CHICAGO (March 8, 2021)
 
In Short
Freshman Emily Banitt tallied a team-high 12 kills for Loyola University Chicago (7-4, 6-4 MVC), but it wasn't enough to stop league-leading Missouri State (12-3, 8-2 MVC), which rebounded from yesterday's five-set loss to post a 25-15, 26-24, 25-20 victory at The Alfie Norville Practice Facility this afternoon. The loss spoiled a pregame Senior Day ceremony for Loyola middle blocker Elle Van Grinsven.
 
How It Happened
Missouri State scored five of the first six points of the opening set to take control and never looked back on the way to a 25-15 decision. Late in the set, the Ramblers trailed, 18-12, but cut the gap to four thanks to back-to-back Bears hitting errors. However, MSU rattled off four straight points as part of a set-closing 7-1 spurt to squash any hopes of a Rambler rally.
 
Two kills from Banitt were part of a 7-3 start to set two that put Loyola in the driver's seat early. After Missouri State charged back and knotted the set at 8-8, three consecutive Bears errors put the Ramblers back in front, 11-8. A pair of stops by Amelia Flynn keyed a string of six unanswered points that moved MSU back on top, 14-11, but Loyola answered right back and closed out a stretch of three consecutive tallies with another Banitt kill to tie the proceedings again.
 
The teams went back-and-forth and when Banitt clubbed her sixth kill of the set, it tied things up at 24-24 but Missouri State respond with a Brooklyn Cink kill to reclaim the lead and finished out the 26-24 victory on a Loyola error.
 
In set three, neither team led by more than three points and when Taylor Venuto and Jenna Appel paired up on a block, it pushed the Ramblers' advantage to 19-16. Unfortunately, the Bears received three kills from Flynn during a set-closing 9-1 run to collect a come-from-behind, 25-20 win.
 
A Look at the Numbers

• Freshman libero Grace Hinchman had another impressive day in the back row, totaling a team-high 20 digs.
• Baniit fell one dig shy of a double-double, finishing with 12 kills and nine digs.
• Brooklyn Cink provided 13 kills to spearhead Missouri State's attack.

 
Up Next
Loyola visits Bradley for a two-match series, March 14 and 15.