Sept. 2, 2012
Box Score
Terre Haute, Ind. - Anna Eytchison had a team-high 13 kills but it was not enough as Loyola suffered a 3-1 (22-25, 25-17, 25-20, 25-22) defeat to SIU Edwardsville in its final match at the Jessica Barkman Memorial Classic this morning at Terre Haute, Ind. The loss drops Loyola to 5-2 on the season while the Cougars even their record at 3-3 with the win.
"Certainly we are disappointed in the result," said head coach Chris Muscat. "This match is another step in the maturation process for this group though. In-game adjustments are critical and we need to do a better job of executing when teams try and take us out of our comfort zone. We will get back in the gym and work on some things in practice and continue to get better as a team."
The opening set was close throughout with Loyola able to play from the lead. A Brittany Brown ace and an Eytchison kill gave LU some breathing room with a 10-7 lead. A block from Brown and Nichole Riedel made it a 16-12 game and a SIUE error later got the Ramblers to the 20-point mark with a 20-15 advantage. The Cougars made a slight push down the stretch but never got closer than two with Brown closing out the set with a kill.
SIUE regrouped in between set and roared out of the gates in the second set, racing to a 6-1 lead. Loyola slowly worked its way back, getting within 10-6 on a Brown kill, but three straight SIUE points later saw the Ramblers fall into a 16-7 hole. A Brown ace and an Eytchison solo block saw LU make a late push but the Cougars were able to see it off and even the match with a 25-17 win.
Loyola fell behind early again in the pivotal third set as SIUE scored four of the first five points. Kills from Kathleen Vogel, Brown and Eytchison pulled the Ramblers even at 5-5 and the teams battled back and forth through the middle stages. A Cougar error and another Brown kill gave Loyola a 17-15 lead but the Cougars responded with four straight to regain the lead. Laura Purcell brought LU within one (21-20) with a put-away but it would prove to be the Ramblers' last tally as SIUE collected the last four to claim a 25-20 win.
The fourth set was close early with neither team leading by more than two points until a 5-0 SIUE run gave the Cougars a 15-11 lead. Loyola was unable to make a dent in the deficit until it made a late charge. Kills from Maureen Carls and Brown keyed a spurt that drew the Ramblers within a pair (22-20) but SIUE's Emma Anderson came up with a big block and the Cougars followed it up with an ace to get to match point, 24-20. A Libby Bresser kill and a block from Bresser and Eytchison helped Loyola stay alive but SIUE was able to close it out on its third try.
Offensive efficiency was the key for the Ramblers, as the team hit .324 in the opening set but not above .125 in any of the final three frames.
Eytchison's 13 kills led the way and she added seven digs and six blocks. Purcell also reached double figures (10 kills) while Brown posted six kills, 33 assists and six digs. Stephanie Kinane continued her terrific form in the back row, collecting a season-high 26 digs.
Loyola returns to action next weekend when it travels to Palo Alto, Calif. to take on Pacific, Santa Clara and host Stanford at the Stanford Invitational.
