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LOS ANGELES, Calif. - One day after LMU women's soccer recorded its first victory over Portland, the LMU volleyball team (15-7, 6-4 WCC) managed a similar feat, defeating #12 BYU (18-3, 8-2 WCC) for the first time in program history. The Lions outlasted the ranked opponent in a thrilling five-set match, winning by scores of 25-23, 19-25, 25-16, 23-25, 15-12 on Saturday afternoon from Gersten Pavilion.

With Saturday's five-setter, the two teams have now gone the distance in six of 12 career matchups. The victory over the 12th team in the nation is the first against a top-15 team since the Lions took down then-No. 12 Santa Clara on the road on October 5, 2006.

The Lions received 18 kills apiece from senior Rachelle Suaava and sophomore Sarah Sponcil. Sponcil added 16 digs for a double-double, joined in that club by setter Hannah Tedrow with 60 assists and 10 digs. LMU's serving game also showed well in the win, delivering seven aces, including two each from Kekai Whitford and Avery Bush.

Senior Alexa Gray had 27 kills, eight digs and five blocks to guide BYU on the afternoon. The Cougars totaled 14 team blocks, including eight in the fourth set alone.

The Lions came out strong in the first set, stunning #12 BYU with a 25-23 victory in the opener. LMU hit .325 in the period behind six kills on 10 swings from Suaava. The two teams played even to 13, but LMU won three straight points, including two on back-to-back kills from Jamie Lea, to force a BYU timeout and take a 16-13 lead it would not relinquish. The advantage stretched to four at 19-15 as Sponcil connected for a kill, and the Lions continued to lead by four at 20-16 following a Gray attack error. The Cougars refused to surrender the first set without a fight, winning a pair of points to cut the deficit to two at 20-18 and force LMU's first timeout. The two teams continued to trade points down the final stretch, with BYU inching within a point at 21-20, 22-21 and 24-23 on a Gray kill to force LMU into its final timeout of the period. The break proved productive, as Lacy Haddock dropped back to serve with the set on the line and erred long to hand LMU the first.

LMU could not overcome a slow start to the second set, falling behind 7-0 and failing to draw back even at any point in the period. BYU hit .303 in the second behind six kills on 11 attacks from Gray to even the match score at 1-1. LMU managed just a .059 clip on the offensive side of the net. While they did not draw back even, the Lions did manage to force BYU into a timeout at 10-7 following a four-point swing from 10-3. Unfortunately, the Cougars regained the momentum, pushing the lead back out to five at 16-11 on one of Gray's kills. A Lacy Haddock kill pushed the visitors to the 20-point plateau before Camry Willardson connected on her lone kill of the second to hand BYU its 25th point and send the match to the break following a 25-19 victory.

The Lions closed the third set on an 8-1 run en route to earning the 25-16 decision and taking a 2-1 lead in the match score. LMU hit .375 as a team, benefitting from five kills apiece from Sponcil and Lea. Knotted at 8-8, Sponcil connected for a kill to start a 3-0 run and hand LMU the lead it would hold the rest of the way. Although the Cougars managed to force LMU into a timeout at 16-14, the Lions won point 18 at 18-15 on a kill from Suaava to begin the stellar run to close out the period. BYU's lone point over the final nine tallies came on a kill from Veronica Jones to erase the first set-point opportunity at 24-16.

Despite jumping out to an early 11-4 lead, LMU could not weather the storm of BYU in the fourth, as the Cougars eventually clawed back even at 13 on an attack error from Amber Mirabello. Perennially one of the best blocking teams in the nation, the #12 Cougars leaned on that strength with their backs to the wall, registering eight blocks, including three solos and one assist from Gray. Gray also did the heavy lifting on the attack, posting seven kills on 15 swings to bring the Cougars back even in the match score. The set-tying 13th point for BYU was part of a 7-0 run that handed BYU a 16-13 lead that it would hold deep into the fourth. Trailing 23-18, LMU won five straight points to draw back even with the Cougars at 23-23. Needing to win the fourth to force a fifth set, BYU set Gray on the ensuing play, and the senior connected for her seventh kill of the period to hand the Cougars a set-point chance at 24-23. The visitors put the set away on the ensuing play as Suaava committed an attack error to send the match to five.

In familiar territory playing against BYU in a fifth set, LMU traded blows with the Cougars even to 8-8. Looking to pull away, LMU went on a 3-0 run that was highlighted by a Sponcil ace and a Suaava kill to take an 11-8 lead. Continuing to push forward, the Lions reached 13-10 on a Cougar attack error, forcing BYU into its final timeout. The Lions won the next point out of the break to claim a 14-10 lead on a kill from Lea, but BYU refused to roll over. Amy Boswell connected for a kill in front of a kill from Alohi Robins-Hardy to cut the lead to 14-12 and burn a Lion timeout. The breather served the Lions well, as Amber Mirabello took a set from Tedrow and found the floor to send the Lions into celebration.

LMU will return to action on Thursday when it travels to Saint Mary's for a match at 7 pm.