Box Score Sept. 4, 2015 Box Score
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Sophomore Sarah Sponcil registered her third straight double-double to start the 2015 season as the LMU Lions (2-1) handed Liberty (3-1) its first loss of the season in a 3-0 sweep to open the Lumberjack Classic hosted by Northern Arizona University. The Lions defeated the Flames by scores of 25-14, 25-20, 25-15.
Sponcil, a native of Phoenix, Ariz., teamed 12 kills with 15 digs to record the double-double. Junior Jamie Lea once again led the attack, finishing with a match-best 13 kills on 34 swings. Senior Rachelle Suaava also had an outstanding match on the attack, posting a season-best 10 kills on 18 errorless attacks for a .556 hitting percentage.
The Lions hit .314 as a team in the victory while receiving sets from senior Hannah Tedrow. Tedrow finished the match with 42 assists, an ace and five digs to go along with a pair of block assists. Nicky Kevorken guided LMU to six aces, serving up three, while Suaava registered four block assists to help LMU to six total team blocks.
Caroline Douglas led the Flame attack with 10 kills while hitting .304, but Liberty managed just a .120 team hitting percentage in the match. Liberty did get the best of LMU in the blocking stats, finishing with nine total team blocks, including five block assists apiece from Anna Willey and Sirena Vorster. Vorster also chipped in six kills on 11 attacks with two errors to lead the team with a .364 clip.
The Lions used solid serving and an impressive performance from Lea en route to taking the first set, 25-14. LMU served up four aces, including a pair from Kevorken, while holding Liberty to just a .031 hitting percentage. The two teams played even to 6-6 early, but LMU won the next six points to open up a lead at 12-6. Lea took over down the stretch for LMU, putting away a kill to push the lead to 20-11, before firing off three straight from 20-14 to 23-14 as LMU ran away with the set. The Lions ultimately claimed the set on an attack error from Douglas.
Liberty turned in its best hitting percentage of the match at .207 in the second set, but it was not enough as LMU received seven kills from Sponcil and hit .333 en route to the 25-20 victory. The Flames posted four total blocks in the second, including three in the middle of the set to cut an early LMU lead to just three at 16-13. The two teams continued to trade blows to 20-17, but LMU won the next two points, and five of the final eight, to take the 2-0 lead in the match score.
The final set also featured a strong run to the finish from LMU as the Lions won nine of the final 11 points to earn the sweep over Liberty. The Lions saved their best hitting percentage for last, as they registered a .345 clip that included four kills apiece from Suaava and Kevorken. Suaava also combined with sophomore Jennifer Casillas on a pair of blocks, including stuffing Haley Jeffcoat for the final point of the match.
LMU will continue play at the Lumberjack Classic tomorrow when it squares off against Houston Baptist (10 am) and host Northern Arizona (7 pm).
