Manhatten, KS (AP) - Sophomore Monique Mead had a career-high 23 kills and senior Mary Ashley Tippins had her second double-double of the day with 44 assists and 11 digs, but the Georgia Tech Volleyball team (3-2) lost to Loyola Marymount (3-2), 3-2 (25-22, 25-19, 26-28, 23-25, 9-15), Friday night at the Varney’s Kansas State Invitational. The Yellow Jackets won the first two sets, but saw LMU come charging back with three straight to win the match and snap Tech’s three-match winning streak.

Mead hit .348 as she had the career-high 23 kills, but did not have any
in the final set. It was her fifth double-digit kill performance to
begin the season and second time she’s hit the 20-mark. Tippins
recorded her second double-double of the day and third of the season as
she handed out 44 assists and had 11 digs. Senior Jordan McCullers led the team with 12 digs, while sophomore Susan Carlson had eight kills and eight digs. Junior Asia Stawicka had seven kills for the Jackets as they hit .315 on the evening. Tech had a season-high 12 blocks led by Mead (one solo, six assists) and Stawicka (seven assists).

The first set saw Georgia Tech jump out to a quick 7-2 lead but fine
unanswered points by LMU quickly tied it up. The teams then traded the
next several points. Trailing by a point at 15-14, the Yellow Jackets
reeled off four straight points to open up an 18-15 lead and force a LMU
timeout. LMU battled back to tie the set at 21, but Tech scored four of
the final five points to take the opening set 25-22.

Tech got off to a quick start as well in the second set as LMU used an
early timeout down 8-4. This time, the Yellow Jackets never relinquished
their lead and went on to a 25-19 lead. Tech got the lead up to seven
points on several occasions and never let the Lions back in the set to
take a commanding 2-0 lead for the match.

In the third set, the Yellow Jackets looked to wrap up their fourth
straight three-set win, but LMU would not go down without a fight and
eventually prevailed, 28-26. The first stage of the set was back and
forth but LMU opened up a slim lead at 10-8. Tech quickly tied it and
that started a period of 15 ties and 17 lead changes over the course of
the set. The Jackets fought off two straight set points and held match
point at 26-25, but LMU did not go down quietly and scored the final
three points to win the set.

With momentum on its side, LMU used a 6-2 run in the fourth set to take
its largest lead at 15-11. This time, it was the Yellow Jackets who came
right back with four straight points to quickly tie it back up at 15
apiece. LMU re-took the lead right back and soon had a 21-17 advantage
and forced Tech into a timeout trying to prevent the match from going to
a fifth set. The Yellow Jackets scored three straight points to get
within one, but could not tie it up. Every time Tech got within one, LMU
came right back and went on to win 25-23 and tie the match up at two
sets apiece.

LMU got out to a two-point lead in the fifth set but Tech came back to
tie it at six. The Lions ran their lead right back out to two points
again at 9-7 and forced the Yellow Jackets to call timeout. LMU kept the
charge going and ran away with the set to win 15-9 and complete the
come-back. It was an 8-2 run LMU used to win the decisive set.

Georgia Tech closes out the weekend trip to Kansas with an 8 p.m. ET
match against host-Kansas State tomorrow night.