LOS ANGELES – On Thursday night, the Lions secured a 3-1 victory over the San Diego Toreros, marking the Toreros' first defeat in the WCC season.
 
The match saw a seesaw of scoring between both teams until the Lions scored two consecutive points, initiated by a Maddie Boerstra kill that put them ahead 5-4. The first half of the set remained closely contested, with the deficit never exceeding two points. The Toreros, however, changed the dynamics, securing a couple of points and reaching a score of 14-11. Responding to this, the Lions went on a 3-0 run, leveling the score at 14-14. A few plays later, LMU began another three-point flurry, sparked by a kill from Michelle Shaffer, bringing the Lions within one of the Toreros at 17-16. The game remained closely fought, but ultimately, the Toreros claimed set one with a score of 25-23.
 
The Lions dominated the start of set two, establishing a 4-1 lead early on. Keeping their drive, they achieved four consecutive points, holding the advantage 9-4 and forcing USD to call a timeout. LMU continued their dominance, going on a 6-0 run and extending their lead to 18-8. Although the Toreros mounted a slight comeback with a four-point sequence, they still trailed by six. A ball-handling error by USD, coupled with a kill from Amethyst Harper, brought LMU within two of securing the set. Despite two more scores from the Toreros, the deficit proved impossible to catch up, and the Lions claimed set two with a score of 25-16.
 
Just like set two LMU took an early 6-1 lead over USD. Despite the Toreros trying to catch up with a few points, the Lions extended their lead to 11-4. In the middle of the set, USD staged a comeback, going on a four-point run and narrowing the gap to 18-15. A crucial kill by Tyler Alcorn brought the Lions within the winning range at 20-16. However, USD countered with four consecutive points, tying the score at 22-22. LMU displayed resilience in the crucial moments, securing back-to-back kills from Kari Geissberger and another from Shaffer, ultimately winning the set 25-22.
 
Carrying the momentum from set three, LMU kicked off set four with Isabella Bareford delivering two consecutive service aces. Three unanswered points, ending in a kill from Jacquelyn Moore, brought the score to 7-2. In a crucial phase of the set, LMU embarked on a 3-0 run, highlighted by a remarkable save and kill from Sam Hastings. The Lions kept that energy throughout the rest of the set, finishing with three consecutive kills and securing a 25-18 victory, ultimately handing the Toreros their first WCC season loss, 3-1.
 
Hastings led both teams with 17 digs. Moore finished the game with 5.0 blocks, while Bareford tallied 23 assists. Shaffer led the team with 12 kills. LMU boasted 9.5 blocks compared to USD's 7.0 and recorded 11 more kills, finishing with a total of 54.
 
Looking ahead, the Lions' next game is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 14, against the Santa Clara Broncos at 1 PM in Gersten Pavilion.

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