Aug 30, 2013
Box Score
Toledo, Ohio - Kathleen Vogel recorded a career-high 19 kills but Loyola squandered a 2-0 lead and dropped a tough 3-2 (25-23, 25-23, 18-25, 23-25, 13-15) decision to Toledo tonight at the UT Blue/Gold Volleyball Invitational in Toledo, Ohio. Both teams end the opening day of tournament play with 1-1 records.
Loyola scored the first three points of the match but quickly found itself in a 9-5 hole. Kills from Vogel and Libby Bresser helped the Ramblers pull even at 11 but Toledo was able to continue to play from the lead for the majority of the set. Trailing 21-19, Loyola used two kills from Brittany Brown and one each from Morgan Reardon and Olivia Akin to snatch a 23-21 lead. Toledo scored the next two to even the score at 23 but another Reardon kill and a Brown ace capped a 25-23 win for the visitors.
The second set was tight throughout with neither team leading by more than two points. The teams were tied 17 times to get to 21-all before kills from Bresser and Reardon gave LU a 23-21 edge. Two duo also accounted for the final two points of the set as the Ramblers were able to side-out the rest of the way for another 25-23 win and a 2-0 lead in the match.
The early stages of the third set followed the same pattern as the teams were tied eight times to 10-10. A Toledo error gave the Ramblers a 12-10 advantage but a 7-1 UT run put the home team in the driver's seat with a 17-13 lead. Loyola struggled to find its rhythm the rest of the way and the Rockets extended the match with a 25-18 win.
Eager to avoid a fifth set, Loyola rallied from a 12-9 deficit in the fourth frame, using an 11-4 run to take a seemingly comfortable 20-16 lead. Maureen Carls hammered down three kills at the end of the scoring spurt and LU seemed primed to close out the match. However, three consecutive blocks gave Toledo some momentum and the hosts scored seven of the next eight points to steal a 23-21 lead. Loyola was able to get within a point (24-23) before Becca Reidy wrapped up a 25-23 victory that sent us to a decisive fifth set.
The Rockets carried their momentum into the last set, taking an early 5-2 lead, and they held an 8-5 edge at the change over. Loyola struggled to string points together and Toledo earned four match points with a 14-10 lead. A Carls and Bresser block erased the first one and another block and a hitting error negated two more but Lauren Rafdal came through on the fourth try to complete Toledo's comeback.
Vogel led three Ramblers in double figures with the 19 kills and added 13 digs for a double-double. Reardon pitched in with 13 kills while Carls added 10 kills (10-1-19, .474) and three blocks.
Loyola wraps up tournament play with a pair of matches tomorrow, starting with an 11 a.m. tilt against Marist.
