Sept. 23, 2011

Box Score

CHICAGO - Freshman Laura Purcell posted a season-high 15 kills to lead three Ramblers in double figures but UIC rallied from a seven-point deficit in the fourth set to close out a 3-1 (25-20, 25-27, 25-22, 25-23) win over Loyola tonight at the Halas Sports Center. Loyola drops to 3-8 (0-2 Horizon) while the Flames move to 8-5 (1-1).

"We talked a lot this week about competing to the end of each set and I thought we did a better job of that tonight," said head coach Chris Muscat. "That's when, as a group, you have to really push through and a couple of times we were able to do that."

Loyola found itself behind early in the first set, trailing by as many as five (11-6). The Ramblers began to chip away, pulling within two, 15-13, after a Melissa Hastings kill and a Purcell ace. UIC quickly restored a four-point advantage but another Hastings kill and two Flames errors made it a one-point game. The teams alternated points all the way to 21-20 before UIC killed off the set by scoring the last four points.

The second set was close throughout, with Loyola going on a 7-3 run to turn an 8-5 deficit into a 12-11 lead. A block from Hastings and Libby Bresser pushed the lead to three (16-13) but five consecutive UIC points later gave the visitors a 19-18 lead. The Flames took a 23-21 lead on an Aubrey Sniegowski kill but back-to-back Purcell kills and a UIC error gave the Ramblers a set point at 24-23. UIC managed to kill off two set points before Mary Kate Styler closed out a 27-25 win, evening the match heading to intermission.

UIC jumped out to leads of 4-0 and 10-4 in the third set but Loyola did not fold. A UIC error helped the Ramblers get within four (17-13) and a Styler kill later made it a 23-20 game, as LU made one final push. After Nicole Allgood set the Flames up with a 24-20 lead, Styler kept the Ramblers alive and a UIC error helped Loyola pull within two, 24-22. However, Allgood managed to find the floor to give the Flames a 2-1 lead after a 25-22 win.

Three Hastings kills helped an energized Loyola team get out of the gates fast in the fourth set and the Ramblers took a 17-10 lead after a UIC service error. However, the Flames came roaring back, rattling off eight of the next nine points to draw even at 18-all. The teams traded points to get to 21-21 before UIC grabbed a 23-21 lead on a Loyola error. The Ramblers were able to side-out on a Purcell kill but kills from Kelsey Safranek and Jasmine Dismuke completed the UIC comeback.

Purcell rebounded from a slow start to post a team-high 15 kills to lead Loyola. She was joined in double figures by classmate Styler (13 kills, season-high eight digs) and Hastings (12 kills). Fellow freshman Vicki Wrobel narrowly missed a double-double, handing out 43 assists to go with nine digs.

"Laura and Mary Kate did some really nice things for us tonight," said Muscat on his two freshmen hitters. "The challenge for them, and everyone on our team, is to be as good at the end of the match as they are at the beginning. As each set wears on and the pressure increases, it's important to stay calm and be consistent. They are getting some great experience and you can see signs of improvement in those areas already."

Loyola wraps up its weekend homestand tomorrow with a 4 p.m. match against Valparaiso.