LEXINGTON, Ky. (December 1, 2022)
 
In Short…
After stacking up the program's most wins in 20 years, Loyola University Chicago (25-9) had its historic season end in the First Round of the 2022 NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship, falling in straight sets to 12th-seeded Kentucky (21-7) at Memorial Coliseum Thursday evening: 25-17, 25-14, 25-20.
 
How It Happened
Loyola recorded the first point of the night on Karlie McNabb's first of her team-high 13 kills, as the Ramblers scrapped with the Wildcats in the opening set. An attack error on UK evened the match at 2-2 and the teams would trade points from there with the Ramblers staying within two points when another McNabb kill made it 9-7 UK. McNabb would end up with six kills in the opening stanza. However, the hosts utilized a 9-3 run to create separation and hit over .400 in the first set to take the match lead.
 
The second set started off in similar fashion with McNabb putting down the first two points for the Ramblers, but UK caught momentum and raced out to an insurmountable 18-5 advantage. Loyola clawed back with nine points but it was too little, too late with the Wildcats bagging a 2-0 lead in the match after limiting the Ramblers to a .045 hitting percentage. McNabb had four kills in the second frame with two each from Bree Borum and Addie Barnes.
 
Loyola fought until the very end in a tightly contested Set 3. A kill by Kelsey Watson cut the deficit to 9-8, before UK moved out in front by a 16-10 margin. The Ramblers were able to climb back with momentum though, trimming the deficit back down to three at 19-16 on a McNabb kill, and again at 21-18 on another kill from Taylor Venuto, but Loyola couldn't close the gap. Barnes finished with four kills in the final set, along with three from McNabb and two by Venuto, as Loyola logged a match-best .267 hitting percentage.
 
Looking At The Numbers

• McNabb hit .300 while finishing with 13 kills and six digs, finishing the season with a team-high 326 kills
• Borum dished 25 assists with seven digs, three kills and one block solo
• Barnes recorded nine kills and five kills
• Loyola was held without a service ace for the first time this season and just the second time in five years
• UK's .389 team hitting percentage was the highest allowed by Loyola this season
• The Ramblers hit .159 overall in team hitting percentage – fifth lowest this season
• Adanna Rollins led UK with 15 kills while Reagan Rutherford had 11 kills
• SEC Player of the Year Emma Grome finished with 44 assists