CHICAGO - Loyola Chicago continues its road trip at VCU this weekend. Both the Ramblers and Rams split last weekend's series. The Ramblers look to bounce back from a loss, while the Rams are building off a win. First serve Friday is set for 5 p.m. CT with Saturday to follow at 2 p.m. CT.
Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+.
QUICK HITS
• Loyola split its series at Davidson over the weekend, winning match one 3-1 and dropping the second match 3-1.
• In the win,
Kaitlyn Burke tallied 19 kills, including eight in the third set alone. She finished the match hitting .436 and added five digs, one ace, and a block.
• Burke followed up with another 18 kills for the Ramblers in match two. She hit .349 and recorded six digs and an ace.
•
Emma Henry had the starting nod at setter and extended her double-digit assists streak to seven matches. She totaled 88 assists over the two matches, highlighted by a season-high 45 assists in match two.
•
Sam Falk's double-figure digs streak stayed alive and includes every match played this season. The sophomore libero recorded 13 in the win and 19 in the loss.
• Loyola continues to rank among the country's best in several stat categories. The squad's 1,008 assists ranks seventh in the NCAA, while the 1,084 kills ranks eighth. The Ramblers have 197 total blocks, sitting 12th in the NCAA.
• Burke is the team leader with 266 kills so far this year. She is third in the A-10 and 85th in the country.
•
Avary DeBlieck surpassed 100 blocks over the weekend. Her 101 total blocks on the year is 10th most in the country. The junior middle is averaging 1.33 blocks per set, ranking 32nd in the NCAA.
• In addition to digging the ball, Falk is one of Loyola's best servers this season. She had a team-leading 31 aces, which ranks 52nd nationally.
• In A-10 play only, Loyola ranks second in blocks per set (2.51), helping the Ramblers hold their opponents to a .172 hitting percentage, which ranks third in the league.
• Head coach
Amanda Berkley is in her eighth season at the helm. Her overall record with the Ramblers is 146-88.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
VCU sits at 9-8 overall and 7-2 in A-10 play. The Rams are in a three-way tie for second in the conference standings with Loyola and George Mason. VCU won its season opener vs. Ohio State before dropping the next five matches. Before the weekend series, the Rams were on a five-match win streak. George Mason took the first match 3-1 before VCU flipped the script to win match two 3-1.
Overall, the Rams sit middle of the pack in most stat categories but have trended towards the top of the league since A-10 play took off. In conference play, VCU sits third in hitting percentage (.228), blocks per set (2.51) and aces per set (1.23) and fourth in assists per set (12.23) and kills per set (13.0).
Julia Rienks leads VCU with 254 kills on the year, averaging 3.55 per set. She started the season on a 13-match double-figure kill streak and has 15 matches with at least 10+. She tallied a season-high 29 kills vs. Davidson, while hitting .431. Defensively, Haruka Sugimoto leads the Rams with 233 digs, averaging 3.38 per set. Sugimoto had a least 10 digs in 10 matches this season highlighted by 26 at Saint Louis earlier this year.
SERIES HISTORY
Loyola leads the all-time series, 6-2. Both of VCU's wins came in last year's regular season, but the Ramblers rallied in the conference tournament, winning 3-1 to advance to the championship.
