Box Score

The LMU volleyball team (22-5, 10-5 WCC) defeated San Francisco (12-16, 5-11 WCC) in four sets by scores of 23-25, 25-12, 25-15, 25-13 on the road at USF's War Memorial Gym. The Lions were led by senior Litara Keil with 15 kills on 27 attacks (.481) to go along with six block assists. LMU as a team collected 14.5 blocks, including seven block assists from junior Rachelle Suaava.

With the solid match, Keil finished the week with 32 kills on 53 attacks (4.57 kills per set) with only five errors (.509), teaming the kills mark with an ace and 10 block assists (1.43 blocks per set). She began the week with 17 kills on 26 swings (.538) with an ace and four block assists as LMU swept #25 Santa Clara on Thursday.

Freshman Sarah Sponcil also had a stellar all-around match, finishing with 14 kills and 12 digs for a double-double. Junior Hannah Tedrow nearly collected her ninth double-double of the season, teaming a match-best 40 assists with nine digs, three aces and five block assists. Joining Suaava, Tedrow and Keil on the block were Amber Mirabello (five block assists) and senior Caitlin DeWitt (six block assists).

Valentina Zaloznik led the attack for San Francisco, finishing with 13 kills while hitting .310 over 29 swings. Zaloznik also registered three block assists, matching the output from Jessica Gaffney.

LMU made a late run, but it was all for naught as the Lions fell in the first, 25-23. LMU trailed 20-13, but rattled off seven unanswered, including four by way of the block, to knot the tally at 20-20 and force a San Francisco timeout. The two teams traded four points to 22-22, but a pair of kills from Emily Reed and a USF block allowed the Dons to earn the victory in the first. The Lions hit just .065 in the opener, but did benefit from two Tedrow aces.

After dropping the first, LMU ran away with the rest of the match beginning with the second set. The Lions evened the match score at 1-1 after jumping out to a 13-4 lead and never looking back. Keil and Suaava teamed for LMU's only block in the second to push LMU to a 19-7 lead before a kill from Keil, one of her five in the second, and a pair of errors from USF allowed LMU to even the match headed into the break.

Sponcil took the reins in the third set for LMU, going for six kills on 11 errorless swings to help guide the Lions to a .325 hitting percentage and the 25-15 victory. Mirabello and Tedrow each posted three block assists as LMU finished with five total blocks as a team. Once again it was an early run that saw LMU take a 12-6 lead and force a San Francisco timeout. The Lion lead stretched to 10 points at 18-8 after a Reed error, forcing the Dons to spend their final timeout. While USF would cut into the deficit a bit, LMU managed to stretch it back out to 10 at every point from 22 to 25, eventually taking the set on one of DeWitt's 12 match kills.

LMU earned the match victory in the fourth by way of a 25-13 decision. Keil and Sponcil each posted four kills and the Lions managed 4.5 team blocks, including a triple block from Keil, Tedrow and DeWitt to hand LMU an early 5-1 lead. LMU never trailed in the fourth, extending the lead to five at 11-6 to force a San Francisco timeout. The break did little to slow LMU's momentum as it won nine of the next 12 points overall, including four on kills from Sponcil, to take a 20-9 lead. DeWitt handed LMU the match-point opportunity at 24-13 with her final kill of the night before a bad set charged to Kim Gutierrez handed LMU the match on the ensuing play.

LMU will return to action on Thursday when it hosts Saint Mary's at 7 p.m.