MORAGA, Calif. — LMU (21-3, 12-1 West Coast Conference) defeated Saint Mary's (CA) (14-11, 9-4 WCC) 3-1 on Saturday at UCU Pavilion, with set scores of 27-25, 25-15, 22-25, 25-22. The Lions finished with a .407 hitting percentage, compared with a .269 hitting percentage for Saint Mary's. LMU's .407 hitting percentage marked a season high in 2026.
Maria Tabacuks powered the LMU attack with a season-high 30 kills on a .464 hitting percentage while totaling a team-high 30.0 points and adding seven digs. Delfina Schuh directed the Lions offensively with a team-high 44 assists, surpassing her season average of 35.17, while adding four kills on a .571 hitting percentage, six digs and two service aces. Gabriella Cascione anchored the LMU defense with a team-high 17 digs while contributing six assists and one service ace. Zaria Thornton delivered an efficient performance with 10 kills, surpassing her season average of 6.14, while hitting .571 and totaling 11.5 points and two blocks. Thornton has now hit at least .571 in five consecutive matches. Camille Pomeroy added five kills on an .833 hitting percentage, four blocks and 7.5 points, extending her streak to six consecutive matches with at least four total blocks.
Saint Mary's built a 14-6 lead in the first set, but the Lions worked back into it with kills from Kyla Firestone and Maria Tabacuks and a block by Zaria Thornton and Leah Burrell. The Lions continued to close the gap, getting within 16-14 and later tying the set at 19-19 on a Tabacuks kill. Saint Mary's reached set point at 24-22, but Tabacuks answered with a kill, Camille Pomeroy was credited with a block on an attack error, and Tabacuks put the Lions ahead 25-24. After Saint Mary's tied it at 25-25, Tabacuks delivered the final two kills, both from Delfina Schuh, to give the Lions a 27-25 set win.
Saint Mary's built an early 5-1 lead with Alayna Pearson serving, but the Lions worked back behind kills from Tabacuks, Nicole Schuetz and Schuh to tie the second set at 8-8. After Saint Mary's moved back in front 9-8, the Lions took six of the next seven points, with Tabacuks, Thornton and Schuh contributing kills during the push to 14-10. Saint Mary's got within 14-11, but a Schuh kill gave the Lions the serve, and she served seven straight points during an eight-point run that included two aces, a Schuetz-Pomeroy block and kills by Tabacuks and Pomeroy to make it 22-11. The Lions reached set point on Schuetz's kill at 24-14 and took the set 25-15 on a Saint Mary's service error.
The Lions stayed even early in the third set, using three kills from Thornton to pull into a 7-7 tie before Saint Mary's moved back ahead with points from Antonie Kelnárová, Ava Galvan and Mikayla Haner. The Gaels built the margin to 20-14 after a stretch that included a Kelnárová ace, a Galvan kill and two Lions errors. Tabacuks started the Lions' push with a kill, Thornton followed with a block, and Schuh and Pomeroy combined on another block as the Lions cut the deficit to 21-19. The Lions stayed within 24-22 on a Schuetz kill, but Anaya Thrower answered with the final kill to give Saint Mary's the set, 25-22.
After Saint Mary's moved ahead 8-5, the Lions answered with six straight points on Nicole Schuetz's serve, getting kills from Ayanna Henry and Tabacuks plus a Schuetz ace to move in front 11-8. Saint Mary's came back to tie the set at 11-11 and again at 14-14, but Tabacuks put the Lions back ahead with a kill before adding another for a 16-14 edge. The Lions stayed in front from there, with Henry, Tabacuks and Thornton trading points against Saint Mary's to push the lead to 23-19 on Gabriella Cascione's ace. After Saint Mary's got within 24-22, Tabacuks closed the set with a kill from Schuh for a 25-22 Lions win.
The Lions are 21-3 overall and 12-1 in WCC play. Saint Mary's is 14-11 overall and 9-4 in WCC play.
Up Next for Loyola Marymount University Women's Volleyball
Up next, the Lions volleyball team hosts Denver on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 6 p.m. at Gersten Pavilion.
