Box Score Nov. 1, 2014 Box Score
The LMU women's volleyball team (19-5, 7-5 WCC) swept Portland (5-17, 0-11 WCC) by scores of 25-12, 25-23, 25-18 on Saturday at home in Gersten Pavilion in a West Coast Conference match. The Lions hit .344, led by 11 kills apiece from
Litara Keil and
Sarah Sponcil.
Keil had an outstanding all-around match, hitting .688 with the 11 kills on 16 errorless attacks. The native of Long Beach, Calif. teamed that mark with four aces, a block solo and three block assists. Junior Hannah Tedrow set the attack to the stellar hitting percentage, dishing out 32 assists to accompany seven digs and three kills. In addition to Keil on the block, LMU also received four block assists from junior Rachelle Suaava as LMU posted eight total team blocks.
Emily Liger led the attack for Portland, registering 11 kills, but the Pilots hit just .170 over the three sets.
LMU came out strong in the first set, opening up an 11-5 lead on a service ace, one of four in the set for LMU, from Keil. The senior finished the set with three aces and three kills on four errorless attacks as the Lions hit .478 in the first. Sponcil, who also registered three kills in the first, teamed with Caitlin DeWitt on back-to-back kills to make it 19-11 before LMU went on a six-point run to finish the set and earn the 25-12 victory. Sophomore Kristie Hewko sealed the deal for LMU in the opener, posting a pair of kills over LMU's final three points.
LMU was slow to get moving in the second set, but managed to complete an impressive comeback after falling behind 10-1 early. The run didn't actually begin until 16-9 as LMU called a timeout and promptly won nine of the next 11 points overall, highlighted by three kills apiece from Keil and Sponcil, to knot the tally at 18. The two teams traded blows to even at 22 before LMU won points on kills from DeWitt and Sponcil to take a set-point lead at 24-22. Liger cut the deficit back to one with one of her five set kills, but Sponcil capped a stellar set with her final kills to hand LMU the 2-0 match score lead. The Lions finished the set hitting .308, receiving six kills from Sponcil and five from Keil to accompany another ace.
LMU led the entire way in the third set, jumping out to an early 4-1 lead on kills from Amber Mirabello and Sponcil. A Suaava kill pushed LMU to the 15-point plateau at 15-9 before three straight Portland attack errors allowed LMU to stretch the lead to eight at 18-10. LMU never looked back from there, eventually earning the sweep on a block from Suaava and Mirabello.
LMU will return to action on Saturday, November 8, when it hosts Pepperdine at Noon in a Wells Fargo PCH Cup match.
