KALAMAZOO, MI—The Lions lost 3-1 to the Western Michigan Broncos in their season opener on Friday evening.

In set one, the Lions had a sluggish start, allowing the Broncos to grab an early 3-0 advantage. However, LMU quickly shook off the nerves, taking a 4-3 lead with back-to-back aces from Mia Schafer and a block assist by Sophia Meyers and Jiana Lawson.

The score remained tight, with ties occurring twice before consecutive kills from Sophie Stephenson and Meyers gave LMU a two-point edge at 13-11. Both teams traded points in small spurts, never scoring more than two consecutively until the Broncos went on a 3-0 run to reclaim the lead.
As the set neared its end, the Lions managed a three-point streak, bringing them within five points of winning the set, 20-18. The Broncos fought back, scoring twice to tie it up at 21-21. In a closely contested set, LMU ultimately prevailed, clinching the win with a 30-28 score.

Set two began as a tight contest, with both teams trading points until the Broncos pulled ahead with three consecutive points. LMU responded by going on a five-point streak, capped off by a kill from Stephenson, to take the lead at 8-7. 

However, two errors by LMU allowed the Broncos to regain a two-point advantage, which they maintained. The Lions attempted a comeback, sparked by a kill from Leah Burrell that ignited a 3-0 run, bringing them within two points at 23-21. The Broncos held on to win set two, 25-22.

Set three got off to a strong start for LMU, with Meyers delivering a kill and two service aces to give the Lions an early lead. LMU stayed ahead until a kill by the Broncos started a 4-0 run, putting them up 8-6. Shortly after, the Broncos went on another four-point run, leading to an LMU timeout. 
After the timeout, WMU continued to build their lead, scoring again to make it 13-8. The Broncos' biggest streak of the set came toward the end, as they tallied five straight points to go up 24-14, eventually winning the set 25-15.

In set four, the Broncos jumped out to a 3-1 lead over the Lions and maintained that advantage until an attack error sparked a 3-0 run for LMU, evening the score at 8-8. The set remained closely contested, with the teams tying nine more times, eventually reaching 20-20. The Lions and Broncos exchanged points back and forth until a WMU kill followed by an LMU attack error gave the Broncos a two-point lead. 

LMU stayed in the fight when Paige Flickinger's kill, assisted by Schafer, brought the Lions within one at 22-23. However, two consecutive kills from the Broncos secured the set and the match for WMU, with a 3-1 victory.
 
The Lions next match is tomorrow, August 31, at noon against the Clemson Tigers.

Donate Today:
Fans interested in contributing to the Lions Athletic Fund can do so by clicking here. Your gift will help provide a transformational student-athlete experience athletically, academically, and culturally for every LMU student-athlete. We appreciate your continued support of LMU Athletics. 
 
Follow Along With The Action:
For complete coverage of Loyola Marymount University athletics, visit LMULions.com. We encourage you to follow along with all the action on social media as well. Follow along by following us on Twitter, liking us on Facebook, and following us on Instagram.