Box Score

Evansville, Ind. - Loyola enjoyed a 66-54 edge in kills but 31 hitting errors proved to be too much to overcome as Evansville claimed a 3-1 (19-25, 27-25, 25-23, 25-22) win over the Ramblers tonight at the Carson Center in Evansville, Ind. Morgan Reardon led a balanced Rambler attack with 20 kills and a career-high 19 digs as LU slips to 6-9 (2-4 MVC). Evansville improves to 6-11 (2-3) with the win.

"We have to be able to adjust and execute at a higher level," said head coach Chris Muscat. "We will work hard in the gym this week and get ready for our two home matches next week."

Two Reardon kills helped Loyola out to a 7-3 lead in the opening set and the lead was still four (13-9) after a Brittany Brown kill. Evansville scored six of the next eight points to draw even at 15 but a key, five-point run moments later on Kathleen Vogel's serve gave the Ramblers a commanding 22-16 lead and a Sami Hansen kill gave the visitors a 25-19, opening-set victory. Loyola hit a sizzling .341 in the frame with the Ramblers getting eight kills from their middles and five from Reardon in the set.

The hosts stormed out of the gates in the second set, racing out to an early 7-2 lead and forcing Loyola to play from behind. The Ramblers slowly chipped away and caught the Aces at 13 after consecutive Hansen kills. Two Reardon kills later in the set forged a 20-20 tie and another put-away gave the Ramblers first crack at the set with a 24-23 lead. An Ashley Ring kill kept the Aces alive and it took a Hansen kill to keep the set going, tied at 25. However, a Loyola error gave UE another set point and Genesis Miranda cashed it in, giving the Aces a 27-25 win to even the match. It was a battle between Reardon and Ring in the set, with Reardon ripping eight kills to Ring's six.

The third set was close early but an ace and three Loyola errors pushed Evansville out to a 14-9 lead. The Ramblers got within a point (17-16) on a Hansen kill and pulled even at 19 minutes later after a block from Bresser and Brown. The teams traded four-point scoring runs to get to 23-all but despite the Loyola having the momentum, a Miranda kill and a Cathy Schreiber solo block gave the Aces a 25-23 victory and a 2-1 lead in the match.

Evansville scored eight of the first 12 points of the fourth set as it played from the lead for the third consecutive frame. Loyola was able to get within two points of several occasions but Evansville had an answer each time. A 5-1 run that turned a 14-11 lead into a 19-12 bulge gave UE some breathing room and despite a late charge that saw LU get within a pair one last time (24-22), Ring's 24th kill of the match provided the winning point.

Reardon narrowly missed her first career 20-20 match, finishing one dig short, and received plenty of help. Brown ripped a career-best 16 kills, doing so at a .364 efficiency (16-4-33), and Hansen also posted a career-high total with 15 kills. Bresser added a season-high 10 kills to give LU a fourth hitter in double figures. Caroline Holt distributed the ball well and finished with 61 assists and seven digs. Ring led the Aces with 24 kills and 13 digs.

The Ramblers return home for two matches next weekend. Friday night's match versus Indiana State is Loyola's Kill Cancer Challenge match to benefit breast cancer research while a sing-a-long to Disney's Frozen will following the Ramblers' Saturday night tilt with Illinois State.