TEMPE, AZ – The Lions dropped their opening match of the Nore-Stahl Classic on Friday, falling to Florida Gulf Coast, 3-1.
 
In the opening set, the Eagles jumped out to a 4-1 lead, but a kill from Maddie Boerstra fueled a 5-0 run that put LMU in front, 12-9. The Lions held the advantage until FGCU responded with a five-point run of their own. The rest of the frame was back-and-forth, but the Eagles closed it out with six straight points to take the set, 25-21.
 
LMU answered in dominant fashion in set two. A block from Sophia Keene sparked a four-point run before the Lions extended their lead with an eight-point stretch capped by a Sophie Stephenson kill off a set from Delfina Schuh. A service ace by Kyla Firestone sealed the set, 25-11, evening the match at 1-1.
 
The momentum shifted in the third, as FGCU raced out to a 12-4 lead and later strung together six straight points to pull ahead, 21-10. The Eagles closed out the set, 25-14.
 
Set four proved to be the tightest of the match, featuring multiple lead changes and never more than a two-point separation. LMU held a slim 21-20 edge late, but FGCU rallied with three straight points and went on to win the set, 25-23, and the match, 3-1.
 
The Lions return to action Saturday at 1 p.m. against host Arizona State.
 
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