NORTHRIDGE, Calif. — LMU rallied from two sets down to defeat CSUN 3-2 (14-25, 24-26, 25-11, 27-25, 15-9) on Saturday. The Lions served nine straight points in the third set, which they won 25-11 before taking the final two sets.
Maria Tabacuks powered the LMU attack with a team-high 20 kills on 48 attempts with just two errors, hitting .375 while totaling a season-high 25.0 points and adding three service aces.
Delfina Schuh directed the Lions offensively with a team-high 40 assists, surpassing her season average of 38.2, while also contributing seven kills on 11 errorless attempts for a .636 hitting percentage and eight digs. Schuh also surpassed the 500-assist milestone, bringing her season total to 513.
Nicole Schuetz added 15 kills, seven digs and one service ace while totaling 16.5 points.
Gabriella Cascione anchored the Lions defensively with a team-high 17 digs, marking her second straight match with at least 17, while also adding four assists and one service ace.
Zaria Thornton led LMU at the net with five total blocks, including one solo, surpassing her season average of 2.67 blocks while adding six kills and 9.0 points.
CSUN scored the first 12 points of the opening set, using three Fallyn Blotzer kills and several Lions attack errors before
Maria Tabacuks put Loyola Marymount University on the board with a kill from
Kyla Firestone. Tabacuks added another kill and a service ace, and kills by
Nicole Schuetz and
Aleksandra Stojanovic helped the Lions reach 8-18 before CSUN moved ahead 21-8. After
Leah Burrell's kill got Loyola Marymount University side out at 21-9,
Gabriella Cascione served five straight points, including a
Mariana Simao kill and a Burrell-
Camille Pomeroy block assist on one of four CSUN attack errors, to make it 21-14. CSUN stopped the run with an MJ Rodriguez kill, and Paige Sentes served the final three points, the last coming on a Blotzer-Tatiana Turgeon block, to finish the set at 25-14.
The Lions stayed with CSUN through a back-and-forth start to the second set, pulling even at 15-15 after consecutive Schuetz kills and a CSUN attack error. CSUN moved from 17-16 to 21-16 behind an Iye Okolo kill, a Katie Kolar service ace, a Lions attack error and a Julia Bazylevych kill, then still led 22-17 before Loyola Marymount University rallied behind a Cascione service ace, a Tabacuks block and a Tabacuks kill to tie the set at 22-22.
Zaria Thornton answered a CSUN point with a kill for 23-23, and after Tatiana Turgeon put CSUN at set point, Tabacuks tied it again at 24-24 before CSUN closed the set on a Lions service error and an Audrey Nuckols kill for a 26-24 finish.
Cascione served the Lions through the first nine points of the third set, with Tabacuks and
Delfina Schuh supplying kills and Tabacuks teaming with Thornton on two blocks during the opening surge. After CSUN got within 10-3, Loyola Marymount University strung together seven straight points, including kills by Schuh,
Anya Santrac and Schuetz before Tabacuks capped the stretch with a service ace for a 17-3 lead. CSUN answered with three of the next four points, but the Lions pushed the margin back out behind kills from Stojanovic, Santrac and Schuetz to reach 21-6. The teams traded points late before Tabacuks put Loyola Marymount University at set point and Thornton finished the 25-11 set win with a kill from Firestone.
The Lions stayed close through the first half of the fourth set, getting a Santrac ace to pull within 8-7, a Tabacuks kill to tie it at 9-9 and Santrac/Thornton block to move ahead 12-11. CSUN answered with four straight points for a 15-12 lead and later stretched it to 22-17 with kills by Iye Okolo and Fallyn Blotzer. Loyola Marymount University rallied with a block by
Ayanna Henry, two CSUN attack errors and a Tabacuks kill to get within 22-21, and after CSUN made it 23-21, Schuetz put down consecutive kills before Tabacuks served an ace for a 24-23 lead. CSUN twice tied the set, including at 25-25, but the Lions scored the final two points on a Stojanovic/Schuetz block and a Santrac kill to take the set 27-25.
LMU moved in front early in the fifth set, using kills by Schuetz and Tabacuks around a CSUN attack error to build a 6-2 lead. CSUN answered with three straight points to get within 6-5, but Santrac stopped the run with a kill before Schuetz added another kill and a service ace to help push the Lions ahead 11-6. CSUN cut the margin to 11-8 and later 12-9, but Stojanovic followed with a kill and Schuh put down the final two points to close the set 15-9.
LMU achieved a season-high total of 67 kills in the game, showcasing their offensive prowess.
The Lions are 9-2 overall. CSUN is 4-6 overall.
Up next, the Lions visit San Francisco on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, at 6 p.m.
