Box Score

Newark, Del. - Four Loyola hitters had between eight and 11 kills and its net defense produced 13 blocks as the Ramblers wrapped up a busy weekend with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-23, 25-22) sweep of Albany in their final match of the UD Courtyard By Marriott Invite in Newark, Del. The Ramblers close the weekend with a 2-1 mark while the Great Danes slump to 0-3 with the loss.

"We played some great volleyball at times today," said head coach Chris Muscat. "I thought Sami (Hansen) and Libby (Bresser) had huge days in the middle and Caroline (Holt) ran the offensive efficiently. Kelly (Feigh) anchored the back row and, collectively, it was a team effort to get two wins in a back-to-back situation."

With a quick turnaround following its five-set win over Delaware, Loyola found itself down 4-1 and 6-3 early in the match. A kill and block from Libby Bresser helped LU draw even at 7-7 and the Ramblers took their first lead, 9-8, on a block from Bresser and Maureen Carls. Consecutive blocks from Carls and Sami Hansen made it a 13-9 game but Albany was able to chip away and eventually caught the Ramblers at 17. Leading 21-20, Loyola finished strong, as two Reardon kills sandwiched a pair of put-aways from Carls to give LU the opening frame, 25-20.

Albany jumped on the Ramblers early in the second set as well, racing out to a 6-2 lead and forcing LU to play from behind. Loyola did not get closer than three points and found itself trailing 18-11 after a Laini Laindecker kill. Three straight points kept Loyola in the game but UA still led 22-16 after another Laindecker kill. Bresser teamed with Kathleen Vogel for a block and then added a kill to kickstart a six-point scoring run that evened the score at 22. The teams traded points to 23-all before a Reardon kill and an Albany error completed the comeback, the 25-23 win giving Loyola a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.

Much like the first two sets, Loyola struggled out of the gate in the third, falling behind 11-5 before rallying. Three straight points made it 11-8 and it was a 12-10 game after a block from Hansen and Carls. The Ramblers finally pulled even at 13 on a Stephanie Kinane ace and a four-point later, capped by an Albany error, gave LU an 18-15 advantage. A Reardon kill kept the margin at four (23-19) and Loyola was able to see it out from there, using a Reardon kill to wrap up a 25-22 win to seal the sweep.

Reardon finished with 11 kills and nine digs to lead Loyola's balanced attack. Carls added 10 kills and eight blocks with Bresser (nine kills, seven blocks) and Vogel (eight kills, nine digs) also playing key roles. Holt was solid again at the setter spot, handing out 38 assists, while Kelly Feigh anchored the back row with a career-high 17 digs.

Loyola returns to action next weekend when it travels to Tucson, Ariz. for the Arizona Invitational.