Sept. 20, 2005

Box Score

Northridge, Calif. - Loyola Marymount volleyball improved to 10-1 with a 3-0 (30-20, 30-24, 30-27) sweep of Cal State Northridge (3-8) Tuesday evening at the Matadome. Sophomore Heather Hughes posted double-double numbers with 10 kills and 12 digs while hitting .409.

LMU led by as many as 11 points in the first game, securing its largest lead on back-to-back kills by senior Krista Houseman and sophomore Christianna Reneau. Hughes joined Houseman and Reneau with four first game kills, as the Lions out-hit the Matadors .444 to .175.

The Lions jumped to a quick 12-5 lead in game two, but a six-point run pulled the Matadors within one. Freshman Emily Day came off the bench with two kills to keep the Lions ahead 24-21. Reneau's back-to-back kills late in the game gave LMU game point at 29-24, and Houseman secured the 30-24 win with her seventh kill of the evening.

CSUN made things more interesting in the final game, taking the lead at 22-21 for the first time all evening. But that was as long as the Matadors would hold the advantage, as the Lions regained the lead thanks to freshman setter K.C. Walsh's late-game leadership. In addition to leading the Lions' offense at the setter position, her back-to-back kills earned the Lions match point. They wrapped things up with the 30-27 game three win.

Houseman finished with 11 kills and a .409 hitting percentage.

Jenn Probert led the Matadors with a match-high 15 kills.

Continuing on their six-match road swing, the Lions begin their most challenging stretch of the season, as they will now play five straight matches against top-25 teams. The first two will come this Friday and Saturday, when the Lions take on ninth-ranked Hawaii.