LOS ANGELES – LMU women's volleyball took a 3-0 defeat on Saturday against Saint Mary's. The Gaels won in straight sets with games being decided at 25-13, 25-23, 25-18.
 
A run of six unanswered help SMC take a 6-1 lead, which expanded to 9-2, 15-5 and 23-9, in the first. LMU showed a run of four unanswered points late in the set which included consecutive kills by Jacquelyn Moore but was unable to overcome the early deficit.
 
Three consecutive kills in the second set Megan Rice, Rose Booth, and Moore helped LMU erase a 9-6 deficit and tie the game at 9-9. After the Gaels earned the next point, LMU rattled off the next four and claimed a 10-13 lead. The Lions remained ahead by three or four points until Saint Mary's used a 6-0 run to retake the lead at 22-19. LMU fought off two set points, and forced the visitors to take a timeout, but were unable to take the set back from the Gaels.
 
A Megan Rice ace tied the score for the fourth time in the early portion of the third set at 6-6. Saint Mary's would follow with eight of the next 10 points to go ahead, 14-8. With LMU trailing by seven, the Lions went on a 4-0 run with Rice back at the service line to cut the deficit to 18-15. A Booth kill made the game 21-18, before SMC closed the match with the final four points.
 
LMU will take their last road trip of the regular season next week, traveling for games at San  Diego and BYU.