Final Score: Butler 3-1 Loyola (25-23, 25-20, 27-29, 25-20)
Records: Butler (11-4); Loyola (4-7)
Location: Hinkle Fieldhouse -- Indianapolis, Ind.
Stats: Box Score  | Season Stats 

In Short…
Loyola gave host Butler all it could handle in a hotly-contested match before ultimately falling by a final score of 3-1 (25-23, 25-20, 27-29, 25-20) this evening at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. as part of the Butler Invitational. The Bulldogs improve to 11-4 with the win, while the Ramblers slip to 4-7.

How It Happened
Butler wasted little time in jumping out to an early lead in set one, using a 4-0 spurt to build a 6-3 lead. A kill from freshman Lauren Stefanski followed by a service ace from senior Morgan Reardon pulled the Maroon & Gold back to within one, 6-5. Back-to-back kills from Anna Logan upped the Bulldog lead to 11-7 and prompted a Rambler timeout. Loyola refused to go away though as a kill from freshman Quinn Spieker and a Butler attack error evened up the set at 15 all. Things remained tight until the hosts used a 3-0 run that was capped off by another Logan kill to open up a 21-18 lead en route to taking the set, 25-23.

A pair of early kills from Reardon in the second frame gave Loyola a 3-2 lead. Butler answered back with four straight points, highlighted by a Mikayla Ferguson service ace, to move in front, 6-3. Freshman Delilah Wolf countered with a service ace of her own shortly after to cut the Butler lead to 13-12. The Bulldogs quickly responded with three unanswered points to reestablish a four-point edge, 16-12 and force the Ramblers to burn a timeout. Loyola would get no closer than three for the remainder of the set as Butler cruised to a 25-20 triumph.

Loyola came out and forced the issue to begin the third set. After finding itself in a 3-2 hole early on, the Ramblers ripped off four straight points, capped off by a Stefanski block, to surge in front, 6-3. Logan answered back with three kills on three straight swings in the ensuing moments to vault the hosts on top, 9-8. With the set tied at 21, the Bulldogs used a 3-0 run to put the Ramblers on the brink of defeat, 24-21. Kills from Reardon and sophomore Gabi Maciagowski helped spark a Loyola comeback that would see the visitors tie the set at 24 all. The two teams traded points until a block by Stefanski and sophomore Amanda Cushen gave the Ramblers set point at 28-27. Cushen closed it out with her fourth kill of the frame to keep Loyola alive, 29-27.

Consecutive Butler attack errors in the opening stages of the fourth set gave Loyola a 4-2 lead. With the score deadlocked at 8-8 following a Reardon kill, Briana Lilly sparked a 4-0 Butler run that opened up a 12-8 advantage for the Bulldogs. The lead ballooned to 18-11 before the Ramblers came storming back, pulling to within two, 18-16, on a Cushen service ace. Maciagowski brought the Ramblers level, 19-19, shortly after. A comeback would not be in the cards though as Butler ripped off six of the set’s final seven points to claim a 25-20 victory that closed out the match.

Looking At The Numbers
- Reardon and Maciagowski were fantastic tonight for Loyola. Reardon ripped a season-high 20 kills, hitting .273, while Maciagowski was close behind with 16 kills of her own as she operated at an impressive .419 mark.
- Maciagowski added a career-high 15 digs to notch a double-double.
- Sophomore Maddy Moser was also solid on the defensive side for the Maroon & Gold, notching 13 digs.
- Wolf fell just one assist short of her career high in the category as she dished out an even 50 helpers.
- Logan led the Butler attack on the night with a game-high 21 kills.

Up Next
Loyola wraps up play at the Butler Invitational with a pair of games tomorrow. The Ramblers open the day with a 10 a.m. (CT) tilt with Arizona before a matchup with Northern Kentucky at 2 p.m.