Trailing two sets to none on Saturday afternoon inside Gersten Pavilion, LMU volleyball (19-8, 9-7 WCC) forced a fifth set only to see the comeback bid fall short to visiting Gonzaga (10-18, 7-10 WCC) by scores of 25-23, 25-20, 22-25, 23-25, 16-14.

BOX SCORE NOTES
Senior Sara Kovac led all players with 23 kills on 54 swings … she also added 10 digs for a double-double … Tess Reid dished out 63 assists as LMU hit .259 as a team … Reid also had an ace and 13 digs to record a double-double of her own … the Lions served up five aces, including two from Kekai Whitford … the libero posted a match-best 21 digs … Gonzaga outblocked LMU, 12.5-6, led by four solos and two block assists from Sarah Penner … Penner also led the way on the attack, notching 12 kills … the Bulldogs hit .243 for the match, but hit .370, .321 and .269 in the sets that they won … as might be expected in a five-set match, the two teams traded punches to 27 tie scores and six lead changes over the course of the match … there were nine tie scores and three lead changes in the decisive fifth set.

LION NOTES
With the win, Gonzaga swept the season series with LMU … LMU is 16-0 when winning the first set this year, but falls to 3-8 when the opponent captures the first … LMU has recorded at least two aces in all but one match this year … the Lions fall to 6-2 at home overall this season … LMU is now 4-2 in five set matches … the double-doubles were Reid's 11^th and Kovac's sixth … the 63 assists marked the second time Reid has reached 60 this year (66, 8/31 vs. Cal Poly).

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS
LMU still has two home matches remaining to be played in Gersten Pavilion … members of LMU's Little Lions Club get into all LMU home volleyball matches as part of the membership, while students, faculty and staff with a valid One Card also receive free General Admission access to every home match … to purchase season or single-game tickets, please contact the LMU Box Office at 310-338-5466 or visit LMULions.com/buywvb.

QUOTABLE

We took a tough loss in five sets today, but the Lions are looking forward to putting this one behind them and getting ready to compete tomorrow vs. Pepperdine at home at 1 p.m.

Listen to what head coach Aaron Mansfield had to say after today's match.#JoinThePride pic.twitter.com/O92KvE5Clx
— LMU Volleyball (@lmulionsWVB) November 18, 2018

NEXT ROTATION
LMU will continue the four-match homestand on Sunday, hosting Pepperdine at 1 p.m. in a makeup match before closing out the regular season with a 7 p.m. match against #1 BYU on Tuesday … both matches can be watched on TheW.tv with live stats found at LMULions.com.