CHICAGO – Loyola Chicago women's volleyball split Saturday's doubleheader to close out Invitational play. The Ramblers swept Northeastern, 3-0, while Utah came away with a 3-1 win. Over the two-match stretch, Marta Cvitkovic tallied 28 kills and 11 digs, while Bree Borum had 71 assists and 21 digs.
 
Loyola sits at 3-6 overall after the weekend.
 
"I am really proud of the defenders this weekend who had to pass," said head coach Amanda Berkley. "I thought our passing was really good, especially today. I think we are seeing growth with this team, and hopefully, we can find a way to get a win next weekend."
 
Cvitkovic had back-to-back double-figure kills in Saturday's action. She recorded 11 in the sweep over Northeastern, hitting .310. She followed up with a season and match-best 18 vs. Utah.
 
Borum's second double-double and third of the season came against the Utes with 34 assists and 12 digs.
 
Fitting led Loyola with 37 digs over the two matches. She neared a double-double with 18 digs and eight assists vs. Utah in the night cap.
 
How It Happened – Loyola 3, Northeastern 0
Set One: Loyola pulled ahead 6-2 early on in the first set, using a 5-0 run with points from three different Ramblers. Northeastern got within three of Loyola with a pair of kills by Brynn Smith, 12-9. Kinley Gomez made it a one-point game, capping a 3-0 run with a kill of her own, but the Rambler scored six of the next eight points for a five-point edge, 20-15. Loyola's final five points of the set were sparked by a kill and ace from Ann Marie Remmes, while Esma Ajanovic delivered the final blow for a 25-20 win.
 
Set Two: The Ramblers picked up right where they left off with a kill by Olivia Lovett to open the second and lead Loyola to an early 2-0 lead. Northeastern kept up with Loyola forcing a 7-7 tie on an ace from Nadia Koanui. It would be the closest the Huskies got for the remainder of the set. Lovett and Marta Cvitkovic recorded back-to-back kills to go up 14-10. Cvitkovic helped build the lea to six with another kill down the stretch. A 4-0 run allowed the Huskies to get back within two, but Ajanovic halted the run, sparking a 6-2 Loyola streak to end the set, 25-19. Cvitkovic and Lovett had two points each in the final six for the Ramblers.
 
Set Three: Northeastern tallied the first two points of the third, but Loyola found its rhythm with five unanswered. Lovett tallied a kill for the Ramblers' first point of the set and helped them to a 5-2 edge. Loyola blew open the lead to double-digits late in the set with a 4-0 run to make it 23-13. Lovett started the rally with a kill, followed by Cvitkovic and Borum with kills. Lovett capped it with an ace. The Huskies tallied the next three points, but Borum and Cvitkovic completed back-to-back attacks to secure the sweep.
 
How It Happened: Utah 3, Loyola 1
Set One: The Ramblers looked alive in the first set with three straight kills from Ajanovic and Cvitkovic to lead 3-1 early on. The Utes fought back and took a 6-5 lead with an ace on Kamryn Gibadlo's serve. Loyola forced four ties before a pair of Utah errors swung the lead back in their favor, 13-12. They held control with the help of two 3-0 runs capped by a pair of kills from Ajanovic and Cvitkovic to go up 19-15. The teams traded points to close the set. Loyola won 25-21 with a Borum kill to seal it.
 
Set Two: Avary DeBlieck scored the first point of set two, but the Utes fired up with four straight kills to take over. It quickly became a 7-2 Utah lead following a Jardine kill, Fechter ace, and Loyola attack error. The Ramblers couldn't find a rhythm, and the Utes jumped ahead by nine on a 5-0 run. They'd make it a 10-point lead with Fechter dishing an ace, 21-11. Remmes and DeBlieck killed late, looking to spark a Rambler run, but Utah went on to win, 25-15.
 
Set Three: Three Utes registered kills in a 3-0 stretch, taking a 5-3 edge over the Ramblers. Cvitkovic knotted the set at 10 all with a kill, but Utah responded with four unanswered aided by three Rambler errors. Utah kept their lead at five before Cvitkovic delivered back-to-back blows to get within three, 18-15. The teams traded runs to end the set, and Utah's final 3-0 rally secured a 25-18 win.
 
Set Four: Utah took a 5-2 lead to start the set, but Borum and Cvitkovic led Loyola on a 4-0 run to swing the lead in the Ramblers' favor, 6-5. Jardine tied it at six on the next serve. Lovett was able to keep momentum in Loyola's favor, sparking a 6-1 run with a kill. Borum ended the streak with two straight kills, putting the Ramblers ahead, 12-7. The Utes used three separate 3-0 runs to regain the lead on a kill from Gibadlo, 17-16. The Ramblers tied the set twice more before Utah hunkered down for five straight kills to take the set, 25-19.
 
Up Next
The Rambler stay local to play for the Chicgao Cup. First up, Loyola will take on UIC at 5 p.m. on Sept. 19. The match will be played at DePaul.