Box Score

After having a five-match win streak snapped on Thursday at Santa Clara, the LMU volleyball team (20-8, 11-5 WCC) got back on track with a road sweep at San Francisco (16-12, 3-12 WCC) on Saturday. The Lions, who won by scores of 25-22, 25-19, 25-22, have now won 11 of the last 13 matches overall. With the victory, LMU has recorded back-to-back 20+ win seasons for the first time since 1999-00.

Sarah Sponcil led the way for LMU, collecting 21 kills on 32 swings with just three errors for a .562 hitting percentage. The native of Phoenix, Ariz. also notched eight digs and a block. The Lions hit .379 receiving sets from Hannah Tedrow, who had 40 assists and seven digs to accompany three blocks.

Katarina Pilepic had 15 of USF's 39 kills, as she entered the Dons' top-10 all-time in kills.

The Lions struggled out of the gate in the first set, falling behind 5-1 and burning its first timeout at 9-5, but the Lions drew back even at 14 on a block from Rachelle Suaava and Tedrow. Suaava recorded a pair of blocks and five kills, while Sponcil also had five in the opener. After the teams traded blows even to 22, Suaava collected back-to-back kills to force set-point at 24-22. Avery Bush dropped back to serve the ensuing play, and Pilepic erred on the attack to hand LMU the set and leave USF's set hitting percentage at .244.

Sponcil had her best set of the day in the second, exploding for nine kills on 14 swings and only one error to guide LMU to a .375 hitting percentage. Just as they had in the first set, the Lions posted three blocks while holding the Dons to a .059 clip. LMU led virtually the entire way in the second, jumping out to an early 5-1 lead on a Sponcil kill. Amber Mirabello notched a block solo to push LMU to a 10-6 advantage before the Lions extended the lead to six at 16-10 on a kill from Jamie Lea. The Dons made a run to get back in the set, cutting the deficit to three at 18-15 and forcing a Lion timeout, but LMU won seven of the final 11 points, including the set-winner on Sponcil's final kill of the period, to take a 2-0 lead in the match score.

USF improved its hitting percentage to .323 in the third, but Sponcil and LMU hit .342, with the sophomore contributing seven more kills, to earn the sweep. After playing even to 10, LMU managed to put some distance between the two teams by claiming a 17-13 advantage on a kill from Lea. Refusing to surrender without a fight, the Dons clawed back within two at 20-18 on a Pilepic kill to force a Lion timeout. The Lions returned to form out of the break, advancing the lead to match-point at 24-21 on a Sponcil kill. USF erased the first match-point chance, but Suaava connected for her final kill of the day on the ensuing play, handing LMU the victory.

The Lions will return to action next Saturday, hosting Pepperdine on Senior Day for the final home match of the year. First serve is scheduled for Noon.