Nov. 9, 2013
Final Stats
CHICAGO - Brittany Brown posted her second triple-double in as many games and Laura Purcell recorded a game-high 17 kills as the Loyola University Chicago women's volleyball team defeated Bradley tonight by a score of 3-1 (20-25, 25-18, 25-11, 25-19). The win sees Loyola climb into a tie for sixth with Bradley in the Missouri Valley Conference standings, holding a record of 6-8 in conference play.
"It was a great match tonight and a great team effort," commented Loyola head women's volleyball coach Chris Muscat. "Once again, we had a game plan going in and we executed it really well. We showed an incredible amount of effort and heart tonight and we just never let the momentum go. I'm really proud of this group."
Bradley jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first set before Loyola ran off three straight to take its first lead of the evening. The two teams continued to trade points before the Ramblers, with the game knotted at 11-11, rattled off three straight points with the final of the trio coming off of a Brown kill to open up a 14-11 lead. The Braves, fueled by a pair of kills from Amy Angelos, bounced back and went on a 14-6 run to take the opening set, 25-20.
The second set followed a similar scrip to the first in the early going as the two teams split the first ten points, 5-5. A run that began with one of Brown's 12 kills helped Loyola distance itself from the visitors out of Peoria, Ill. Kathleen Vogel and Purcell each added kills of their own as Loyola opened up a 14-7 advantage. Following a kill by Allie Falter that brought Bradley back within three, the Ramblers stymied any hopes of a comeback, closing the set on a 9-3 spurt. Purcell ended it with a kill that evened the match at 1-1 heading into the intermission.
Loyola immediately assumed control of the third set, racing out to a 10-3 lead after back-to-back kills by Vogel and Libby Bresser. Bresser a native of Waupun, Wis., added a pair of blocks during the set as the Ramblers never let the Braves get back within striking distance. Kelly Feigh and Sami Hansen each picked up service aces before Bresser fittingly brought an end to the set with a kill to give Loyola a victory, 25-11, and a 2-1 lead overall.
The Ramblers, as was the case in the previous one, stormed out to an early advantage in the fourth set. Purcell recorded three kills as Loyola opened up a 7-2 lead. Bradley brought it back within one following a kill by Rachel Jones but Loyola, yet again, responded with a kill from Brown sandwiched in between a pair from Vogel to establish a 10-6 advantage. The fourth set continued to stay tight before a block by Purcell and Hansen ignited a 7-0 run for the Ramblers that saw them stretch their lead to 19-12 to put the Braves on the brink. Brown's twelfth and final kill of the evening wrapped up the final set, 25-19, and secured the home side a pivotal conference victory.
Loyola can now turn its attention to a meeting with league-leading Wichita State on Thursday evening. First serve from Gentile Arena is slated for 7 p.m.
