LOS ANGELES — LMU defeated CSUN 3-1 on Thursday at Gersten Pavilion, winning 26-24, 25-21, 24-26, 25-21. In the fourth set, the Lions moved from a 15-16 deficit to a 20-17 lead and went on to take the set 25-21.
Maria Tabacuks powered the LMU attack with a match-high 18 kills, surpassing her season average of 12.78, while totaling 20 points, nine digs and three blocks, including one solo.
Gabriella Cascione anchored the Lions defensively with a match-high 26 digs while adding two service aces.
Delfina Schuh guided the offense with 33 assists and recorded 12 digs for a double-double, while also adding three service aces and three blocks, including one solo.
Aleksandra Stojanovic made her presence felt at the net with a season-high eight blocks, including three solo, while adding six kills and a season-high 11.5 points.
Zaria Thornton delivered an efficient offensive performance with nine kills and just one error on 19 attempts, hitting .421 while totaling 11.5 points and three blocks, including two solo.
The Lions scored the first five points of the opening set on
Gabriella Cascione's serve, getting an ace, two
Nicole Schuetz kills from
Delfina Schuh and two CSUN attack errors for a 5-0 lead. CSUN worked back into the set after the Lions led 8-4, tying it 9-9 on consecutive Lions attack errors, but kills by
Aleksandra Stojanovic and
Zaria Thornton and back-to-back Schuh aces helped the Lions move back ahead 14-10. The Lions stayed in front through the late middle of the set, answering a CSUN push to 20-19 with Stojanovic kill and two CSUN attack errors to go up 23-19. CSUN scored three straight after the Lions reached 24-21 and tied it at 24-24, before
Maria Tabacuks put the Lions back in front with a kill and a CSUN attack error ended the set, 26-24.
CSUN built early separation in the second set, turning a 5-4 edge into a 10-4 lead behind two Hailey Brockway service aces and a Tatiana Turgeon kill. The Lions worked back within 13-11 on a Schuetz kill and a Thornton block, then later erased a 15-12 deficit with three straight points before a Thornton kill put the Lions ahead 17-16. The set stayed tight through ties at 18-18, 19-19 and 20-20, but Thornton's kill gave the Lions a 21-20 lead and her block helped push the margin to 23-20. After CSUN got back to 23-21, a service error brought set point and Tabacuks finished the 25-21 set win with a kill from Schuh.
CSUN turned a 7-7 tie into a 10-7 lead on Katie Kolar's serve, including an ace and two Lions attack errors. The Lions answered with an eight-point run behind
Anya Santrac's serve, getting a block by Stojanovic and Schuh, Stojanovic kill, two Schuh kills and Stojanovic/Tabacuks block to move ahead 15-10. CSUN worked back to 20-20 on Hailey Brockway's kill, but the Lions moved back in front and reached set point at 24-22 on a Tabacuks kill from Schuh. CSUN took the final four points, tying it on a block and closing the set with consecutive Fallyn Blotzer kills for a 26-24 set win.
After a CSUN service error opened the fourth set, Cascione served the Lions through six straight points, including her ace, a Tabacuks block and kills by Tabacuks and Thornton for a 7-0 lead. CSUN worked back into the set, pulling within 12-11 and later moving ahead 14-13 on a Fallyn Blotzer kill; the Lions answered with two Tabacuks kills, but CSUN tied it and took a 16-15 lead on another Blotzer kill. Tabacuks tied it at 16-16 and put the Lions back in front 17-16, and after Tatiana Turgeon tied it at 17-17, Tabacuks, Thornton and Schuetz had consecutive kills to make it 20-17. The Lions moved ahead 23-18 before CSUN cut it to 23-21, but a CSUN service error and an Audrey Nuckols attack error closed the 25-21 set win.
The Lions are 8-2 overall. CSUN is 4-5 overall.
Up Next for LMU Women's Volleyball
Up next, the Lions volleyball team travels to Northridge, California, to face CSUN on Saturday, Sept. 19, at 1 p.m.
