SPOKANE, Wash. – LMU women's volleyball dropped the first two sets on Saturday afternoon but battled back to force a fifth set before coming up short 3-2 (25-17, 25-20, 20-25, 13-25, 15-10).
 
Gonzaga doubled-up LMU in the first set, taking 10-5, 12-6, and 18-9 leads. LMU brought it within five with back-to-back kills by Jacquelyn Moore before the Bulldogs closed out the set.
 
Following seven tie scores by 11-11, Gonzaga went on a consecutive point streak to push the home team ahead 16-11. LMU used a late 4-0 run, capped by a service ace from Annabella Pirrotta, to bring the score within a point at 20-19. Gonzaga closed out with five of the final six points to take the set.
 
Megan Rice recorded a kill that sparked a 3-0 run and tied the game at 7-7 in the third set. Gonzaga went back on top, 11-9, before the Lions scored five unanswered including back-to-back aces from Mary Shroll to lead 14-11. Despite Gonzaga pulling back within one point, LMU closed out the set and took their first game with a Kari Geissberger kill to win it.
 
LMU built up a lead in the fourth set with Isabella Bareford at the service line. Megan Rice recorded three kills and Bareford added an ace as part of six unanswered points that gave the Lions a 14-7 lead. A second 6-0 run later in the set included six consecutive kills that increased LMU's lead to 22-11. The Lions hit .516 in the fourth set and held Gonzaga to .086 to extend the match and force a game five.
 
The Lions erased an early deficit to score three-straight and go ahead 4-2. Gonzaga would respond with five unanswered points to jump on top 8-5, and then extended the run to lead 11-6. Emmelyn Walters forced Gonzaga to call timeout after a kill brought the game to 12-10. The Bulldogs closed out the match with the final three points.
 
Rice and Geissberger each recorded double-digit kills at 17 and 15, respectively. Bareford added 41 assists. Three Lions added a pair of service aces, while Shroll and Rice led the team with 17 digs apiece.
 
The Lions return to Los Angeles with only one game this upcoming week, a home contest against Pepperdine on Friday.