VALPARAISO, Ind. (November 5, 2021)
In Short
Esma Ajanovic and
Addie Barnes put up nine kills apiece, but Loyola University Chicago (19-7, 12-2 MVC) saw its six-match winning streak come crashing to a halt with a 21-25, 16-25, 24-26 loss at Valparaiso (18-7, 9-5) Friday night at the Athletics-Recreation Center.
How It Happened
Loyola jumped out to a 4-1 lead at the outset of the match thanks to kills from
Taylor Venuto and
Emily Banitt. Unfortunately, though, that lead would be short-lived with Valparaiso fighting back behind a 16-5 run that gave the Beacons a sizable 17-9 advantage. The Ramblers methodically crawled their way back, eventually getting within two points (23-21) on a kill from Barnes, but a Loyola service error and a kill from Haley Hart closed down a 25-21 Beacons win.
Despite having another early three-point lead, Loyola was unable to maintain that edge and suffered a 25-16 defeat in the second set. Little went right for the Ramblers as Valpo hit .355 (14-3-31) to pick up the victory. The hosts' 7-2 run that turned a tie into a 16-11 lead spelled doom for the Ramblers.
Loyola got off to another early lead in a see-saw third set that ended with a 26-24 Beacons win. Neither team led by more than three points throughout set three and late in the action, an Ajanovic/
Kelsey Watson block was followed by an ace from Venuto that put the Ramblers on top at 21-19. Valpo picked up the next two points to knot the score and the teams traded off tallies until a kill from Maddy Boyer and a Victoria Bulmahn ace closed out VU's 26-24 victory.
A Look at the Numbers
- Ajanovic ripped a season-best nine kills as she saw considerable playing time for the second straight outing, and Barnes had her streak of consecutive matches with 10 or more kills snapped at nine.
- The Ramblers, who are one of the top hitting teams in The Valley, hit just .116 (37-24-112) as a team.
- Valpo, which received a match-high 10 kills from Hart, improved to 7-0 on its home court with tonight's victory.
Up Next
The Ramblers play their final home matches of 2021 at Gentile Arena, where they are a perfect 9-0 this season, next weekend. A visit from Bradley (Nov. 12) opens the weekend, followed by a pivotal Senior Night tilt versus Illinois State (Nov. 13). Both matches begin at 6 p.m.
