Box Score

Once again proving its ability to outlast an opponent, LMU (19-7, 10-4 WCC) improved to 7-3 in five-set matches this year, posting a victory over Gonzaga (14-12, 5-8 WCC) by scores of 25-21, 29-31, 21-25, 25-18, 15-8 on Saturday from Gersten Pavilion. With the victory, LMU has now won 10 of its last 11 matches overall, including five straight.

Senior Rachelle Suaava had a career day, posting a match-best and career-high 24 kills on 45 attacks with just seven errors for a .378 hitting percentage. The native of Waipahu, Hawaii nearly collected a double-double, registering nine block assists. The 24 kills topped Suaava's previous career-high of 19 earlier this year against Northern Arizona. The nine block assists also matched a career best for Suaava, equaling her output against Gonzaga on October 30 of last year.

Sophomore Sarah Sponcil added 18 kills, three aces and 18 digs for another double-double. The reigning WCC Player of the Week also had two assists and a block assist to help LMU to 12 total team blocks. The Lions hit .264 over the course of the match, with Hannah Tedrow dishing out 62 assists and nearly posting a double-double with nine digs.

Savannah Blinn led the attack for Gonzaga, totaling 20 kills on 56 swings with four block assists. The Bulldog block was impressive on Saturday, combining for 14 team blocks, including six block assists from Kaylie Loewen.

LMU won an offensive first set over Gonzaga, 25-21, posting a .386 hitting percentage while allowing a .351 clip on the other side of the net. Suaava and Jamie Lea provided a strong attack, registering six and five kills, respectively. On the defensive side, LMU's defensive specialists kept the ball off the floor, with Kekai Whitford and Kristen Castellanos each collecting six digs. The Lions got off to a great start in the opener, racing out to a 7-3 lead on a Jordan Gasser attack error. The Lion lead stretched to five at 10-5 on consecutive kills from Lea and Amber Mirabello, forcing Gonzaga into its first timeout. Though the Bulldogs would cut into the deficit in the middle of the period, LMU would never surrender the lead, and once again pushed the advantage to five at 20-15 on a kill from Jennifer Casillas and a big block from Suaava and Tedrow. A Gonzaga timeout served the visitors well, as they won three straight out of the break to cut the lead to 20-18, but a 3-0 run from LMU followed and helped eventually push the home team to victory on Mirabello's fourth kill of the first.

Gonzaga's strong block guided the Bulldogs to a hard-fought 31-29 victory in set two. The visitors totaled seven blocks, including five block assists from Loewen and two solos from Gasser. Sponcil had six kills on 12 swings for LMU, but Blinn posted six of her own for Gonzaga. After leading early in the period, LMU saw its advantage erased and was forced to play from behind in the middle of set. Trailing 16-12 following five straight blocks from Gonzaga, LMU crawled and scratched its way back to even at 21-21 on a kill from Sponcil. The two teams proceeded to play even for the next 16 points, finding themselves tied at 29 following a kill from Paige Folger. Suaava erred on the ensuing attack for LMU, granting Gonzaga another set-point chance at 30-29 where the marathon set came to close following an attack error from Casillas.

The Bulldogs managed four more blocks in the third en route to earning a 25-21 victory and taking a 2-1 lead in the match score. Faith Smith posted a pair of block assists and McKayla Ferris had a solo and an assist to lead the way for the Zags. Blinn had four kills in the third, while Emmy Allen added a pair of aces. LMU won the first three points of the set, but Gonzaga responded with a 3-0 run of its own to quickly even the tally. Just as it did in the second set, LMU took a lead into the middle of the period only to have Gonzaga come back to steal the advantage. This time leading 14-11 following a Blinn attack error, LMU saw Gonzaga crawl back even at 18 on a Tiyana Hallums ace. That ace was one point in a four-point run that handed the Bulldogs a lead they would not relinquish. Casillas found the floor for a kill to keep LMU within one point at 21-20, but Blinn connected for three straight kills to push Gonzaga to a set-point chance at 24-20. After LMU broke the first Gonzaga shot at the win, Folger and Ferris combined to stuff Suaava for the 25th point and the set.

The Lions forced a fifth and decisive set with a 25-18 victory in set four. The Lion block came to play in the fourth, registering four team blocks and limiting Gonzaga to a -.059 hitting percentage. In addition to the wall at the net, Lea contributed five kills on 12 swings to guide the attack. The Lions led virtually the entire way, jumping out to an early 7-4 lead on a Loewen attack error. The lead stretched to four points at 13-9 following another Gonzaga attack error, and held to 17-13 when Allen erred. Gonzaga was forced into timeouts at 19-16 and 21-16 as the Lions went on a 5-0 run from 17-16 to 22-16. Suaava found the floor to push LMU to a 24-18 lead before Tedrow and Suaava teamed to stuff Blinn on the attack to force the fifth.

As it has done so often in 2015, LMU came out strong in the fifth, jumping out to an early 6-1 lead and never looking back en route to capturing the final set, 15-8. Suaava finished a career day with six kills on six swings in the finale, while Sponcil added four of her own to help LMU to a .524 hitting percentage. Gonzaga burned both timeouts by the time LMU reached 6-1, and the Lions pushed to 10-3 on a Sponcil kill. Gonzaga managed to cut the deficit back to five at 12-7, but LMU won three of the final four points, including the match-winner on a kill from Mirabello, to earn the victory.

LMU will return to action on Thursday when it travels to Santa Clara for a match at 6 pm.