Boxscore 

CHICAGO (October 21, 2019)
 
In Short
Karlie Taylor slammed 20 kills to help UNI (14-9, 8-1 MVC) earn a 25-16, 23-25, 25-16, 25-21 victory over Loyola University Chicago (14-8, 7-2 MVC) tonight at Gentile Arena in a battle of teams that entered the evening tied atop the Missouri Valley Conference standings. The Ramblers, who received 13 kills and 13 digs from freshman outside hitter Addie Barnes, put up a fight and proved they could hang with the preseason league favorite despite the setback.
 
How It Happened
UNI struck quick in the first set, sprinting out to a 7-2 lead, prompting a Loyola timeout that seemed to settle the Ramblers. With the margin at six points (13-7) later in the set, Heather Kocken opened a 4-0 spurt with a kill, and Maddy Moser added an ace, which was followed by consecutive Panthers miscues, that trimmed the deficit to 13-11. After UNI built its lead back to 16-12, Quinn Spieker recorded a kill and followed with an ace of her own in a 3-0 burst that got the Ramblers within a point at 16-15. That was as close as the hosts would get however, as Kate Busswitz ignited a string of six straight points with a kill that expanded the UNI advantage to 22-15 on the way to a 25-16 victory.
 
Loyola pulled off an impressive comeback for a 25-23 decision in set two that evened the match at a set apiece. Trailing by as many as six points on a pair of occasions, the last at 17-11, Loyola ran off an 8-2 run highlighted by three Barnes kills and that streak was punctuated by a Barnes/Taylor Venuto block that tied the score at 19-19. Back-to-back Panthers points placed the Ramblers in a two-point hole, until Barnes smacked a kill to jump start a 3-0 burst that moved Loyola on top by a point (22-21). After UNI evened the score again, the teams exchanged points until a kill from Spieker and a Panthers error completed the stirring come-from-behind win.
 
Much like in the first set, UNI used an early run to break things open in set three. Elle Van Grinsven's kill pushed Loyola's lead to 5-3, but the Panthers, who hit .360 (10-1-25) in the set, would run off seven unanswered tallies to grab a 10-5 lead and never look back on the way to a 25-16 decision.
 
In the fourth set, it was Loyola that got off to a hot start, charging out to an 8-3 advantage spurred on by two kills and an ace from Spieker. Later on, a Kocken kill bumped the Ramblers' edge to 14-7, seemingly putting them in the driver's seat to forcing a fifth and deciding set. UNI had other plans though and chipped away at the deficit. After the Panthers closed within two, at 20-18, Venuto delivered a kill to provide Loyola with a three-point cushion. But, it wasn't meant to be for the Ramblers on this night as Preseason All-MVC selection Karlie Taylor notched three kills and Inga Rotto added a pair, in a set-closing 7-0 run that lifted UNI to a 25-21 victory.
 
A Look At The Numbers

• In addition to Barnes' double-double (13 kills and 13 digs), Spieker pitched in 10 kills eight digs, two blocks and a pair of aces for Loyola.
• Venuto was the third Rambler to appear in double-digits in the kill column with 10.
• The loss snaps Loyola's four-match win streak at Gentile Arena.
• UNI hit .264 for the contest.

 
Up Next
The Ramblers are next in action Friday (Oct. 25) when they make the short trip to Valparaiso to open their second trip through the Valley schedule. First serve is set for 6 p.m. CT.