PEORIA, Ill. (March 14, 2021)
 
In Short…
Taylor Venuto finished with a team-high 10 kills, but Loyola University Chicago (7-5, 6-5 MVC) hit just .095 (36-24-126) as it suffered a 22-25, 24-26, 15-25 setback against Bradley (9-4, 9-4 MVC) this afternoon inside Renaissance Coliseum in Peoria, Ill.
 
How It Happened
Back-to-back Bradley attack errors quickly pushed Loyola out to a 4-2 lead in the first set.  The Braves answered with a 7-1 surge, capped off by a Doga Topcicek service ace, to open up a 9-5 advantage.  Loyola battled back, pulling even at 16 apiece after Elle Van Grinsven and Jenna Appel teamed up for a block.  With the Bradley lead sitting at 23-22 after a Venuto kill, Reann Bergman put to rest any hopes of a Rambler comeback, hammering home consecutive kills to seal a 25-22 win for the hosts.
 
Emily Banitt caught fire from the service line at the start of set two, firing back-to-back aces to stake the Maroon & Gold to a 5-3 lead.  After seeing Bradley edge in front, 9-8, Loyola rattled off four straight points, with an Appel kill sending the Ramblers back in front, 12-9.  The Braves responded with another push, scoring eight of the day's next nine points to charge back on top, 19-15, and prompt a Loyola timeout.  The Ramblers refused to go away, using a 5-0 run that was punctuated by a Grace Hinchman ace which reestablished a two-point lead for Loyola, 23-21.  Bradley's final push proved too much though, as the Braves closed the set with a 5-1 spurt to wrap up a 26-24 victory.
 
Bradley stepped on the gas from the onset in the third set, sprinting out to an 11-3 lead following a Rambler attack error.  A Banitt kill closed the gap to 13-7, but the Braves erupted with seven straight points, opening up a commanding 20-7 advantage en route to a match-ending 25-15 triumph.
 
Looking At The Numbers
- Venuto hit .280 (10-3-25) to lead Loyola on the afternoon with her aforementioned 10 kills.
- Banitt added nine kills and a team-high two service aces.
- Appel dished out 27 assists, while Hinchman racked up 21 digs. 
- Hannah Thompson led Bradley with a match-high 12 kills.
 
Up Next
Loyola and Bradley wrap up their two-game series on Monday at 5 p.m.