Boxscore

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (November 8, 2019)
 
In Short
Redshirt senior Heather Kocken produced a match-high 13 kills and added five blocks to spark Loyola University Chicago (18-8, 11-2 MVC) to a 24-26, 25-20, 25-20, 25-12 victory, its fourth in a row, over Missouri State (8-20, 5-9 MVC) tonight at Hammons Student Center. With the win, the Ramblers clinched a spot in the Missouri Valley Conference Championship, which will be held in Cedar Fall, Iowa, November 28-30. This will be Loyola's first MVC Championship appearance since 2016 and just its third since joining the league in 2013.
 
How It Happened
Missouri State broke open close first set with a string of four straight points to turn a two-point advantage into a 17-11 lead. Loyola charged right back reeling off eight of nine tallies, two each on stops from Taylor Venuto and Kocken, as well as aces from Addie Barnes, to seize a 19-18 advantage. Later, with the score even at 24-24, a Chloe Rear kill and a Ramblers error capped a 26-24 Bears win.
 
Set two was a back-and-forth battle until Kocken smacked a kill to kick off a 5-0, set-closing run for a 25-20 victory that knotted the match at a set apiece. During that decisive stretch, Kocken accounted for two kills and teamed with Elle Van Grinsven on a block to spearhead the game-winning rally.
 
Loyola claimed the lead for good in the third set with the help of a trio of Bears errors during a run of four straight points, for an 8-4 edge. The Ramblers would lead by as many as seven points in the set and never allowed Missouri State to get within four points on the way to a 25-20 decision.
 
Behind a hot-hitting attack, Loyola breezed to a 25-12 in set four, hitting at a staggering .600 (12-0-20) clip. The Ramblers turned a slim two-point lead into a comfortable 20-10 advantage thanks to an 11-3 run that was highlighted by two kills and a pair of blocks from Quinn Spieker. 
 
A Look At The Numbers

• Kocken was the lone Rambler in double-figure kills and also hit .440 (13-2-25) for the match.
• Spieker rebounded nicely from a slow start to the night to finish with nine kills, nine digs and five blocks, while Barnes pitched in eight kills and nine digs.
• Van Grinsven totaled a match-high eight blocks to go with five kills, and Maddy Moser accumulated a team-high 14 digs.
• As a team, Loyola totaled 13.5 blocks.
• Laynie Dake led Missouri State with 12 kills.

 
Up Next
The Ramblers finish off the weekend road trip tomorrow when they pay a visit to Southern Illinois. First serve is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT.