CHICAGO (November 13, 2019) - Loyola plays a pair of pivotal Missouri Valley Conference contests this weekend in its final regular-season home matches of 2019. The red-hot Ramblers, who are 16-3 in their last 19 outings overall, have won six of their last seven at Gentile Arena, with the lone setback coming at the hands of league leader UNI. With one more conference win, Loyola will equal the program record for a single season (13) set by the 2001 and 2002 teams that competed in the Horizon League. Last Friday's win at Missouri State clinched Loyola's first MVC Championship berth since 2016 and just its third since joining the league. 

Over the last five matches, Loyola is hitting .245 (262-99-666) and averaging 2.71 blocks per set as a team. In the last three contests, the Ramblers have served up 1.92 aces per set.

Scouting Bradley

Bradley had a four-match win streak halted with a heartbreaking, five-set loss to Valley leader UNI last Saturday. The Braves, who have won four of their last five road contests, lead the MVC with 19.18 digs per set. Sophomore outside hitter Hannah Thompson leads Bradley in both kills (3.17 per set) and digs (4.71 per set) and totaled 14 kills and 25 digs against UNI last Saturday. When the teams met in Peoria last month, Addie Barnes (13) and Taylor Venuto (10) each pounded double-digit kills to power Loyola to a 3-0 win. The Ramblers have won nine of the last 12 meetings overall with the Braves and six of the last seven in Chicago.

Scouting Illinois State

The Redbirds, who were picked to finish second in the MVC Preseason Poll, have hit a bit of a rough patch of late, winning just two of their last six matches. Nevertheless, Illinois State is the only Valley team to defeat both UNI and Loyola this fall. Away from home, ISU is 5-5 this season, but has dropped two of its last three contests. Last month in Normal, Heather Kocken totaled 12 kills, but Loyola came up on the short end of a 3-1 decision and since joining the MVC, the Ramblers have struggled against the Redbirds, going just 2-11, while falling in each of the last eight matchups. Loyola's last win over ISU at Gentile Arena came in 2015 (3-0).

Up Next

Loyola wraps up the 2019 regular season next weekend when it travels to UNI (Nov. 22) and Drake (Nov. 23).