CHICAGO (November 10, 2021) - Loyola (19-7, 12-2 MVC), which has won 12 of its last 14 outings and had a six-match winning streak snapped last Friday, has a chance this weekend to sew up its first regular season conference championship since capturing the Horizon League title in 2002. With one more victory, the Ramblers would record their second 20-win season in the last three years, but just their third since 2005 (2015, 2019). Loyola, which hosts in-state rivals Bradley and Illinois State this weekend, has won three of its last four contests versus teams from the Land of Lincoln.

Junior outside hitter Addie Barnes has tallied a double-double in each of her last three appearances versus Illinois State.

Since the start of the 2019 campaign, Loyola has won 14 of its last 16 MVC matches at Gentile Arena. Dating back to the 2019 season, the Ramblers, who played their home matches at The Alfie Norville Practice Facility in 2020-21, have prevailed in 17 of the last 19 contests on their home floor. Loyola has been perfect at home this season (10-0) and is attempting to go undefeated on its home floor for an entire season for the first time since 1993 when it won all 14 contests at Alumni Gym.

Loyola is 17-0 this season when it captures set one and has won each of its last 18 matches when it claims the opening act. In fact, since the start of the 2020-21 campaign, the Ramblers are 27-1 when winning the first set of a match. 

Freshman Esma Ajanovic appeared in only five sets through the first 24 matches, but over the last two outings is pitching in 2.67 kills and 0.83 blocks per set, hitting at a .323 (16-6-31) clip. In her last appearance at Gentile Arena, the right side blasted seven kills and hit .417 (7-2-12), while adding three blocks, in a win over Drake. 

In its last seven matches at Gentile Arena, Loyola has posted a .274 hitting percentage (351-126-821), and in the last outing on their home floor, the Ramblers hit a robust .415 (46-7-94) in a three-set sweep of Drake on November 1. 

With four league matches left to play, Loyola has a chance to equal or better the program record for conference wins (14), regardless of affiliation, set in 2019.

Scouting Bradley

The surging Braves enter the week as the hottest team in The Valley and are riding a six-match winning streak heading into Friday's showdown at Gentile Arena. Bradley is 5-4 in true road contests this year, has won its last three away from home and is 4-2 on the road in MVC action. Senior outside hitter Hannah Thompson leads the Braves' attack with 2.98 kills per set and also contributes 3.81 digs per set. Loyola has prevailed in seven of its last eight meetings with Bradley in Rogers Park and since joining The Valley, the Ramblers are 11-6 overall against the Braves. When the teams met in Peoria last month, Emily Banitt and Taylor Venuto tallied 15 kills apiece as Loyola picked up a five-set victory.

Scouting Illinois State

Illinois State had an eight-match winning streak broken with a five-set loss to Indiana State on November 6 in Normal. The Redbirds are 6-3 overall away from home this season and have won five of their first seven road tilts in Valley play, including each of the last three. Tamara Otene, a sophomore outside hitter, has had a breakthrough season for ISU and leads the team and ranks fourth in the MVC with 3.88 kills per set, while hitting at a .241 (403-166-983) clip. The Redbirds have been Loyola's kryptonite and have won 12 straight against the Ramblers, including four in a row in Chicago. Last month, Addie Barnes had 12 kills and 11 digs, but Otene ripped 12 kills of her own to power Illinois State to a 3-1 victory at Redbird Arena.

Up Next

Loyola wraps up the regular season next weekend with matches at Drake (Nov. 19) and Northern Iowa (Nov. 20).