CHICAGO (February 14, 2021)
 
In Short
Four players totaled 10 or more kills to lead Loyola University Chicago (5-1, 4-1 MVC) to a 25-13, 21-25, 25-21, 23-25, 15-5 victory over Evansville (2-5, 1-4 MVC) this afternoon at The Alfie Norville Practice Facility. With the win, the youthful Ramblers improve to 3-0 at home and in five-set matches this season.
 
How It Happened
A fast start propelled Loyola to a 25-13 victory in the first set. Anna Feldkamp drilled two kills and paired with Kelsey Watson on two blocks to account for the first four points in a set-opening 7-2 spurt that gave the Ramblers control from the first serve. Once the Purple Aces trimmed the deficit to 7-4, Elle Van Grinsven ripped three straight kills and Evansville followed with an attack error to stretch Loyola's advantage to 10-4 and they never looked back. Evansville hit just -.034 (5-6-29) in the opener.
 
Evansville used a 4-1 run in the second set to seize the lead for good at 14-11. The Ramblers cut the deficit to one on a handful of occasions, the final time coming at 21-20 on an Aces attack error. However, back-to-back kills from Alondra Vazquez pushed the advantage back to three and UE held on for a 25-21 decision.
 
Loyola recorded the first four points of set three, only to have Evansville score 11 of the next 15 points to claim an 11-8 advantage. The Ramblers charged back and tied the score at 16-16 on another kill from Van Grinsven and after a brief exchange of points, Feldkamp and Kelsey Watson combined for a block, and Watson followed with a kill, to open up a set-closing 6-2 run that gave the Ramblers a 25-21 win.
 
A quick start to the fourth set gave the Ramblers a 5-1 lead that grew to as many as five points. However, the Purple Aces used a 6-1 run to wipe away Loyola's 12-7 lead and tie the score at 13-13.  Later, an Emily Banitt kill and another Feldkamp/Watson rejection put the Ramblers ahead, 23-22, but Evansville rattled off the final three points to force a fifth set.
 
Feldkamp led Loyola to victory in the fifth set, crushing four consecutive kills to open up a 7-0 run that also featured two kills from Sarah Murczek, to snap a 3-3 tie and give the Ramblers a commanding 10-3 advantage they would ride to a 15-5 decision.
 
A Look at the Numbers

• Feldkamp clubbed a season-best 15 kills and added eight blocks, hitting .429 (15-3-28), while Banitt notched a double0double with 15 kills and 18 digs.
• Van Grinsven smacked 14 kills and Watson pitched in 10 kills and seven blocks.
• Jenna Appel dished out a season-best 52 assists and dug 17 balls, and her freshman classmate Grace Hinchamn contributed 27 digs, with Kayla Kraus adding 15 digs.
• Vazquez had 23 kills to lead Evansville.

 
Up Next
Loyola and Evansville finish up the two-match series tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. CT.