LOS ANGELES — LMU defeated Saint Mary's in four tightly contested sets on Wednesday night at Gersten Pavilion, earning a 25–17, 24–26, 25–18, 25–23 victory.

Maddie Boerstra led all players with 22 kills, hitting .327 and finishing one dig shy of a double-double. Setter Delfina Schuh posted her second straight double-double with 24 assists and 20 digs, while freshman middle Mariana Simao anchored the Lions' defense with seven blocks.

The opening frame featured steady back-and-forth play before LMU broke free at 16–13, sparking a decisive 9–4 run. The surge included a Nicole Schuetz kill, multiple Saint Mary's attack errors, and consistent side-out execution. LMU controlled the serve-receive phase, siding out at a .720 clip, and closed the set with kills from Boerstra and Schuetz along with two late Gaels errors to take it 25–17 and go up 1–0.

The second set turned into a grind, featuring seven ties and four lead changes, with neither team leading by more than four points. Six different Lions registered a kill in the frame—Schuetz posted four and Boerstra added eight. Holding a narrow 21–20 late, LMU couldn't create separation, and Saint Mary's capitalized on the final rally, taking the set 26–24 on a service winner to even the match.

LMU responded immediately in the third, opening the frame on a 13–5 run. The burst began with a bump-kill from freshman Gabriella Cascione, followed by a Gaels error and a Cascione ace to spark a quick 3–0 start. Boerstra added back-to-back kills, Cascione followed with another ace, and LMU seized full control. Saint Mary's worked back into the set, but LMU's defense dictated the frame, totaling five blocks and 13 digs, with Schuh recording five digs in the back row. The Lions maintained control throughout and closed out the set 25–18 to take a 2–1 match lead.

The Lions carried their momentum into the fourth, jumping out to an 8–4 lead behind efficient swings from Boerstra and steady distribution from Schuh. LMU's eight total service aces continued to disrupt the Gaels' rhythm and feed directly into the Lions' block-and-dig defensive structure. Saint Mary's made a late push to tie the frame 22–22, but LMU answered immediately. A Gaels attack error followed by back-to-back kills from Isabella Ocampo sealed the 25–23 win and the 3–1 match victory.

LMU returns to Gersten Pavilion for its final home match of the season on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. (PT), where the Lions will honor seniors Cecily Bramschreiber, Maddie Boerstra, Sophie Stevenson, and Sophia Keene before taking on the University of the Pacific.