CHICAGO (November 18, 2022) – After receiving a first-round bye, No. 1 seed Loyola University Chicago (23-8, 17-1 A-10) will play in the Atlantic 10 Championship semifinals at 1 p.m. CT Saturday in St. Louis, where it awaits the winner of Friday's match between No. 4 seed George Washington (17-14, 11-7 A-10) and No. 5 seed Saint Louis (18-12, 10-8 A-10).
 
Loyola claimed the A-10 regular season conference title and feature the league's Player of the Year, Karlie McNabb, Setter of the Year, Bree Borum, and Co-Coach of the Year, Amanda Berkley.
 
McNabb, who was also named to the All-Conference First Team, ranked third in the league and led the Ramblers in kills per set (3.20) and points per set (3.74). Her digs per set (2.28) ranked third at Loyola. An outside hitter from Sun Prairie, Wis., she was named A-10 Player of the Week on Oct. 3.
 
Borum, a setter from Sterling, Ill., was fourth in the Atlantic 10 in assists with 8.09 per set and second in total assists with 946, helping Loyola Chicago rank eighth nationally in team assists. She was named the setter for the All-Conference First Team.
 
Additionally, Taylor Venuto and Emily Banitt were voted second-team all-conference honorees. Venuto joined Grace Hinchman on the All-Academic Team.
 
With 23 wins during the regular season, Loyola has reached its highest win total since 2002 (27) while producing 20 victories for the third time in five seasons under Berkley.
 
Loyola wrapped up the regular season undefeated in Gentile Arena (12-0) for the first time in program history, while going unbeaten at home for the first time since 1993 (14-0) at Alumni Gym. Loyola is a combined 23-1 inside Gentile over the past two seasons, with 13 straight home victories.
 
Loyola leads the A-10 in team hitting percentage (.246) and kills per set (13.73), along with assists (12.61), digs (12.47) and fewest kills allowed (11.01). The Ramblers rank fourth in the nation in team kills (1,606), seventh in aces (211) and third in assists (1,475).
 
Since the start of the 2020-21 campaign, Loyola is 50-3 (.943) when winning the first set of a match.
 
Last Time Out
Loyola swept second-place Davidson last weekend to clinch the regular season championship in a pair of four-set decisions. In the second match and regular season finale, Loyola recorded a season-best 15 service aces (Borum 6). McNabb led with 12 kills and 10 digs, picking up her fifth double-double effort. Borum lit up the stat sheet with 29 assists, team-high 15 digs, six kills and six aces. Loyola hit .239 as a team, with a .300 mark in the first set and .310 in the fourth. Davidson was limited to .085 team hitting percentage – the seventh time Loyola kept an opponent under .100.
 
Up Next
The winner of Saturday's semifinal advances to the championship match Sunday at noon CT.