Box Score

Having previously won 10 of its last 11 matches overall, LMU (19-8, 10-5 WCC) stumbled on Thursday night at Santa Clara (20-6, 11-3), suffering a sweep for just the second time this season. The Broncos earned the three-set victory by scores of 30-28, 25-22, 25-15.

Sabrina Clayton led all players with 18 kills on 42 swings with just five errors for a .310 hitting percentage. Clayton also added a pair of aces to help Santa Clara to six as a team. Nikki Hess narrowly missed a double-double, teaming 12 kills with nine digs. Santa Clara's block recorded 10 team blocks, including six from Lacey Maas.

Senior Rachelle Suaava was really the only Lion who could get things going, finishing with 15 kills on 28 attacks for a .393 hitting percentage while accumulating six blocks. Sarah Sponcil had two of LMU's four aces, but managed just four kills and hit -.086. Amber Mirabello also finished with strong numbers on limited swings, connecting for six kills on 10 errorless attacks.

The Lions dropped a tough first set, 30-28, as Clayton exploded for 10 kills on 19 swings to hit .316 for the Broncos. The two teams played virtually even across the board, with both teams registering three aces and four blocks. LMU trailed 14-9 headed into the middle of the set, but it managed to crawl back even at 18 following a pair of Santa Clara attack errors. The teams traded blows to 21-21, but the Broncos looked poise to take the first with ease after advancing to set-point at 24-22 on one of six set kills from Hess. Refusing to surrender, LMU won the next point on a service error before recording a block to draw even at 24-24. Another block handed LMU a set-point chance of its own at 26-25, but just as LMU managed to do earlier, Santa Clara spoiled the chance and kept the seesaw battle going to 28-28. There, Hess connected for her final kill of the first before Kirsten Mead dropped back to serve and contributed an ace to steal the opener.

The Lions got off to a great start in the second set, jumping out to an early 5-1 lead on a block from Jamie Lea and Suaava, but Santa Clara clawed even at 10 and stayed tied to 13 before taking a lead it would not relinquish. A kill from Hess made it 14-13, and the home team advanced the lead to 18-14 on back-to-back Lion attack errors. Another Lion attack error pushed Santa Clara to the 20-point plateau at 20-18 before a Clayton kill handed the Broncos a set-point chance at 24-21. Hess put the set away a few points later, connecting for her fourth of the period. Suaava finished the set with nine of her 15 kills, teaming that mark with a pair of block assists.

It was all Santa Clara en route to the sweep in the third, as the Broncos hit .314 and limited LMU to a -.059 clip on the other side of the net. Maas and Clayton each had four kills, while Santa Clara also amassed three team blocks. LMU played Santa Clara even to 6-6, but the Broncos won seven straight to burn both of LMU's timeouts and take a 13-6 lead. Although LMU snapped that string, Santa Clara pushed forward to 16-7 on a block from Anna McCreadie and Maas. The lead stretched to 10 at 20-10 following a Sponcil attack error as Santa Clara ran away with the set, ultimately earning the sweep on a kill from Maas.

LMU will look to get back on track on Saturday when it travels to San Francisco for a match at 1 pm.