PROVO, Utah – No. 12 BYU women’s volleyball took the first match of a two-match series against Loyola Marymount, defeating the Lions in straight sets (25-21, 25-20, 25-19) at the Smith Fieldhouse on Tuesday.

Sophomore opposite hitter Kate Grimmer led the Cougars with 12 kills on a .667 clip. Senior middle blocker Kennedy Eschenberg totaled 10 kills on a .562 hitting percentage in her return to the starting lineup after missing the last three matches. Eschenberg also led the team in blocks with a season high of six, including one solo. Junior setter Tayler Hifo totaled a career-high four aces, all of which coming in the first set. Sophomore setter Whitney Bower finished with four kills while helping the Cougars hit .416 on the night with a match-high 37 assists.

BYU (6-0, 5-0 WCC) outblocked LMU (3-4, 3-4 WCC) 7.5-0, marking the first time an opponent has been held blockless since the Cougars' swept Sacramento State in 2017.

Final Box Score

SET ONE
LMU jumped out to an early 5-3 lead with the help of a Lions ace and three errors by the Cougars. Freshman outside hitter Leilani Dodson provided BYU’s first ace of the night to tie the match, 6-6. Consecutive kills by Eschenberg and freshman outside hitter Erin Livingston gave the Cougars their first lead at 8-6. Hifo had three straight aces to give BYU a five-point advantage, 14-9. The Lions climbed back to cut the deficit to two points, 23-21. Eschenberg tallied her fourth kill of the first game to extend the Cougars' lead to 24-21. Hifo ended the set from the service line, recording her fourth ace and giving BYU the 25-21 win.

SET TWO
Grimmer had three quick kills to begin the second game that gave the Cougars a 5-4 edge. The score remained close until a block by Eschenberg gave BYU a three-point cushion, 11-8. The two teams continued to battle as LMU tied the game up at 15-all. A block and a kill by Eschenerg helped the Cougars reclaim the lead, 19-16. Sophomore outside hitter Abbey Dayton recorded BYU's eighth ace of the night to make the score 24-20, while an LMU error clinched the set for the Cougars, 25-20.

SET THREE
A kill by Bower gave BYU a 7-5 lead at the beginning of the third game. The two teams continued to go back and forth until a pair of Cougar blocks and a kill by Eschenberg gave BYU its largest lead of the set, 20-16. Senior outside hitter Taylen Ballard-Nixon’s seventh kill of the night increased the Cougars' lead to 23-17. A kill by Grimmer ended the night and secured the sweep, 25-19.

BYU and LMU will meet again tomorrow, Feb. 17, at 7 p.m. MST in the Smith Fieldhouse. The match will be streamed on BYUtv.org and the BYUtv App.

PROVO, Utah – No. 12 BYU women’s volleyball will host Loyola Marymount in a two-match series at the Smith Fieldhouse Feb. 16-17.

The match on Tuesday, Feb. 16, is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. MST and will be broadcast on BYUtv and the BYUtv App. The second match on Wednesday, Feb. 17, will be at 7 p.m. and streamed on BYUtv.org and the BYUtv App.

BYU Match Notes

No. 12 BYU Cougars (5-0, 4-0 WCC)

• BYU remained at No. 12 in this week’s AVCA national poll
• The Cougars defeated Gonzaga in back-to-back matches last week to moved to 5-0 on the season and 4-0 in league play
• On Monday, true freshman libero Madi Allen was named WCC Defensive Player of the Week, the second time in three weeks she has received the award. Allen averaged 5.00 digs per set (55 total) in BYU’s last three wins while helping the Cougars hold opponents to a combined .180 hitting percentage.
• BYU ranks No. 4 in the NCAA Division I with an average of 14.12 assists per set
• The Cougars are currently hitting an average of .309 to rank 11th in the NCAA and are 12th in kills per set with 14.65.
• Sophomore setter Whitney Bower currently ranks 25th in the nation with an average of 11.18 assists per set
• Senior outside hitter Taylen Ballard-Nixon is 34th in points per set (4.97) and 49th in kills per set (4.18)

Series Information

• BYU is 18-2 all-time against Loyola Marymount, including 10-0 in Provo
• The Cougars won both matchups last season, including a five-set match at the Smith Fieldhouse

Loyola Marymount Lions (3-3, 3-3 WCC)

• LMU swept its two-match series against Portland last week to improve to .500 on the season
• The Lions are led by All-WCC preseason honorees outside hitter Rose Booth and middle blocker Emmelyn Walters
• LMU is second in the WCC with an average of 1.65 aces per set
• Outside hitter Kari Geissberger ranks sixth in the conference in kills per set with 3.77 and eighth in the league with an average of 4.13 points per set

Broadcast Information – Feb. 16

• Time: 7 p.m. MST
• Television: BYUtv
• Live Stream: BYUtv.org/BYUtv App
• Live Stats: StatBroadcast

Broadcast Information – Feb. 17

• Time: 7 p.m.
• Live Stream: BYUtv.org/BYUtv App
• Live Stats: StatBroadcast