Final Score: Loyola 3-2 Northern Kentucky (25-21, 18-25, 25-21, 22-25, 15-6)
Records: Loyola (5-8); Northern Kentucky (6-5)
Location: Hinkle Fieldhouse -- Indianapolis, Ind.
Stats: Box Score  | Season Stats 

In Short…
Senior Morgan Reardon and sophomore Gabi Maciagowski each recorded double-doubles today to help lead the Loyola University Chicago women’s volleyball team past Northern Kentucky, 3-2 (25-21, 18-25, 25-21, 22-25, 15-6), at the Butler Invitational in Indianapolis, Ind. With the win, Loyola improves to 5-8 on the year, while the Norse fall to 6-5.

How It Happened
Loyola’s defense set the tone early on in the first set when Reardon and freshman Lauren Stefanski combined for a block that gave the Ramblers a 4-2 lead. Things remained tight until a Reardon kill sparked a 5-0 run for the Maroon & Gold that saw Loyola open up a 14-10 advantage. A block by the Norse’s Keely Creamer cut the margin back down to two, 22-20, late in the set but Stefanski closed it out with her fifth kill of the frame, 25-21.

Northern Kentucky came out firing to begin the second set as it put Loyola in an early 6-2 hole. The Ramblers slowly chipped away, pulling to within two, 9-7, on a block by Reardon and fellow senior Sami Hansen. The Norse quickly responded with an 8-1 run to open up a 17-8 lead. Maciagowksi sliced the deficit to five, 21-16, but Loyola was unable to complete the comeback as Northern Kentucky claimed a 25-18 victory.

Neither team was able to gain an edge during the opening stages of the third set. Loyola took advantage of three Norse errors to take a 14-9 lead. Back-to-back kills from freshman Quinn Spieker followed by one from redshirt sophomore Haley Hoffman upped the Ramblers’ lead to 18-11. Northern Kentucky had its deficit down to two, 21-19, before sophomore Maddy Moser fed Reardon to seal a 25-21 triumph for the Ramblers.

After surrendering the opening two points of the fourth set to Loyola, Northern Kentucky erupted on an 8-1 run to assume a commanding 8-3 lead. Loyola clawed to within two, 9-7, following a Reardon kill and a Norse attack error. A emphatic solo block from Hoffman cut the Northern Kentucky lead to single point, 17-16. The Norse answered with four straight points to reestablish a five-point edge, 21-16, en route to a 25-22 triumph to even that match up at 2-2.

Loyola grabbed control of the decisive fifth set from the get-go. Consecutive kills from Maciagowski and Reardon quickly had the Ramblers in front, 3-1. The lead grew to five, 7-2, after a crucial block by Stefanski and fellow freshman Delilah Wolf. With the score sitting at 12-6 in favor of the Ramblers, Maciagowksi’s final kill of the day sparked a game-ending 3-0 spurt, capped off by a Reardon solo block, that gave the Ramblers an impressive 15-6 win in the fifth set.

Looking At The Numbers
- Reardon hammed a game-high 19 kills, just one off of her season high, to lead the Loyola offense. The Joliet, Ill. native added a season-best 15 digs on the defensive side to notch her fourth double-double of the season.
- Maciagowski recorded a double-double of her own, her second of the year, as she contributed 10 kills and 10 digs. The Toronto, Ont. product has now reached double figures in kills in four of Loyola’s last five games.
- The freshman duo of Spieker and Stefanski was also strong for the Ramblers as each added eight kills to support Loyola’s offensive efforts.
- Haley Libs paced the Northern Kentucky attack on the afternoon with a team-high 15 kills.

Up Next
Loyola stays on the road next weekend as it begins Missouri Valley Conference play against Illinois State (Sept. 23) and Indiana State (Sept. 24).