CHICAGO (October 23, 2021)
 
In Short
Addie Barnes swatted a team-high 10 kills to power Loyola University Chicago (16-6, 9-1 MVC) to a 25-23, 25-22, 25-22 win over Missouri State (14-8, 5-5 MVC) this afternoon at Gentile Arena for the Ramblers' ninth straight victory on their home court. The Ramblers have now claimed six of their last seven meetings with the Bears.
 
How It Happened
Barnes came out on fire, drilling five kills in the opening set, with Anna Feldkamp also pitching in four kills of her own, to key the Ramblers' 25-23 victory. A Taylor Venuto/Emily Banitt block bumped the Ramblers' lead to 15-10, but Missouri State fought back and tied things up at 16-16 on a kill from Brooklyn Cink. With the set knotted up at 20-20, Loyola got a kill from Venuto, followed by a Karlie McNabb service ace, in a 3-0 spurt that gave the hosts the lead for good.
 
Six unanswered points early in the second set broke a tie and moved Loyola ahead, 12-6, and that lead would expand to as many as eight points (18-10) before the Bears made a late charge. A half dozen consecutive MSU points chopped Loyola's advantage to 18-16, but Barnes stepped up big when her team needed her most, smashing a kill, then pairing up with Venuto on a block that provided a bit of breathing room and pushed the lead to 20-16. Missouri State got within two points one more time, at 24-22, but Katie Wemhoener's service error provided the final tally in the Ramblers' 25-22 win.
 
Loyola shook off a slow start to the third set, rallying from a four-point deficit to hang on for a 25-22 decision. Two kills from McNabb, along with one from libero Grace Hinchman, as well as a pair of aces from Barnes, were a big part of the Ramblers' 7-0 stretch that erased the four-point deficit and put Loyola on top for good, at 19-16. The lead would grow to 22-17, but the Bears once again clawed back and got within 22-21, before Barnes walloped her final kill of the afternoon and Venuto matched up with Emily Banitt on a block, then provided a kill of her own to finish off MSU.
 
A Look at the Numbers

• Barnes, who had six digs, four aces and two blocks to go with her team-best 10 kills, has now ripped double-digit kills in each of the last six matches.
• McNabb tallied nine kills, seven digs and a pair of aces for the Ramblers, who also received eight kills apiece from Feldkamp and Banitt.
• Hinchman celebrated her birthday by totaling 18 digs, six assists and an ace, while also notching a kill for the second straight contest.
• Manuela Ibarguen amassed 16 kills to lead Missouri State, which dropped its second straight outing.

 
Up Next
The Ramblers head to Terre Haute, Ind., to take on Indiana State on October 29. First serve is slated for 6 p.m. ET.