SANTA MONICA, Calif. - The Saint Mary's beach volleyball team earned another spilt for the second straight day in Southern California Thursday, sweeping Concordia (Calif.), 5-0, while barely falling to host and No. 15/16-ranked Loyola Marymount, 3-2, at Ocean Park Beach.

Saint Mary's (11-4) made quick work of the Eagles (3-8), earning straight set sweeps at all five pairs and only allowing 15 or more points in three of 10 sets played. Madison Baumann and Alex O'Sullivan both made their season debuts, beating Concordia's Julia Denboer and Kekela Hendrickson at No. 5 pairs, 21-15, 21-17. Morgan Hughes and Payton Rund allowed the least amount of points for the Gaels, beating the Eagles' No. 1 pair of Vanessa Bernzen and Tristan Self, 21-11, 21-12.

In their first match of the day, the Gaels went to the wire against the Lions (12-7), going three sets in each of the top three pairs matchups and splitting the No. 4 and 5 pairs. Bible and Knudsen won again to go 2-0 on the day, winning in three sets at the No. 2 spot over Sara Kovac and Jessie Prichard, 21-18, 17-21 and 15-10. But LMU took both the No. 1 and No. 3 pairs to clinch the match victory.

Hughes and Rund came back to tie their No. 1 pairs match at 1-1 with a 21-19 win in the second set. But they were edged by McKayla Ferris and Savannah Slattery, 15-10, in the deciding third set. Sarah Chase and Mary Hernandez were ahead in their No. 3 pairs match after winning the first set, 21-17. But they would fall 21-16 in the second and 15-9 in the third to Emma Doud and Veronica Nederend to drop the match, 2-1.

Saint Mary's rests for a day before playing in the Pepperdine Invitational on Saturday in Malibu, where they will face top-ranked and host No. 1/1 Pepperdine, No. 4/4 USC and LMU again, all in one day.

#15/16 Loyola Marymount 3, #18/19 Saint Mary's 2
Ocean Park Beach - Santa Monica, Calif.
March 29, 2018

1. McKayla Ferris/Savannah Slattery (LMU) def. Hughes/Rund (SMC), 21-17, 19-21, 15-10
2. Bible/L. Knudsen (SMC) def. Sara Kovac/Jessie Prichard (LMU), 21-18, 17-21, 15-10
3. Emma Doud/Veronica Nederend (LMU) def. Chase/Hernandez (SMC), 17-21, 21-16, 15-9
4. Bozena Culo/Maddie Liephardt (LMU) def. Calvin/K. Knudsen (SMC), 21-15, 21-15
5. Jennifer "Boo" Laird/Morgan Kendrick (SMC) def. Chloe Reinig/Kekai Whitford (LMU), 21-18, 21-16

#18/19 Saint Mary's 5, Concordia (CA) 0
Ocean Park Beach - Santa Monica, Calif.
March 29, 2018

1. Morgan Hughes/Payton Rund (SMC) def. Vanessa Bernzen/Tristan Self (CUI), 21-11, 21-12
2. Emily Bible/Lindsey Knudsen (SMC) def. Riley Gill/Avery Keathley (CUI), 21-12, 21-14
3. Sarah Chase/Mary Hernandez (SMC) def. Kyra Auten/Marcela Frazzoni (CUI), 21-11, 21-13
4. Lindsey Calvin/Kelsey Knudsen (SMC) def. Jessica Diederich/Asia O'Neil (CUI), 21-6, 22-20
5. Madison Baumann/Alex O'Sullivan (SMC) def. Julia Denboer/Kekela Hendrickson (CUI), 21-15, 21-17