LOS ANGELES – The LMU women's volleyball team fought hard in a 3-2 loss to the visiting No. 2 San Diego Toreros.
The Lions won the first and third sets and came up just short in the fourth set in the loss.
On the season, the Toreros have dropped only 13 sets in 26 matches. Four of those sets have come against the Lions. In fact, before the first set of tonight's match, the Toreros had not lost a set since Sept. 24, the last matchup with LMU.
The Lions cruised in the first set behind five kills from Rose Booth. The Lions hit .344 as a team and notched three aces, including two aces from
Amanda Burns to key a five-point run and put the Lions on the verge. After the Toreros scored, the Lions quickly ended things with a blast from
Kari Geissberger.
The Lions battled in the second set but fell short 22-25. The Toreros took six of the first eight points of the set, but the Lions came storming back with eight of the next nine points for a 10-8 lead. Burns again was in the middle of things with a five-point run.
The back-and-forth set would continue, with both teams serving and defending well, before the Toreros finished out the second set with five straight points.
Both teams struggled in the second set, with the Lions hitting .219 as a team and the Toreros hitting slightly better at .235. Geissberger hit .556 with six kills.
The Lions dispatched the Toreros again in the third set.
After winning four of the first five points, the Lions never trailed in the third set. The Toreros closest deficit after winning the first point of the set was 8-7.
After a Jacquelyn Moore kill to make things 15-10, the Lions once again went on an extended run, extending the lead to 18-10. The Toreros would pull to within five, but no closer as the Lions closed out the set after a Torero attack went long. The final tally in the third was 25-19.
The defense was the strong point in the third, with the Toreros combining to swing .167. The Lions hit .257 with Geissberger once again leading the way at .357 and seven kills.
The fourth set was neck and neck the whole way. The Lions had a three-point run to take a two point lead at 12-10 but the Toreros came right back to know things up. That would continue until a three-point run by the Toreros made things 23-20. Booth would add to her kill tally to end the run before the Toreros ran it to set point.
Booth would add another kill and then Isabelle Refell would add a pair forcing the Toreros to burn both timeouts and to tie the set at 24. The Toreros would win the next two to take the set.
In the fifth set, the Toreros used a six-point run to take an 11-10 lead. They would then win four of the next five to mark the final tally.
Geissberger led the way with 22 kills on .211 hitting and added eight blocks. Moore continued her efficient play with 14 kills on .560 hitting and chipping in five blocks.
Phoebe Awoleye added eight blocks, as the Lions again showed how strong they are defensively.
Isabella Bareford also continued her consistent play with 59 assists and chipped in eight digs to boot.
The Lions will be back on the hardwood Saturday, Nov. 19 at 1:00 p.m. (PT) to face the No.17 BYU Cougars. The Cougars are still alive in the WCC Title race but must win out against LMU and the Toreros to clinch a share of the title. The Toreros are guaranteed at least a share of the title with the victory against the Lions.
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