Boxscore (PDF) 

VALPARAISO, Ind. (October 27, 2017)
 
In Short
Junior Morgan Gresham pounded out a match-high 11 kills, but visiting Loyola University Chicago came up on the wrong end of a 25-19, 25-12, 25-22 decision to Valparaiso (13-11, 5-6 MVC) tonight at the Athletics-Recreation Center. The loss, Loyola's 16^th in a row, drops the Ramblers to 1-21 overall and 0-11 in Missouri Valley Conference play.
 
How It Happened
Valparaiso used a 7-1 run midway through the first set to snap an 11-all tie and break open an 18-12 advantage as it staved off a late Loyola rally for a 25-19 victory. After the Crusaders stretched their lead to 23-15, the Ramblers rattled off four straight points on kills from Heather Kocken, Gabi Maciagowski (2) and Elle Van Grinsven, to close within four (23-19), but Valpo notched the final two points to earn the win.
 
Loyola jumped out to an early 4-3 lead in set two before Valparaiso recorded eight of the next nine points to break open the set and seize an 11-5 lead they would never relinquish on the way to a 25-12 decision.
 
A kill by Gresham ignited a 5-0 Loyola run that wiped out an early two-point deficit and gave the Ramblers a 7-4 advantage in the third set. Valpo would scratch and claw its way back, and four straight Crusaders points gave them a 17-15 edge before Loyola countered with a spurt of its own to reclaim the lead. Another Maciagowski kill sparked a 5-2 Loyola run that was punctuated by a Valpo error and put the Ramblers back on top, 20-19. However, Loyola was unable to hang onto that slim edge and the Crusaders closed out the set by notching five of the final six points for a 25-22 victory.
 
A Look At The Numbers

• Gresham, who hit .296 (11-3-27) on the night, just missed recording her fourth double-double of the year, adding nine digs to her team-high 11 kills.
• Maciagowski contributed nine kills and eight digs for the Ramblers, who hit .233 (11-4-30) in the final set.
• Maddy Moser notched seven digs and needs 12 more to reach the 1,000 mark for her career.
• Katherine Carlson led Valparaiso with nine kills and 13 digs.

 
Up Next
The Ramblers conclude a stretch of four straight road matches when they visit Southern Illinois on Monday (Oct. 30) at 7 p.m.