NORMAL, Ill (April 2, 2021)
 
In Short
Elle Van Grinsven's 14 kills led four Loyola University Chicago (11-8) players in double-figure kills as the Ramblers picked up a 25-17, 17-25, 26-24, 25-23 victory over No. 7 seed Northern Iowa (9-13) Friday night in the semifinal round of the Missouri Valley Conference Championship at Redbird Arena. The Ramblers have reached the MVC Championship title match for the first time in program history and are playing in a conference tournament final for the first time since 2005, when they won the Horizon League Championship.
 
How It Happened
When Taylor Venuto drilled a kill and Grace Hinchman served up back-to-back aces in the opening set, it sparked a 9-1 run that gave the Ramblers a 23-16 lead on the way to a 25-17 victory. Venuto totaled three kills in that decisive run, while Emily Banitt pitched in a pair of kills of her own to help Loyola to a set-one victory. Loyola is now 10-1 this year when it begins the match with a victory in the opening set.
 
Loyola jumped out to a 4-1 lead to open the second set, but a Carly Spies kill touched off a 10-3 UNI burst that provided the Panthers with a lead they would never surrender en route to a 25-17 decision that knotted the match at a set apiece.
 
The Ramblers appeared to be in trouble in set three when they trailed 19-16, but a kill by Banitt jumpstarted a string of five unanswered scores, capped by a Kelsey Watson/Venuto block, that moved Loyola ahead, 21-19. Northern Iowa battled back and evened the score and with the set deadlocked at 24-24, Sarah Murczek delivered a kill and Van Grinsven and Jenna Appel teamed up to turn back a Panthers attack to finish out a 26-24 Loyola win.
 
In the fourth set, Loyola had to stage another late rally, this time overcoming a four-point deficit (19-15) thanks to a pair of kills from Van Grinsven, along with an ace and a kill by Murczek, for a 20-19 advantage. UNI ripped off four consecutive tallies though to reclaim the lead at 23-20, before the Ramblers made an epic comeback. Kills from Van Grinsven and Venuto, as well as a pair of Panthers hitting errors, were part of Loyola's knockout punch of five straight points, that gave the Maroon and Gold a 25-23 victory.
 
A Look at the Numbers

• Van Grinsven matched a season high with 14 kills, hitting .379 (14-3-29) with three blocks to lead Loyola to its fourth victory in the last five contests.
• Murczek provided 13 kills and 15 digs, while Banitt added 11 kills and 12 digs.
• Appel joined Murczek and Banitt in the double-double club, collecting 47 assists and 10 digs, while Hinchman dug 29 balls.
• Venuto rounded out the Ramblers' crop of double-digit kill producers, with 10 kills and five blocks.
• Emily Holterhaus smacked a team-high 15 kills for UNI, which was making its 36^thstraight MVC Championship semifinal –round appearance.

 
Up Next
Sixth-seeded Loyola battles No. 1 seed Illinois State Saturday at 5 p.m. CT with a NCAA Tournament berth on the line. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+.