PROVO, Utah — Senior Katie Lukes led the Toreros with a team-high 12 kills, but No. 21 San Diego volleyball (14-4, 8-1 WCC) dropped a tough decision on the road, falling to No. 8 BYU (19-1, 9-0 WCC) at the Smith Fieldhouse on Friday night to snap its eight-game win streak and suffer its first West Coast Conference loss of the 2021 season.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set - (BYU, 25-17)

• The Cougars jumped out to an early lead but a booming kill from sophomore Leyla Blackwell cut the BYU lead in half and made it 6-3.
• Junior Grace Frohling then placed a dig-kill over the net to pull USD a point closer, but the Cougars went on a run to extend their lead.
• Senior Katie Lukes got on the board with her first kill of the night to make it a 15-9 set in favor of BYU and freshman Emily Wilson notched three kills in the set's final five points to make it close, but the Cougars took the first set by a score of 25-17.

Second Set - (BYU, 25-13)

• USD struck first after Grace Frohling notched her third kill of the game.
• Blackwell then put together a dynamic kill-block assist-kill sequence to vault USD ahead by a 4-1 margin.
• Freshman Annika Hester checked in after a BYU scoring run and notched back-to-back kills to pull USD within six points, then senior setter Laura Madill put together a kill to keep BYU in check.
• The deficit remained at six late until late in the set as the Toreros trailed by a score of 19-13, but the Cougars pulled away and finished strong, earning a 25-13 set win to pull ahead by a 2-0 margin in the match.

Third Set - (BYU, 25-13)

• Senior middle blocker Gabby Goddard helped USD get out to a fast start, notching a block, then a kill to put her team up 8-7 early on in the third set.
• The Toreros kept things close until midway through the set, making it a one-point game at 11-10 BYU before the Cougars surged ahead by four points and made it 15-11.
• USD got a point back on a kill by Lukes to make it 15-12 but would get no closer, scoring one last time an attack error from the Cougars before they finished on a seven-point run to secure the 25-13 win in the set, and the 3-0 sweep in the match.

TORERO TIDBITS

• Wilson totaled five kills, while Blackwell and Frohling each added four.
• Annie Benbow led the way with eight digs, and Lukes, Blackwell, and Goddard each had two blocks.

UP NEXT
The Toreros will return home next time out on Thursday, October 28 as they continue WCC play against Santa Clara. First serve in the Jenny Craig Pavilion is set for 7 p.m.