PORTLAND – The Lions swept the Portland Pilots 3-0 on Thursday afternoon, improving their conference record to 7-1.

In the opening set, LMU jumped to a quick 4-1 lead, powered by a kill from Paige Flickinger and two consecutive service aces from Jiana Lawson. The Lions extended their lead to 11-6, but Portland rallied with a three-point run to pull within two. A Portland service error sparked a 5-0 run for LMU, giving them a comfortable 20-14 advantage. The set concluded with another Pilots error, handing LMU a 25-20 win.

Set two saw the Lions take early control after a Sophie Stephenson kill led to a five-point streak, putting LMU ahead 8-3 and forcing Portland to call a timeout. The Pilots made a four-point run to close the gap to 13-10, but LMU answered with another strong stretch, highlighted by a block assist from Stephenson and Kalani Hayes that fueled a 5-0 run, extending the Lions' lead to 21-13. The Lions wrapped up the set with two more blocks, claiming a 25-16 victory.

Portland came out strong in the third set, taking a 9-4 lead. LMU responded with a 3-0 run, but the Pilots held the upper hand until a Portland error tied the score at 16. A kill by Marlee Arrington, assisted by Delfina Schuh, initiated a decisive run for the Lions, who took their first lead at 21-17. LMU maintained their momentum, with kills from Olivia Toland and Flickinger securing the set, 25-20, and the 3-0 match win.

Sophia Meyers led all players with 10 kills, while Lawson paced the Lions with a .444 hitting percentage. Sam Hastings recorded 10 digs, and Lawson contributed seven blocks. Schuh and Mia Schafer both notched 16 assists.

The Lions will face Oregon State on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Corvallis, OR.

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