TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (February 21, 2021)
 
In Short
Sarah Murczek totaled 14 kills and Elle Van Grinsven added 11 and Loyola University Chicago (6-2, 5-2 MVC) served nine aces to earn a 25-20, 15-25, 25-22, 25-19 win against Indiana State (2-6, 2-4 MVC) this afternoon at ISU Arena.  The Ramblers have won four of their last five outings despite playing all of those contests without 2019 First Team All-Missouri Valley Conference standouts Addie Barnes and Taylor Venuto, who are out with injuries.
 
How It Happened
Loyola used a 5-2 spurt to break a tie and seize a 15-12 lead it would not surrender on its way to a 25-20 decision in the opening set. The Ramblers led by as many as five points on a few occasions, with Van Grinsven's kill putting the advantage at 20-15. Indiana State put a scare into Loyola, storming back within 20-18, but following a timeout, Murczek ripped one of her six kills in the first set, and Jenna Appel served consecutive aces, to stretch the lead back to five.
 
After Indiana State darted out to a 9-4 advantage in the second set, Van Grinsven recorded a pair of kills in a 6-1 run that evened the set at 10-10. However, things came crumbling down for the Ramblers after that, with the Sycamores countering with a 6-1 run of their own to reclaim a five-point edge, at 16-11, and they would roll to a 25-15 victory to even the match at a set apiece.
 
The Ramblers fell behind, 4-1 to start set three, only to put together a 9-3 run keyed by two kills and an ace from Murczek, for a 10-7 advantage they would never yield. Clinging to a 17-16 edge, another kill from Murczek opened a string of four unanswered tallies, which featured two kills from Van Grinsven, as the lead swelled to 21-16. The Sycamores wouldn't go down without a fight however, slicing the deficit to 23-22, but Kelsey Watson delivered back-to-back stops to finish off the 25-22 win.
 
Van Grinsven sparked Loyola to a 6-2 lead to start the fourth set, registering a pair of kills and two blocks during that opening burst, but Indiana State answered with five straight scores of its own to take the lead in a back-and-forth set. Trailing 14-13, Watson stepped up with a pair of kills and a block assist to put Loyola ahead to stay, at 16-15. In possession of a 19-18 advantage late, Loyola got an ace from Kat Warpinski to cap a stretch of three straight points for some breathing room on the way to a 25-19 victory.
 
A Look at the Numbers

• Murczek picked up her fifth double-double of the season, accumulating 14 kills and 17 digs to go with a pair of aces.
• Van Grinsven totaled 11 kills and four blocks, hitting .375 (11-2-24), while Watson pitched in eight kills and six blocks.
• Appel dealt 36 assists and had 10 digs and four aces, while Grace Hinchman was her usual consistent self in the back row, finishing with 21 digs.
• Loyola hit .333 (12-1-33) in the fourth set.
• Mallory Keller led the Sycamores with 14 kills.

 
Up Next
Loyola and Indiana State hook up again tomorrow afternoon to conclude the two-match series. First serve is set for 3 p.m. CT.