road in Portland's home-opener, the #22 LMU volleyball program (15-1, 3-1 WCC) managed a close four-set victory over the Pilots (5-9, 0-3 WCC) by scores of 25-19, 25-22, 23-25, 26-24 on Thursday night at the Chiles Center.

Senior Caitlin DeWitt led the Lion attack with 18 kills on 44 swings, while freshman Sarah Sponcil finished with 17 kills and eight digs. Senior Litara Keil also registered double-digit kills, posting 12 on 27 swings for a .333 hitting percentage, combining the kills with three of LMU's four aces and eight block assists. The Lions, who posted nine team blocks, hit .272 as a team receiving sets from junior Hannah Tedrow. The native of Foothill Ranch, Calif. recorded a double-double in the match, teaming 49 assists with a match-high tying 15 digs.

Emily Liger and Makayla Lindburg provided the bulk of the attack for the Pilots in the loss, with Liger collecting a match-high 21 kills on 54 attacks and Lindburg finishing with 14 kills. Liger also managed four of Portland's nine aces - the most allowed by the Lions so far this year. The Pilot block also proved effective in keeping Portland close, as the home team collected 14 team blocks. Katie Sullivan and Sarah Savoca each had seven block assists to guide the way.

Sponcil came out swinging in the opening set, collecting seven of her 17 kills in the first. LMU hit .341 as a team and held Portland to just a .161 clip on the other side of the net. After playing even to eight, LMU won four straight points, highlighted by a pair of Sponcil kills to force a Portland timeout, and never looked back from there. Sponcil connected again for the 15th Lion point before a pair of kills from Amber Mirabello capped a three-point run and pushed LMU to a 20-15 lead. The Pilots managed to stay within five points all the way to set point at 24-19, but an attack error from Lindburg handed the Lions the first set.

The Lions held off a late run from Portland en route to taking the second set by a count of 25-22. After LMU forced a late timeout and seemed to have the set in the bag at 23-18, Portland rattled off four straight points to cut the deficit to one at 23-22 and exhaust a Lion timeout. The break served the Lions well, as Katie Mardesich erred on her next serve out of the huddle before Liger hit a ball long on the attack to send LMU into the locker room with a 2-0 lead in the match score. Keil, who had no kills on two attacks in the first, finished the second with six kills on 11 swings to go along with an ace.

Showing plenty of fight, Portland won the third set by a score of 25-23, benefitting from five team blocks and three aces, including one from Liger who also had four kills. The third set was tied as late as 17-17, but Portland won the next three points and held on to force a fourth. Leading by just one point at 23-22, Portland set Liger for the final two kills of the period to stay alive.

In another close set, LMU escaped the Chiles Center with the victory by way of a 26-24 decision. LMU hit for just a .214 hitting percentage, but managed to limit Portland to a .200 clip of its own. Keil, Sponcil and DeWitt each collected four kills for the Lions, while both teams managed four blocks. Just as they did in the second set, LMU saw a lead nearly erased for a loss, as LMU led 19-14 only to have Portland go on a six-point run to take a 20-19 lead. The two teams engaged in a blow-for-blow battle from there, playing even all the way to 24 after a Liger kill to erase a match-point opportunity for LMU. Keil responded with her final kill of the match on the ensuing play, handing LMU its second match-point chance. The Lions would not waste this new opportunity, as Tedrow and Keil combined to block Liger for the victory.

LMU will return to action on Saturday at Noon when it travels to Gonzaga for a West Coast Conference match.