DES MOINES (November 19, 2021)
 
In Short
Shorthanded Loyola University Chicago (20-9, 13-4 MVC) was unable to clinch the Missouri Valley Conference title outright tonight, falling at Drake (11-14, 6-11 MVC), 20-25, 21-25, 25-22, 24-26, at the Knapp Center. The Ramblers, who clinched at least a share of the 2021 MVC regular season title last weekend and played tonight without top offensive weapon Addie Barnes, have stumbled in three of their last four outings.
 
How It Happened
Drake's stretch of five unanswered points late in the opener broke a tie and put the Bulldogs ahead to stay, at 22-17. Loyola was unable to creep closer than four points the rest of the set however, as Drake collected a 25-20 victory.
 
Loyola hit just -.019 (10-11-52) in a 25-21 defeat in set two and the Bulldogs put the game away by reeling off four straight scores to turn a one-point advantage into a 15-10 lead. The Ramblers got within three points (24-21) on a Kelsey Watson/Sarah Murczek block, but a Bulldog rejection closed out the set and placed the Ramblers in a 2-0 hole in the match.
 
The Ramblers stayed alive in the match by hitting .353 (16-4-34) in a 25-22 victory in the third set. Emily Banitt drilled six kills during the set, including three as part of a 4-1 spurt that gave Loyola the lead for good, at 12-8. After Drake inched back to within 15-12, Lane Jenkins had a kill and a block during a string of five straight Loyola tallies that extended the advantage to 20-12, but Drake wouldn't go away. Trailing 23-17, the Bulldogs reeled off five consecutive points to chop the Loyola lead to 23-22, but a kill from Anna Feldkamp and a Karlie McNabb block put an end to Drake's comeback hopes.
 
Kelsey Watson helped Loyola get off to a sizzling start in set four, ripping three kills and adding a solo block, while pairing up with Esma Ajanovic on another rejection, as the Ramblers jumped out to a 7-0 lead. That edge wouldn't hold up though, and Drake stormed right back, going on a 14-4 run to seize a 14-11 lead that grew to as many as four points (17-13). The Ramblers rallied by tallying 11 of the next 14 points, with Venuto having a hand in three of those scores, to claim a 24-20 advantage, but Drake ran off the final six points to stun Loyola, 26-24, and take the match.
 
A Look at the Numbers

• Watson hammered a season-high 10 kills, which equals a career high, and hit .692 (10-113), while adding six blocks, for the Ramblers, who hit just .137 (49-28-153).
• Banitt finished with nine kills and Venuto provided eight kills and five blocks.
• Grace Hinchman totaled 23 digs and Karlie McNabb added 14 for Loyola, which got 38 assists and eight digs from Lane Jenkins.
• Drake, which played without the services of 2020-21 MVC Player of the Year Haley Bush, received 13 kills from Mariana Rodrigues.

 
Up Next
Loyola can win the MVC title outright tomorrow night when it visits Northern Iowa at 6 p.m. in the final regular season outing of the season for both teams.