Boxscore (PDF)
CHICAGO (November 10, 2018)
In Short
Senior outside hitter
Morgan Gresham recorded a career-best 19 kills and added 22 digs in her final home match, but it wasn't enough as Loyola University Chicago (15-13, 7-9 MVC) was unable to close out a 25-16, 27-25, 19-25, 20-25, 11-15 decision to Bradley (22-7, 12-5 MVC) tonight on Senior Night at Gentile Arena. The Ramblers have dropped their last three matches, but still control their own destiny as they bid for a spot in the Missouri Valley Conference Championship. Loyola leads Drake by one game for the sixth and final spot with two contests remaining.
How It Happened
A 10-3 run that featured two kills from senior
Gabi Maciagowski, allowed Loyola to take control of the first set and open up a commanding 17-10 lead on the way to a 25-16 victory.
The Ramblers used some late-set heroics to rally for a 27-25 decision in set two, erasing a 24-22 deficit to capture the win and take a 2-0 lead in the match.
Heather Kocken's kill broke a 25-25 stalemate and when Maciagowski
and Elle Van Grinsven teamed up for a block, it capped Loyola's stirring come-from-behind victory after Bradley was serving with set point.
Five unanswered points proved to be the difference maker in the third set, providing Bradley with a 12-7 lead, and from that point on, Loyola would get no closer than four points.
A pair of Gresham kills bookended a mini 3-0 spurt that broke a 13-all tie in the fourth set and seemingly put Loyola in control at 16-13, but the Braves had other plans. A kill by Hannah Thompson ignited a set-changing 9-1 run that moved Bradley on top, 22-17, on the way to a 25-20 victory that forced a fifth and deciding set.
Bradley darted out to a 6-3 lead in set five, but back-to-back kills from Van Grinsven and
Quinn Spieker trimmed the deficit to a single point. However, the Braves would notch five of the next six tallies to extend their lead to 11-6 and held off a late Rambler rally to secure a 15-11 win.
A Look At The Numbers
- In addition to Gresham's double-double effort, setter Delilah Wolf also accomplished the feat, totaling 47 assists and 11 digs to go with six blocks and three aces.
- With 13 kills tonight, Maciagowski moved into 10thplace on Loyola's all-time list in that category. She now has 1,089 career kills to her credit.
- Spieker pitched in a career-best 20 digs for the Ramblers, who also received eight kills from Kocken.
- Erica Haslag cracked a match-high 28 kills and hit at a .386 clip (28-6-57) to lead Bradley.
Up Next
The Ramblers hit the road for a pair of important matches next week, starting with a trip to Southern Illinois (Nov. 16) before heading to Missouri State (Nov. 17) to close out the regular season.
