CHICAGO – The Loyola Chicago women's volleyball team dropped a 3-0 decision to ninth-ranked Pittsburgh Sunday afternoon inside Gentile Arena.
 
Addie Barnes led the way offensively with a team-high 11 kills while Bree Borum and Karlie McNabb each chipped in seven kills. Borum dished out a team-high 20 kills while Olivia Lovett led the digging effort for the second consecutive match with seven digs.
 
Set 1
Pittsburgh stormed out of the gate, jumping out to a commanding 13-2 lead. The Ramblers would score four in a row, with Barnes contributing an ace and a kill in the run, to pull within seven at 14-7, but the Panthers would take the 1-0 lead in the match with a 25-14 victory.
 
Set 2
The Ramblers battled back in the second set, pushing Pittsburgh to the wire. After Pittsburgh took a 23-17 kills, four consecutive points by Loyola pulled the Ramblers within two. Emily Banitt and Avary DeBlieck teamed up on a block to start the rally before Barnes connected from the outside to end it. The teams would trade the next three points, with Pitt taking the 25-22 decision and a 2-0 lead into the intermission.
 
Set 3
Once again, a Pitt run to start the set proved costly, as the visitors opened with a 7-1 lead before Loyola rallied with four in a row to cut the deficit to two. The Ramblers would match the Panthers until the midway point of the third set, as a Banitt and DeBlieck block once again pulled Loyola within a pair at 17-15. It was all Pittsburgh the rest of the way, as an 8-1 Panther scoring run would seal the 25-16 decision and 3-0 victory.
 
Loyola plays its final matches of non-conference play next weekend, hosting UIC, DePaul and Yale in the Hampton Inn Invitational on Friday and Saturday.
 
News and Notes

• DeBlieck and Banitt tied for the team high with three blocks each.
• The Ramblers struggled to get going offensive against Pitt, a national semifinalist a year ago, hitting just .054 as a team. Borum had the best day from an efficiency standpoint, finishing the match with a .545 hitting percentage on 11 total attempts.
• Loyola was unable to overcome the height advantage that Pittsburgh had, as Pittsburgh out-blocked the Ramblers, 12-6.