PORTLAND, Ore. — LMU (18-3, 9-1 in the West Coast Conference) swept Portland (11-7, 4-5 WCC) 3-0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-20) on Thursday. The Lions hit .313, exceeding their season average of .230, with 35 kills and totaled 10 aces, surpassing their season average of 5.55, while holding Portland to a .188 hitting percentage.
Delfina Schuh directed the Lions offensively with a team-high 30 assists while adding five digs, three kills and one service ace.
Maria Tabacuks led the LMU attack with a team-high 10 kills while contributing three blocks, four digs and totaling 11.5 points.
Zaria Thornton recorded nine kills with just one error on 13 attempts for a .615 hitting percentage, marking her second consecutive match hitting at least .615, while adding one block.
Kayla Lopez made an impact from the service line with a season-high four aces while contributing nine digs and one assist.
Camille Pomeroy anchored the Lions at the net with a team-high five blocks, including one solo, marking her third consecutive match with at least five total blocks, while adding two kills.
The Lions scored the first two points of the opening set on kills by
Zaria Thornton and
Delfina Schuh, but Portland worked back through several ties and moved ahead 8-7 on a Vanessa Haddock kill. Schuh tied it with a kill, Thornton followed with another to put the Lions in front 9-8, and
Kayla Lopez added a service ace before a Portland bad set left the Lions ahead 12-9. Schuh served an ace as the Lions stretched the lead to 16-10, and after Portland stayed within range behind Kalaweloilehua Chock, the Lions closed the set with late kills from
Maria Tabacuks, including the final point in a 25-18 win.
Thornton opened the second set with a kill from Schuh, and after Portland tied it at 1-1, the Lions won seven of the next eight rallies to go ahead 8-2, with Tabacuks adding a kill and
Camille Pomeroy, Tabacuks and
Nicole Schuetz involved on blocks during the run. Portland pulled back to 9-6 behind kills from Taina Kaauwai and Kalaweloilehua Chock, a Meki Maile ace and a Lions attack error, but the Lions rebuilt the cushion to 14-7 on a Schuetz ace and consecutive
Ayanna Henry kills. After Portland got as close as 17-11, the Lions stayed in front, and from 20-14 the Lions finished the set with three Henry kills around two Schuetz service aces to win 25-15.
Lopez served back-to-back aces in the third set, and a Tabacuks-Thornton block helped the Lions move ahead 10-5. Portland cut into the margin behind a Jeryn Hildenbrand ace and kills from Kalaweloilehua Chock, then later used kills by Vanessa Haddock and Shaylee Stephen and a Lions error to tie the set at 18-18. Thornton put down a kill and, after Portland tied it again at 19-19, Tabacuks answered with a kill before
Gabriella Cascione's serve helped the Lions score four straight points for a 24-19 lead. Portland stopped the first set point with a block, but Tabacuks finished the set with a kill from Cascione to close the Lions' 25-20 win.
The Lions are 18-3 overall and 9-1 in WCC play. Portland is 11-7 overall and 4-5 in WCC play.
Up Next for Lions Women's Volleyball
Up next, the Lions volleyball team travels to Seattle, Washington, to face Seattle U on Saturday, Oct. 31, at 1 p.m.
