LOS ANGELES — The University of San Francisco volleyball team battled back Saturday after a slow start, but host Loyola Marymount was able to fight off a comeback effort by the Dons to earn a 3-0 (25-12, 25-23, 25-20) West Coast Conference sweep at Gersten Pavilion.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Dons (4-9, 0-2 WCC) dropped the opening set, 25-12, as the Lions (8-6, 2-0 WCC) never trailed, jumping out to 7-1 and 12-5 leads before scoring nine of the last 11 points on their way to a 1-0 match lead. But they bounced right back in the second, leading for most of the early part of the frame before LMU went on a 7-1 run to take a 14-11 lead. Not finished, the Dons went on their own 6-2 run and were still leading as late as 21-19 on a kill from Emily Zinger.
   
• Loyola Marymount bounced back late in the second set to turn the tide of the match. A 4-0 run spurred by back-to-back kills and a block from Megan Rice gave the Lions back the lead at 23-21. McKenna Marshall tallied a kill to make it 23-22, and she'd chalk up another one to keep it a one-point match at 24-23, but Rose Booth put down the final termination of the set to hand LMU a 25-23 victory and a 2-0 match advantage.
   
• San Francisco still battled in the third, taking an early 6-4 lead. LMU responded with a 6-1 run that gave it the lead for good at 10-7. Trailing 20-13, the Dons pushed one last time with a 7-4 stretch that made it 24-20, before Emma Johnson clinched the match for the Lions with a kill.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

• .333: Marshall hit over .300 for the second straight match Saturday, notching a team-leading nine kills while hitting .333. She also had four digs and an assist.
• .636: Kate Ashman hit a season-best and match-best .636 with seven kills and no errors. It was her fifth time this season hitting at least .300 with five or more kills.

COMING UP

• San Francisco returns home Tuesday for its first home WCC contest of the year, hosting Pacific at 7 p.m. Fans can purchase tickets and find all live coverage links on USFDons.com.