Box Score Sept. 19, 2014 Box Score
The 23rd-ranked LMU women's volleyball team (11-0) swept Idaho (4-8) by scores of 25-19, 25-15, 25-14 on Friday in the first of two matches for the Lions today at the Washington State Cougar Challenge. The victory set a new LMU program record for consecutive victories to start a year, surpassing the 10-0 start from the 2003 squad. The sweep was LMU's eighth of the season.
Senior Caitlin DeWitt continued her stellar senior season on Friday afternoon, collecting a match-best 15 kills on 29 swings for a .414 hitting percentage. Freshman Sarah Sponcil chipped in 10 kills, while senior Litara Keil managed eight on 14 attacks with only one error for a .500 clip. LMU as a team hit .371 receiving sets from junior Hannah Tedrow. The native of Foothill Ranch, Calif. narrowly missed her fifth straight double-double, combining a match-best 34 assists with nine digs. The Lions totaled seven blocks in the victory, guided by a block solo and three block assists from junior Rachelle Suaava. Always a solid serving team, LMU managed seven aces, led by two from Keil and Tedrow.
Alyssa Schultz paced the Idaho attack to a .135 hitting percentage, collecting eight kills and hitting .389 over 18 attacks.
The Lions got off to a bit of a slow start in the first set, falling behind 10-6 early, but they managed to battle back even at 16 on an ace from Keil and a kill from Amber Mirabello. Trailing 18-17, LMU went on a six-point run, highlighted by a pair of blocks from Suaava, to claim a 23-18 advantage. LMU closed the set on an 8-1 run, capped by a kill from Sponcil and a Vandal attack error.
DeWitt, who had five kills in the first set, collected four more in the second as LMU hit .324 to take a commanding 2-0 match lead. The Lions limited Idaho to .161 hitting, posting three blocks along the way. Perhaps the biggest difference came in the service area, as LMU served up four aces. LMU ran away with the second set, opening up a 12-5 lead on an ace from Tedrow and back-to-back kills from DeWitt. The lead stretched to 10 at 22-12 after LMU went on a four-point run that saw kills from Sponcil, Tedrow and Keil, setting the table for the victory on a service error from Schultz.
LMU never trailed in the third, hitting a blistering .448 behind six kills from DeWitt and five more from Sponcil. Once again it was a hot start for LMU that put the set out of reach, as a trio of kills from Sponcil had the Lions ahead at 12-5. Holding a healthy 19-12 lead, the Lions went on one last run, this time a four-point dash comprised of a pair of DeWitt kills, an ace from Tedrow and a Lion block. Although Idaho did manage to spoil the first match-point opportunity following a Suaava kill, LMU earned the sweep one point later when Becca Mau erred on an attack.
LMU will finish play at the Washington State Cougar Challenge tonight with a match against the host Cougars at 7 pm.
