BYU defeats LMU in three to clinch fourth-straight WCC title

PROVO, Utah—No. 7 BYU women’s volleyball defeated Loyola Marymount 3-0 (25-19, 15-20, 25-16) Tuesday night at the Smith Fieldhouse to clinch its fourth-straight West Coast Conference title on Senior Night.

"What a great match by our team," BYU head coach Heather Olmstead said. "They were focused from the very beginning and had great energy. We were balanced offensively and defensively. I'm happy for Cosy (Burnett), Maddie (Graham) and Alohi (Robins-Hardy) that we were able to get a win on Senior Night and win the West Coast Conference."

Burnett, Robins-Hardy and Graham were recognized prior to the start of the match. Burnett contributed seven kills and a match-high six blocks. Veronica Jones-Perry and McKenna Miller contributed 11 kills apiece, respectively, while Lyndie Haddock had 27 assists.

Kennedy Redding opened the match with a kill to give the Cougars (28-2, 17-1 West Coast Conference) an early lead. Miller and Lacy Haddock then contributed kills, forcing the Lions (16-13, 9-9 WCC) to call a timeout with BYU ahead 11-7. The Cougars went on an 8-2 run to go up by eight, 17-9. Kills by Miller and Jones-Perry brought BYU to set point, where Burnett closed out the set 25-19 with a kill.

The Cougars went on an 8-2 run early in the second set to take a 10-4 lead. Consecutive kills from Burnett and Miller then put BYU ahead 19-12. A pair of Miller kills brought the Cougars to set point, and a Jones-Perry kill ended the set at 25-20.

The teams were neck-and-neck early in the first set, but a Burnett service ace and pair of Miller kills pulled the Cougars ahead 10-7. Consecutive kills from Burnett and Jones-Perry allowed BYU to maintain the lead, bringing the score to 16-10. A lengthy rally between the two teams was sealed with a Miller kill, which was followed by a kill from Madeline Graham. A block by Lacy Haddock and Graham ended the set and match, 25-16.

The Cougars await the NCAA Selection Show this Sunday, Nov. 26, at 9 p.m. EST on ESPNU, which will determine the tournament schedule.