CARBONDALE, Ill. (November 9, 2019)
 
In Short
Five players recorded double-digit kills, led by Addie Barnes and Elle Van Grinsven with 14 apiece, to fuel Loyola University Chicago's (19-8, 12-2 MVC) 25-20, 17-25, 25-18, 22-25, 15-10 victory over Southern Illinois (13-16, 5-10 MVC) tonight at Davies Gym. The 12 conference wins are the Ramblers' most since totaling a school-record 13 league victories in Horizon League play in both 2001 and 2002. 
 
How It Happened
Van Grinsven's third kill of the set snapped an 8-8 tie and touched off a stretch of six straight tallies that put Loyola head for good at 14-8. Key during that decisive run were a pair of services aces from freshman Sarah Murczek. Southern Illinois worked its way back within 16-11, but four unanswered points extended the Loyola edge to 20-11, its largest of the set, and it held on for a 25-20 victory, hitting .297 (13-2-37) in the opening set.
 
Loyola just couldn't get on track in the second set, suffering a 25-17 setback that was made close by a late surge. A 9-2 SIU run turned a tie score into a 14-7 Salukis advantage and from there they would pad the lead, growing it to 12 points (21-9). The Ramblers tried to stage a late rally and got within 24-17 on the second of consecutive kills from Barnes, but SIU was able to stave off the comeback attempt.
 
Taylor Venuto strapped the Ramblers to her back in the third set, keying a string of six consecutive scores with three kills and a block assist to help Loyola overcome an early two-point hole to claim a 12-8 lead it would never surrender.  From that point forward, Southern Illinois was unable to get its deficit under three points and Loyola finished off the host Salukis with 7-3, set-closing run to earn a 25-18 victory.
 
The Ramblers pulled off an incredible comeback, rallying from a 16-8 deficit to knot the score at 20-20, thanks in large part to three aces from three different players during that 12-4 run in set four. But, once Loyola drew even, Southern Illinois ran off three unanswered points to reclaim control and held on for a 25-20 decision that forced the Ramblers to a fifth set for the first time since September 20 when they earned a 3-2 win over Northwestern.
 
Spieker willed Loyola to a victory in the fifth set for its fifth consecutive victory. The senior outside hitter drilled five kills during the Ramblers' 9-3 run that opened the set, and that initial blow proved too much for the Salukis to overcome, with Loyola picking up a 15-10 win. 
 
A Look At The Numbers

• Loyola hit .265 (66-21-170) for the match, improving to 16-2 this season when posting a .200 or better hitting percentage.
• Van Grinsven's 14 kills are her most since going for a career-best 21 stops against Evansville last September.
• Barnes collected another double-double, her 15^th of the season, by finishing with 14 kills and 14 digs, and Kocken contributed 12 kills and six digs. 
• Also reaching double figures in kills were Venuto and Spieker with 11 and 10 respectively. Spieker also totaled 12 digs and a pair of aces, while senior setter Delilah Wolf doled out 54 assists and pitched in 12 digs and three blocks.
• Maddy Moser finished with 28 digs, six assists and a pair of aces.
• Southern Illinois got a team-high 16 kills from Alayna Martin.

 
Up Next
Loyola plays its final home matches of the 2019 regular season next weekend when Bradley (Nov. 15) and Illinois State (Nov. 16) visit Rogers Park.