Sep 7, 2013
Box Score
Greenville, N.C. - Morgan Reardon posted a match-high 12 kills and Loyola hit .381 as a team, romping to a 3-0 (25-18, 25-11, 25-5) sweep over The Citadel this morning at the ECU Invitational in Greenville, N.C. The Ramblers improve to 4-2 while the Bulldogs slump to 0-5 with the loss.
"I thought our on-court chemistry and communication was terrific this morning," said head coach Chris Muscat. "We have stressed the importance of communicating with each other and we made some strides today. To really have some team-driven leadership is so important and we are beginning to figure out who we can be as a team and what we need to do to get there."
Just like yesterday, Loyola started very well, using three kills from Maureen Carls to jump out to a 6-1 lead. The Citadel settled down and pulled within three (10-7) on a block. Loyola's lead was still just four until an Emily Carr kill and an ace from Vicki Wrobel helped the Ramblers extend to a 20-13 advantage and they cruised to the finish from there with Reardon capping a 25-18 win with a kill. The duo of Reardon and Carls combined for 10 kills in the set, with each ripping five apiece.
The second set was a carbon copy at the start as three Reardon kills set the Ramblers out to a 6-1 advantage. The lead was 8-4 after a LU service error before Loyola took firm control. A Citadel hitting error gave Loyola service and Brittany Brown served up nine consecutive points as LU extended to an 18-4 bulge. Brown fired one ace in that stretch and the Ramblers also got kills from Carls, Reardon and Laura Purcell. Purcell had three more kills as Loyola advanced towards set point and a Bulldogs hitting error gave the Ramblers a 25-11 win and a 2-0 lead in the match.
It was all Loyola from start to finish in the third set, as kills from Olivia Akin and Carls sandwiched two Kathleen Vogel aces to help Loyola get off to a 5-0 start. After two Bulldog points, a Carls kill sent Stephanie Kinane to the service line and the sophomore libero served up the next 13 points to give LU a 19-2 edge. Reardon and Libby Bresser had two kills each in the run and Bresser teamed with a host of teammates for four blocks. It was a matter of time from there and the Ramblers closed out the match by scoring the final four points, three coming on Carr kills.
Loyola hit a season-best .381 for the match and held The Citadel to a paltry -.011 efficiency.
Reardon hit .550 (12-1-20) to compliment her 12 kills and the freshman added six digs and two blocks. Carls finished with eight kills and six blocks while Bresser (six kills, eight blocks) and Carr (six kills) also provided scoring punch.
"It was a great all-around effort today," continued Muscat. "Everyone on the team found positive ways to contribute and that is exactly what we are going to need as we navigate our way through the rest of the non-conference season as well as the Missouri Valley schedule."
The Ramblers close out tournament play this evening when they battle host East Carolina at 6 p.m.
