Nov. 2, 2012

Box Score

Green Bay, Wis. - Anna Eytchison had a match-high 15 kills but host Green Bay was too much in a 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-15) win over the Ramblers tonight at the Kress Center. It marked the first time this season in 12 Horizon League matches that Loyola (15-10, 7-5 Horizon) failed to win a set. The Phoenix (14-11, 5-6) move a step closer to qualifying for the Horizon League Tournament with the win.

"This is just another learning experience for this young team," said head coach Chris Muscat. "The second round of conference play is always tough and we need to get back to doing the things we do well and get ourselves in a position to be successful in the Horizon League Tournament."

The teams were tied every step of the way to 11-11 in the opening set before two Carmen Leitermann kills helped Green Bay open a 15-11 lead. Loyola found itself down 18-12 later before a Nichole Riedel kill and a couple Phoenix errors pulled the Ramblers back within striking distance, 19-16. The visitors kept pushing and were within two points twice, the last at 22-20, before Green Bay was able to see out the set, taking the opening frame 25-22.

The second set was close throughout with neither team enjoying more than a two-point lead. A service error and a Green Bay hitting error helped Loyola pull even at 20 and, after the Phoenix scored the next two points, the Ramblers responded with two straight of their own to forge a 22-22 tie, the 14th deadlock of the set. However, Green Bay made the plays down the stretch, using a sandwiching a pair of kills around a Loyola error to take a 2-0 lead in the match with another 25-22 victory.

The teams traded points to 5-all in the third set before the Phoenix took control. A six-point scoring run gave the home team an 11-5 lead but the Ramblers battled back later, using kills from Laura Purcell, Brittany Brown and Libby Bresser to get within three (14-11) midway through the set. Loyola could not keep its momentum, however, as Green Bay scored the next four points to take a commanding 18-11 lead and it cruised from there with Monica Anderson supplying the match-ending kill.

Eytchison's 15 kills took her past the 400 mark for the season and into fifth place on Loyola's single-season list in the rally scoring era (2001-present). Purcell added eight kills as 27 hitting errors limited the team to an .071 hitting percentage for the match.

Loyola is back in action tomorrow afternoon when it battles Milwaukee at 2 p.m. from the Klotsche Center.