Oct. 24, 2010

Box Score

Edwardsville, Ill. - Homestanding SIU Edwardsville jumped on Loyola from the opening serve, sweeping the Ramblers 3-0 (25-14, 25-22, 25-17) this afternoon in Loyola's final non-conference match of the season at the Vadalabene Center in Edwardsville, Ill. The Ramblers drop to 9-14 while SIUE improves to 12-10 with the win.

The host Cougars used an early 8-2 run to take control of the opening set. A Candice Carajohn kill and a SIUE error helped the Ramblers get within 15-10 but the Cougars rattled off the next five points to extend the margin to 20-10 and they were not threatened the rest of the way.

A Natalie Fiore ace and a Colleen Francis kill helped the Ramblers score three of the first four points of the second set but a 5-0 SIUE run gave the Cougars a 6-3 lead and forced the Ramblers to play from behind. Two Schulte kills highlighted a 6-1 LU run that put the visitors back in front and the Ramblers managed to play from the lead until SIUE reeled off three straight to forge a 16-16 tie. Two Loyola errors pushed the Cougars in front, 19-17, from kills from Fiore and Mallory Curran made it a 19-all game. After the teams traded points to 20-20, SIUE earned the breakthrough, using a Julia Whitfield kill and a service ace to move out to a 23-20 lead and the Cougars would side-out from there to take a 2-0 lead into intermission.

Loyola started the third set with renewed focus and energy, as two kills from Karen Sueppel helped the Ramblers to an early 6-1 lead. However, it would be all SIUE from there as the Cougars roared back, going on a 15-5 run to grab a 16-11 lead and the Ramblers would get no closer than three points the rest of the way as the home team was able to close it out.

The Ramblers hit just .033 for the match and were led by Schulte's eight kills.

Loyola returns home and will host a pair of Horizon League matches next weekend, starting with a visit from Milwaukee on Friday night (7 p.m.).