Game Notes (PDF) | Live Stats vs. Indiana State | Live Video vs. Evansville | Live Stats vs. Evansville

CHICAGO (November 8, 2017) - Loyola makes its final road trip of the regular season this weekend when it visits Indiana State and Evansville. The Ramblers are still in the hunt for a berth in the Missouri Valley Conference Championship but enter the weekend three games behind Indiana State in the win column for the sixth and final spot in the postseason tournament, which will be held in Normal, Illinois, November 23-25. The Ramblers are looking to win consecutive Valley road tilts for the first time since November 12 and 19, 2016, when they defeated Drake and Bradley.
 
Scouting The Opponents
Since narrowly escaping Gentile Arena with a five-set victory over Loyola on October 14, Indiana State has dropped five straight matches. The Sycamores have also lost five straight Valley matches at ISU Arena since opening conference play with wins over Evansville and Bradley in late September, and are 3-6 overall at home this season. Loyola is just 1-3 against Indiana State at ISU Arena since joining the league in 2013, with the lone victory coming in a five-set marathon last September.
 
Junior outside hitter Laura Gross leads Indiana Stare with 3.25 kills and 3.67 digs per set, while sophomore Damadj Johnson is tied for the conference lead with 1.03 blocks per set.
 
Evansville stumbled last weekend in matches at UNI and Drake, but has prevailed in three of its last four matches at Meeks Family Fieldhouse, with the only setback coming versus MVC leader Missouri State. Last month, the Purple Aces snapped a four-match losing skid to Loyola by collecting a win in five sets, but UE has not defeated the Ramblers in Evansville since the 2014 campaign. A remarkable 38 percent (10 of 26) of the Purple Aces' matches have gone this distance this season and they are a very respectable 6-4 in those contests.
 
Sophomore outside hitter Rachel Tam leads a balanced Evansville attack with 2.83 kills per set, and two other players - Cathy Schreiber (2.36 kps) and Mildrelis Rodriguez (2.36 kps) - average at least 2.30 kps.