CHICAGO (September 4, 2021)
 
In Short
Behind another strong performance from junior middle hitter Taylor Venuto, Loyola University Chicago (4-2) rallied to knock off Xavier (3-3), 25-18, 19-25, 20-25, 25-23, 15-13 this afternoon in the championship match of the Hampton Inn Chicago North/Loyola Station Rambler Challenge at Gentile Arena. The win in front of a boisterous Gentile Arena crowd capped a perfect 3-0 weekend for the Ramblers, who have their longest winning streak (three matches) since last February.
 
How It Happened
Loyola took control of the first set when it reeled off five straight points as part of a bigger 7-1 run that included a pair of kills each from Addie Barnes and Emily Baniit to give the Ramblers a 14-8 advantage.  The Ramblers would maintain a comfortable lead from that point forward, not allowing the Musketeers to get within four points in a 25-18 victory.
 
Three consecutive scores snapped a 9-9 tie and put Xavier on top for good in its 25-19 win in set two. Loyola closed within two tallies on a pair of occasions, the final time coming at 13-11 on a Barnes kill, but three straight Loyola hitting errors provided the visitors with a five-point cushion (16-11).
 
Xavier used an early run in the third set to gain the lead, notching four unanswered points, two coming on kills from setter Carrigan O'Reilly, to claim an 11-7 lead it would never surrender. Despite trailing by as many as five points (20-15) late, Loyola got two kills from Barnes during a 5-2 spurt that cut the deficit to 22-20, but the Musketeers rattled off the final three points of the set to garner a 25-20 decision.
 
Loyola, which hit .359 (20-6-39) in the set, never trailed in a 25-23 victory in set four, but also never led by more than three points in a tightly contested battle. Back-to-back kills from Venuto extended a one-point advantage to 21-18, but Xavier rallied to even the score at 21-21 with three unanswered tallies of its own. After the teams traded points, Emily Banitt's kill put Loyola ahead for good at 23-22, and Kelsey Watson's kill closed out the win and forced a decisive fifth set.
 
The Ramblers led by as many as three points on three occasions in the fifth set, only to see Xavier stage a comeback and eventually tie the score, the final time coming at 13-13. Baniit provided another clutch kill to stop a runoff two straight Musketeer points, and MaryAnn O'Toole's attack error provided the final tally in Loyola's thrilling 15-13 victory.
 
A Look at the Numbers

• Venuto got off to a sizzling start, totaling seven kills and only one error on her first 10 swings of the day, while finishing the match with 17 kills and three blocks, hitting at a .355 clip (17-6-31). The junior was named Hampton Inn Chicago North/Loyola Station Rambler Challenge Most Valuable Player after hitting .507 (40-6-67) and averaging 3.33 kills and 0.50 blocks per set in the three matches this weekend.
• Barnes led the Ramblers with 18 kills on the afternoon and also added 11 digs, and Sarah Murczek put up 11 kills and 11 digs. Freshman setter Lane Jenkins provided 30 assists and 14 digs to round out Loyola's trio of double-double efforts.
• Kelly Franxman had 13 kills and 15 kills to lead Xavier.
• Joining Venuto on the Rambler Challenge All-Tournament Team were teammates Grace Hinchman, who recorded 29 digs in today's win, and Jenna Appel. Franxman and Delaney Hogan represented Xavier on the all-tournament team, with Jessica Vineyard of SIU Edwardsville and Anna Purichia of Eastern Kentucky completing the seven-person squad.

 
Up Next
The Ramblers head to Manhattan, Kan., to compete in the K-State Invitational along with Ohio, Fresno State and Kansas State, September 9 and 10.