CARBONDALE, Ill. (February 8, 2021)
 
In Short
For the second straight match, host Southern Illinois (1-5, 0-4 MVC) had no answer for Loyola University Chicago's (4-1, 3-1 MVC) middles as the Ramblers picked up a 25-22, 25-16, 25-19 victory at Davies Gym to earn a sweep of the two-match series. Head coach Amanda Berkley's squad has prevailed in 17 of its last 22 Missouri Valley Conference matches. 
 
How It Happened
Things couldn't have started much worse for the Ramblers as they dug themselves a 7-1 hole to commence the match, but the young and resilient Loyola team maintained its composure and roared right back, scoring six straight points, three coming on kills from Anna Feldkamp, to draw even at 7-7. A bit later, a 7-1 spurt turned a two-point deficit into a 14-10 Loyola advantage, although the Salukis would fight back to tie the set at 15-15. 
 
Sarah Murczek willed Loyola to a 25-22 win down the stretch in the opening set, recording a kill and a service ace before combining with Elle Van Grinsven on a block to snap a 22-22 stalemate and finish out the victory.
 
The Ramblers hit .382 (18-5-34) in set two on the way to a 25-16 decision. A hot start that featured two kills each from Emily Banitt, Feldkamp and Van Grinsven fueled a 10-4 run to open the action and Loyola was never seriously threatened the rest of the set, keeping Southern Illinois at arm's length the entire way and never allowing the lead to slip below four points.
 
Kelsey Watson paired with Feldkamp on a block and added a kill of her own during a 3-0 burst that gave Loyola the lead for good, at 15-12. SIU got within a point on a pair of occasions, but the Ramblers had an answer for each rally. After the Salukis got within 16-15, Van Grinsven dropped a kill and Kayla Kraus served an ace around two SIU hitting errors to extend the advantage to 20-15.
 
Southern Illinois tried to muster one last rally and cut the gap to 21-19 on a Taylor Morgan kill, but Banitt rattled off back-to-back kills, Watson and Jenna Appel teamed up for a rejection, and Kat Warpinski provided an ace, to finish off a 25-19 Ramblers victory.
 
A Look at the Numbers

• Loyola hit .275 (46-18-102) for the match and registered 9.0 team blocks, while limiting the Salukis to an .094 (25-16-96) attack percentage.
• Watson was the only Rambler to reach double digits in kills, putting up a season-best 10 stops, hittng.471 (10-2-17), while adding three blocks.
• The Ramblers also received nine kills each from Murczek and Feldkamp, and Van Grinsven, who has been at her best against Southern Illinois in her career, finished with eight stops and five blocks, with a .667 (8-0-12) attack percentage.
• Grace Hinchman totaled a team-high 17 digs and Banitt accumulated seven kills and 13 digs.
• SIU was led by Imani Hartfield's nine kills.
• Loyola's 4-1 start is its best since opening the 2012 season at 5-0.

 
Up Next
Loyola looks to continue its strong play in Missouri Valley Conference action when Evansville visits The Alfie Norville Practice Facility on February 14 and 15.