SAN DIEGO — Eleven-year-old Kayla LeMoine joined the Toreros on the court during pregame introductions, hearing her name called by the public address announcer at the Jenny Craig Pavilion as San Diego readied for its game against Pepperdine.

Connected with USD last April through Team Impact, a national nonprofit that links children with serious illness and disability to college athletic teams, LeMoine noted during her "signing day" that she was eager to join an elite volleyball program.

On Saturday afternoon, a young Torero team (14-8, 9-3 WCC) reminded everyone just how elite they can be, dealing the Waves (12-10, 9-3 WCC) a 3-1 defeat at the Jenny Craig Pavilion to delight LeMoine (who courageously overcame a heart transplant) and keep things interesting in the West Coast Conference title conversation.

They surged into second place in the league standings behind a massive performance from freshman Isabel Clark, who turned in the finest match of her college career thus far by racking up 24 kills while hitting .418 alongside six block assists and a service ace. Setter Kylie Munday did what she always does, adding 38 assists and 10 digs, and Haylee Stoner anchored the San Diego defense by totaling seven block assists (two solo), which was three more than her opponent mustered as a team.

Trailing 24-23 to Pepperdine in the opening frame, Clark staved off match point with a clutch kill to tie things up before Olivia Bennett delivered a decisive service ace to put USD back in front. Kristen Erland and Kennedy Osunsanmi finished the set off with a combo block, and San Diego was out to a 1-0 lead in the match after prevailing by a 26-24 margin.

The visitors evened the contest at 1-1 with a 25-21 decision in set two, but the Toreros responded quickly in the third. Back-to-back blocks early on gave way to a well-timed kill from Erland, then Nemo Beach found her mark to make it a 4-0 run. When the first timeout of the set was taken USD was up 7-3, an advantage that stretched to 12-5 midway through. By the end of the period the Toreros were 25-16 victors, and had pulled ahead 2-1 in the match.

Saturday's game ended much like it began, with the fourth and final frame featuring 16 tie scores and seven lead changes. San Diego was down 22-21 and 23-22 before a kill from Stoner and a Pepperdine service error knotted the score at 22-22 and 23-23. USD head coach Jennifer Petrie took a timeout trailing 24-23, and when her team returned to the court it was no surprise who took control. Clark went back-to-back with a kill and a service ace to give the Toreros a 25-24 lead that prompted one last timeout from the Waves, then Beach stepped up and ended it, hammering a kill home to earn San Diego a 26-24 win in the set and a 3-1 victory over a fierce conference rival in the match.

NOTABLE

• Munday achieved her 13th double-double of the season.
• Senior libero Madi Allen led USD with 16 digs of her own. Bennett added 11.
• San Diego out-blocked Pepperdine 16 to 4 and held the Waves to a .122 hitting percentage.
• Saturday afternoon's victory marked the Toreros' first over Pepperdine since November 19, 2022, when USD beat the Waves 3-1 at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu to clinch the 2022 WCC Championship.

UP NEXT
The Toreros are back in action on Thursday evening, when they travel to Oregon to take on Portland at the Chiles Center. First serve against the Pilots is set for 6:00 p.m.