OXFORD, Miss. — Loyola Marymount University (2-0, 0-0 West Coast Conference) captured a decisive 3-0 victory over Southeastern Louisiana (0-2, 0-0 Southland) on Saturday at the Gillom Athletics Performance Center. The Lions maintained a strong offensive showing with a .347 hitting percentage across the match.

Maria Tabacuks powered the LMU attack with a match-high 21 kills on 38 attempts without committing a single attack error, hitting .553 while totaling 23.0 points and adding three blocks, including one solo. Delfina Schuh guided the Lions offensively with 35 assists while also contributing four kills on seven attempts for a .571 hitting percentage and seven digs. Anya Santrac made her presence felt from the service line with five aces, while adding 11 digs and finishing with 10.0 total points.

The first set began with Southeastern La. taking an early 2-0 lead, highlighted by Ainsley Driska's kill and a service ace from Melina Gonzalez. LMU quickly responded, leveling the score at 2-2 with key kills from Maria Tabacuks and Anya Santrac, both assisted by Delfina Schuh. This marked the first time Tabacuks achieved 20+ kills in a match this season. Southeastern La. regained control with a 10-7 advantage, but the Lions responded with a strong series led by Tabacuks, who recorded multiple kills to push LMU ahead 16-11. Despite a late push from Southeastern La., LMU maintained its lead, sealing the set 25-19 with a decisive final kill by Camille Pomeroy, assisted by Schuh.

The second set was a closely contested affair with both teams exchanging points frequently. Southeastern La. initially took a lead with kills from Kyra McKelvey and Keira Beverly, but LMU responded with a service ace from Santrac to keep the score tight. Zaria Thornton and Tabacuks contributed crucial kills to help the Lions regain the lead. Aleksandra Stojanovic made her first appearance of the season, achieving 2 kills in this set. Despite Southeastern La.'s efforts to close the gap, including a kill by Abby Bailey, LMU managed to maintain its edge. The set concluded with a pivotal kill by Tabacuks, securing a 25-21 win for LMU.

The Lions secured a 25-21 victory in the third set against Southeastern Louisiana, highlighted by a strong performance from Tabacuks. She contributed multiple kills, notably at 23-19 and 24-19, helping LMU maintain their lead. Santrac's service run was pivotal, featuring two service aces that extended LMU's lead from 8-8 to 13-8. The team achieved a season-high of 7 serve aces during this game on August 28, 2026. Despite a late effort from Southeastern Louisiana with kills from Lauren Ossmann and Driska, the Lions closed out the set with Leah Burrell's decisive kill at 25-21.

The Lions hold a record of 2-0 overall, while SLU has an overall record of 0-2 and has not yet played any conference matches in the Southland.

Up Next for LMU Women's Volleyball

Looking ahead, the next challenge for LMU will be against Ole Miss on Sunday, Aug. 30. The match is set for noon at Oxford, Miss.

Women's Volleyball Tickets
Season tickets start at just $79 (Buy Now), and single-game tickets (Buy Now) are on sale now for all home matches. LMU students and faculty/staff (plus up to three immediate family members) receive free admission with a valid OneCard. To request ticket information, click here.
Group Tickets
Group tickets for 10 or more are available for all fall sports. To reserve your group, click here, contact the LMU Ticket Office at 310-338-4537 or favian.velasco@lmu.edu.
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