Moraga’s Saint Mary’s swept by LMU

LMU swept Saint Mary's women's volleyball 3-0 on Thursday, Oct. 1, ending the Gaels' best conference start since 2022, according to SMC Gaels Athletics.

The loss at Gersten Pavilion in Los Angeles dropped the Moraga program to 2-1 in West Coast Conference play. It was only the Gaels' second sweep loss of the season. LMU, now 3-0 in the WCC under second-year head coach Kolby O'Donnell, extended its winning streak against Saint Mary's to nine straight.

Sophomore Makenzie Jackson gave the Gaels their brightest individual performance of the night. She recorded nine kills without an error on 15 swings, hitting at a .600 clip. That mark was the best of her Saint Mary's career and the second best of her collegiate career, after she hit .625 for Montana State in a loss to Nevada the last season.

Libero Alayna Pearson added 10 digs and eclipsed 600 career digs as a Gael.

Setter Sadie White went errorless on nine attempts, recording four kills and 30 assists. It was her fifth straight match averaging better than 10 assists per set. Over that stretch, White is averaging 41.4 assists per contest.

The Gaels posted a .233 hitting percentage as a team, only the third time this season they cleared .200 in a match. LMU hit .281.

Set one went firmly to the Lions, 25-14. The second set was tighter. Saint Mary's erased an early 6-2 deficit and led 22-21 and 23-22 before LMU closed with three straight points to take it 25-23. In the third, Layne Dent's pair of early kills staked the Gaels to a 4-1 lead. Anaya Thrower's kill gave Saint Mary's its final lead at 14-13, but LMU answered with a 5-0 run and won the set 25-20.

The Gaels had opened WCC play with road wins over San Diego and Denver before running into an LMU squad that won just seven matches the prior season but entered Thursday's match 11-2 overall.

Saint Mary's travels to Pepperdine on Saturday, Oct. 3, for a 1 p.m. start at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu. The Waves entered the week 10-3 with a six-game win streak and lead the WCC in blocks per set at 2.66. The match will stream on ESPN+.