Game Notes
Live Video vs. Evansville | Live Stats vs. Evansville
Live Video vs. Indiana State | Live Stats vs. Indiana State

CHICAGO (October 30, 1019) - Loyola begins the home stretch of the 2019 season by hosting Missouri Valley Conference rivals Evansville and Indiana State this weekend. The Ramblers have won eight of their last 10 contests and have played just one match, a sweep of Valparaiso, in the last 10 days.  A winner of four of its last five outings at Gentile Arena, Loyola enters the weekend with a two-game lead over Illinois State and Bradley for second place in the Valley title hunt. The Ramblers' 8-2 mark is their best through 10 league games since opening Horizon League play with a 9-1 ledger in 2002. Loyola won the Horizon League regular-season crown that year and finished with a 27-5 overall record. 

In its seventh season in the Missouri Valley Conference, Loyola is attempting to shatter the school record for Valley wins in a single campaign (9, set in both 2015 and 2016). The Ramblers, who currently reside in second place in the MVC standings, have never finished higher than sixth in the MVC.

The Ramblers have emerged victorious in their last seven matches versus either Evansville or Indiana State, last falling to one of those teams on November 10, 2017, when they dropped a 3-1 decision to the Sycamores in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Over her last three appearances at Gentile Arena, redshirt senior Heather Kocken is hitting .426 (29-6-54) and averaging 2.64 kills and 0.91 blocks per set.

Scouting Evansville

After opening the year by winning 12 of its first 15 contests, Evansville has stumbled in four of the last six outings and is coming off a pair of hard-luck, five-set losses to Drake and UNI last weekend. The Purple Aces are 3-1 in Missouri Valley road matches this season, winning each of their last two. Outside hitters Melanie Feliciano and Rachel Tam lead UE with 4.26 and 4.08 kills per set, respectively. Loyola has won eight of the last nine matchups with Evansville, including each of the last four. When playing the Aces in Rogers Park, the Ramblers are 10-3 all time and have won three of the last four at Gentile Arena.

Scouting Indiana State

Indiana State enters the weekend having won two of its last three contests and it pulled out a 3-1 victory over Drake last Saturday behind 20 kills from Nikkie White. The road hasn't been kind to the Sycamores, who are just 1-6 in true road matches this fall, although they prevailed in their last road trip, knocking off Southern Illinois in five sets October 19. White leads Indiana State with 2.83 kills per set. Loyola has won its last three meetings with Indiana State and is 6-2 all time against the Sycamores in Chicago. Addie Barnes led Loyola with 11 kills in last month's matchup in Terre Haute, which was won by the Ramblers, 3-0.

Up Next

Loyola is back on the road for a pair of Valley contests at Missouri State (Nov. 8) and Southern Illinois (Nov. 9) next weekend.