Cal Molten Classic Game Notes
Live Stats

CHICAGO (August 24, 2017) - Loyola opens the 2017 season on the west coast as it competes in the Cal Molten Classic hosted by the University of California. The Ramblers raise the curtain on the new season by hosting fellow Jesuit institution Seattle on August 25. Under seventh-year head coach Chris Muscat, Loyola is 3-3 in season openers. The Ramblers have notched 34 wins over the last two seasons, their highest total in consecutive years since 2004-05 (35). 

Scouting the Cal Molten Classic Field: Loyola has never squared off against any of the three teams in the Cal Molten Classic and will be facing Seattle, California and UC Irvine for the first time in program history. None of the three teams finished with a winning record in 2016, with the Redhawks going 13-15, Cal 9-21, and UC Irvine 13-18 overall. The Ramblers are 12-1 all-time against current members of the Western Athletic Conference, 1-4 all-time versus current Pac-12 Conference foes and 3-2 versus Big West opponents. This is Loyola's first trip to the Golden State since 2012 when it competed at the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, California.

Air Canada: Toronto native Gabi Maciagowski had a breakthrough season in 2016, earning Second Team All-MVC recognition after ranking second on the team with 412 kills and sixth in the conference with 3.30 kills per set. Her play was key to Loyola's success last fall as the Ramblers went 5-0 when she registered 20 or more kills. The junior outside hitter/right side slammed double-digit kills on 20 occasions last fall and posted five double-doubles. She was one of seven players named to the 2017 MVC Preseason All-Conference Team. Maciagowski, who got off to a torrid start last season, averaging 3.46 kills per set (90 total) in the first six matches, enters 2017 needing 400 kills to reach the 1,000 plateau for her career.

Maddy Can Dig It: Junior Maddy Moser is coming off of her best season as a Rambler when she led the team with 569 digs (4.55 per set). The Bloomington, Illinois native also displayed her versatility when she filled in at setter in the final two matches of the 2016 campaign when Loyola lost its top two table setters to injury. Moser enters the 2017 season needing 200 digs to reach 1,000 for her career and if she could replicate her performance from last year, would enter her final season as a Rambler with a realistic shot at catching Stephanie Kinane for the top spot on the program's all-time digs chart (1,937). Moser had 30 or more digs twice last season and tallied 20+ digs five times in Loyola's first six matches in 2016.

Up Next: Loyola opens up the home portion of its 2017 slate next weekend when it hosts the Rambler Challenge at Gentile Arena, September 1-3. Fairfield, Milwaukee and Samford join Loyola in the round-robin tournament.