LOS ANGELES — LMU (16-3, 7-1 West Coast Conference) defeated Santa Clara (8-12, 4-4 WCC) 3-1 on Thursday. The Lions recorded 12 blocks in the match, surpassing their season average of 8.31. The Lions moved ahead in the fourth set with a run from a 6-5 deficit to a 10-7 lead before closing out the match.
Maria Tabacuks led the LMU attack with a team-high 19 kills while totaling 19.5 points and adding seven digs. Tabacuks has now recorded at least 19.5 points in three consecutive matches.
Delfina Schuh directed the Lions offensively with a team-high 32 assists while adding 12 digs for a double-double and two blocks. Schuh also reached 2,000 career assists.
Gabriella Cascione anchored the LMU defense with a team-high 18 digs while contributing five assists.
Aleksandra Stojanovic made an impact at the net with a team-high five blocks, including two solo, surpassing her season average of 3.5 blocks per match, while adding five kills on a .286 hitting percentage and 8.5 points.
Nicole Schuetz contributed nine kills and three blocks, including a career-high and season-high two solo blocks, while totaling 12.5 points.
The Lions built an early 10-3 lead, using kills from
Maria Tabacuks,
Delfina Schuh,
Nicole Schuetz and
Camille Pomeroy during a stretch in which they won seven of eight rallies. The Lions kept the gap at 16-7 after back-to-back blocks involving
Zaria Thornton and Schuh and a Tabacuks kill, but Santa Clara worked back to 17-13 behind kills from Grace Flanagan. Santa Clara stayed close and got within 20-18 on a block by Allison Dzieciuch and Macy Hinshaw, but the Lions answered with a service error point, a Santa Clara attack error and an
Anya Santrac kill to reach 23-19. The Lions finished the set on consecutive Santa Clara attack errors to take it 25-19.
The Lions moved in front early in the second set, using a Tabacuks kill from Schuh and three Santa Clara attack errors to build a 5-1 lead after the teams split the first two points. Santa Clara kept the margin from getting away through the middle of the set, but the Lions pushed ahead 13-8 on a Tabacuks kill and back-to-back Santa Clara attack errors before Pomeroy and Santrac kills helped stretch the lead to 16-10. After a Santa Clara service error made it 17-11,
Kayla Lopez served an ace and Santrac added a block to extend the advantage to 19-11. The Lions stayed in control late, getting kills from Santrac, Schuetz and Pomeroy around Santa Clara points to close the set 25-17.
The Lions started the third set with a 4-0 run, getting kills from Tabacuks and help from Santa Clara errors, including a block by Pomeroy. The Lions pushed the margin to 11-5 on Santrac kill, but Santa Clara worked back into the set and tied it at 14-14 on an attack error by the Lions. Tabacuks answered with kills to even the set at 16-16 after Santa Clara moved ahead, and the teams traded points until a Santa Clara service error tied it again at 18-18. Santa Clara moved back in front 20-18, and after Santrac's kill brought the Lions within 21-20, Santa Clara scored the final four points to take the set 25-20.
The Lions trailed 5-1 in the fourth set before Tabacuks and Schuetz supplied kills and Tabacuks served an ace during a four-point push that tied it at 5-5. After Santa Clara moved back in front 6-5, the Lions took the next three points on a Santa Clara attack error, a block by Thornton and Schuetz, and another Santa Clara attack error, and after Santa Clara got one point back, Santrac added consecutive kills for a 10-7 lead. The margin grew to 17-11 as Tabacuks put down five kills and Schuetz added one around a Santa Clara service error, and the Lions later used back-to-back Tabacuks kills to move ahead 22-15. Santa Clara cut the closing margin with three straight points from 24-18 to 24-21, including Ashlynn Reilly's ace, before Schuetz closed the 25-21 set with a kill from Schuh.
The Lions are 16-3 overall and 7-1 in WCC play. Santa Clara is 8-12 overall and 4-4 in WCC play.
Up Next for Loyola Marymount University Women's Volleyball
Up next, the Lions host San Francisco on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 1 p.m. at Gersten Pavilion.
