No. 17 BYU faces LMU in final WCC road match

PROVO, Utah — No. 17 BYU women’s volleyball takes a six-match win streak into Los Angeles, facing Loyola Marymount in its final WCC road match on Saturday afternoon.

The Cougars (20-15, 14-2 WCC) swept Pepperdine on Thursday night for their third-consecutive sweep. Outside hitter Erin Livingston recorded her 24th game with double-digit kills, and sixth game with 20 or more kills, finishing with 20 for the match.

No. 17 BYU @ Loyola Marymount

• Saturday, Nov. 19 (1 p.m. PST)
• Gersten Pavilion (Los Angeles, CA)
• WCC Network
• Live Stats
• Tickets

Going 7-3 away from Provo this season, BYU head coach Heather Olmstead is 81-14 (.853) on the road all-time, with a 125-10 (.926) record in WCC play.  

Olmstead’s teams are 13-2 against LMU, going 9-0 at the Smith Fieldhouse and 4-2 in Los Angeles. The Cougars have won the last seven matchups and 12 of the last 13.

BYU remained at No. 4 in the nation in team hitting percentage, upping its season clip to .305 after hitting .372 against the Waves on Thursday night. The Cougars also rank 20th in kills per set (14.01) and 21st in assists per set (12.99). BYU leads the WCC in all three statistical categories.

Middle blocker Whitney Llarenas sits atop the conference and at No. 14 nationally with a .407 season hitting clip. Livingston ranks No. 13 in the country in kills per set, at 4.43, and No. 17 in points per set, at 4.91, leading the WCC in both metrics. 

Tallying a game-high six blocks at Pepperdine, middle blocker Gneiting leads the team with 106 total blocks on the year. She is 39th in the nation, averaging 1.26 blocks per set. Gneiting is also second on the team with 204 kills. 

Loyola Marymount (17-8, 12-4 WCC)

• The Lions had a four-match win streak snapped on Thursday night, taking No. 2 San Diego to a fifth set before falling in the final frame, 15-11
• Since the two teams last met, LMU reeled off an eight-match win streak
• Kari Geissberger (312) and Jacquelyn Moore (211) lead the Lions in kills, with Isabella Bareford recording 987 assists
• Sam Hastings paces LMU in digs, with 300, while Phoebe Awoleye (130) and Geissberger (102) highlight the Lions’ blocking attack
• Rose Booth has tallied 40 service aces on the year
• In six seasons as head coach, Aaron Mansfield has posted a 92-66 record. 
• BYU leads the all-time series with LMU, 23-2. The Cougars are 9-2 against the Lions in Los Angeles.

Following BYU’s match at LMU, the Cougars will return to Provo and host San Diego in a senior night matchup on Tuesday at 8 p.m. MST. The game will be televised on ESPNU.