STOCKTON, Calif. — LMU, 20-3 overall and 11-1 in the West Coast Conference, swept Pacific (4-20, 0-12 WCC) 3-0 on Thursday, highlighted by an 11-0 run in the first set. The Lions hit .398 with 47 kills while holding Pacific to a .033 hitting percentage and 19 kills. LMU's .398 hitting percentage marked its highest of the 2026 season. Ayanna Henry recorded a season-high 10 kills, while Nicole Schuetz reached 25 service aces on the season after adding two in the match.
Maria Tabacuks led the LMU attack with a team-high 12 kills on a .346 hitting percentage while totaling 13.0 points and adding 10 digs for a double-double. Delfina Schuh directed the Lions offensively with a team-high 23 assists while adding 11 digs for a double-double, three block assists and one service ace. Gabriella Cascione anchored the LMU defense with a team-high 16 digs, surpassing her season average of 13.18, while contributing seven assists. Zaria Thornton delivered an efficient performance with seven kills and no errors on 11 attempts for a .636 hitting percentage while totaling 9.0 points and four block assists. Thornton has now hit at least .636 in consecutive matches and surpassed her season average of 3.0 blocks per match. Camille Pomeroy led the Lions at the net with a team-high five total blocks while adding three kills. Pomeroy has now recorded at least five blocks in five consecutive matches.
The Lions moved ahead 4-1 behind kills from Delfina Schuh, Kayla Lopez and Schuetz, and after Pacific cut it to 4-3, a Pacific service error and a Camille Pomeroy/Schuetz block helped keep the Lions in front. After Pacific got within 6-4, Henry had five kills during an 11-point Loyola Marymount University run, while Melania Katsitadze served 10 straight points with two aces as the Lions pushed the lead to 17-4. Pacific stopped the run and later closed to 22-10, but the Lions finished the set with kills from Kyla Firestone, Pomeroy and Maria Tabacuks to take it 25-11.
The Lions moved ahead 6-2 early in the second set as Tabacuks had two kills and joined Pomeroy on a block, with Pomeroy and Schuetz adding another block. Pacific worked back within 14-12 on an Ellie Prindl kill and consecutive Vanessa Zussino service aces, but the Lions answered with four straight points, including kills by Schuetz and Henry, to push the set to 18-12. Zaria Thornton added a kill and teamed with Schuh on a block during another Loyola Marymount University stretch that moved the margin to 21-14, and Henry's kill plus a Schuetz ace made it 23-14. Pacific scored four of the next five points to get to 24-18 before Tabacuks closed the set with a kill for a 25-18 Lions win.
The Lions opened the third set by taking the first four points, with Schuh recording two kills and Tabacuks adding one during the early push. After Pacific got within 10-4, the Lions scored seven straight points to move ahead 17-4, a stretch that included a Thornton kill, a Henry kill, a Schuetz service ace, a Tabacuks kill and two Lions blocks. Pacific added two points before the Lions answered again, using Kayla Lopez's serve to score four straight points for a 22-6 lead, then finished the set 25-8 on Mariana Simao's kill from Schuh.
Loyola Marymount University is 20-3 overall and 11-1 in WCC play. Pacific is 4-20 overall and 0-12 in WCC play.
Up Next for Loyola Marymount University Women's Volleyball
Up next, the Lions volleyball team travels to Moraga, Calif., to face Saint Mary's on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 2 p.m.
