Liberty University
3-1
Loyola Marymount
2-1
Loyola Marymount Posts 3-0 Sweep over Liberty
9/4/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Liberty opened the 2015 Lumberjack Classic with a 3-0 (25-14, 25-20, 25-15) setback to Loyola Marymount, Friday at Northern Arizona's J.C. Rolle Activity Center.
The Lions, who were listed among others receiving votes during the latest AVCA national poll, improve to 2-1 on the season. Liberty's record stands at 3-1 following its first defeat of the season.
For the match, Loyola Marymount hit .314 with 48 kills, while Liberty scored 26 kills at a .120 pace. LMU led, 37-33, in digs and 8-1 in service aces, while the Lady Flames held a 9-6 edge in blocks.
LMU's Jamie Lea led all players with 13 kills, while Sarah Spancil recorded a double-double with 12 kills and a match-high 15 digs. Rachelle Suaava totaled 10 kills and four blocks. Hannah Tedrow dished out a match-high 42 assists, while Nicky Kevorken served up three aces.
Caroline Douglas sent down a season-high 10 kills to lead the Lady Flames, while Anna Willey recorded 20 assists, eight digs and tied a match high with five blocks. Sirena Vorster chipped in six kills and five blocks. Gabrielle Vess collected a team-best nine digs, while Jade Vorster added four block assists.
Loyola Marymount's service game disrupted the Lady Flames' attack during set one, as the Lions served up four aces and held Liberty to a .031 attack percentage. With the score tied, 6-6, LMU broke the set open with a 6-0 run. Overall, LMU outscored Liberty, 19-8, over the final 27 serves. Lea scored six kills for the Lions during the opening frame, while Douglas countered with three kills.
Trailing, 15-10, in the second session, Liberty posted three blocks during a 3-0 run, drawing to within three at 16-13. The Lady Flames pulled to within three, 20-17, on a Willey kill, but Sponcil then scored a kill to spark LMU's set-clinching run, as the Lions won, 25-20.
Loyola Marymount outhit Liberty, .333-.207, during set two, while the Lady Flames posted four blocks. Sponcil recorded seven kills for the Lions, while Douglas scored five kills. Sirena Vorster and Hannah Weidner posted three blocks apiece.
The final set was tightly contested early on, with a Willey-Sirena Vorster block bringing the Lady Flames to within two at 13-11. LMU led, 16-13, before outscoring Liberty, 9-2, down the stretch to close out the sweep with a 25-15 set-three victory.
The Lions outhit Liberty, .345-.136 during the final frame, with Nicky Kevorken and Suaava scoring four kills apiece. Willey assisted on all three of Liberty's set-three blocks.
The Lady Flames return to the court for two matches tomorrow, beginning with a contest against the host Northern Arizona Lumberjacks at 3 p.m. Eastern. Liberty will also compete at 8 p.m. Eastern against Houston Baptist.
