RICHMOND - No. 2 Loyola Chicago downed No. 4 VCU, 3-2, to win its second straight Atlantic 10 Championship and third in the last four seasons. Three Ramblers recorded 15 or more kills in the win, including 20 kills by Kaitlyn Burke. Burke also posted her second consecutive double-double with 11 digs.

The Ramblers punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament and will find out their fate during the selection show on Nov. 30.

"I am so proud of this team for believing and playing with gritty competitive fire," said head coach Amanda Berkley. "VCU played unbelievable, and it was an incredible match. Proud of Emma for continuing to improve this season. I think she played her best these last two matches. Karli, Kaitlyn, and Ann Marie really paced the offense, while Sam and Jae did an incredible job passing and digging. I am just super proud of this group for continuing to get better and make the play."

How It Happened
SET 1 | The Ramblers lost set one 27-25 in spite of a strong showing on the attacking end. Loyola registered a .464 attack percentage with 15 kills in the set loss. Karli Molnau got going early with six kills, while Burke added five.

SET 2 | Loyola evened the match at 1-1 after a 27-25 victory in the second set. The Ramblers came out on top of a close second set, winning in a stanza that was tied five times and had two lead changes. Loyola's front row had a solid defensive performance, blocking four VCU attacks in the stanza. Ann Marie Remmes had five kills, hitting .833 in the set, while Avary DeBlieck had four blocks.

SET 3 | VCU responded to win set number three, putting Loyola Chicago in a two sets to one hole. The Ramblers fell in a back-and-forth battle, losing 27-25 in a set that featured 11 lead changes and was tied 18 times. Neither team had a lead of more than three points along the way. Remmes had another team-leading four kills, while Butke and Molnau added three each. 

SET 4 | Loyola responded to secure the fourth set 25-21. A strong showing on the attacking end led the Ramblers to victory in the set. Loyola registered a .323 attack percentage with 16 kills in the set win. After the lead changed hands three times, the Ramblers took control for good at 18-17 and rode that advantage to victory. Molnau and Burke combined for 10 kills, while Emma Henry had 16 assists in the set.

SET 5 | Down two sets to one, Loyola Chicago fought back to win the final two sets, culminating in a 15-12 fifth-set victory, to take the match 3-2. The Ramblers took the lead for good at 5-4 in a set that had just one lead change before the Ramblers took over the lead. Leyna Nguyen and Burke had three kills each, and Molnau delievered the final kill for match point to take home the title.

Game Notes

• Burke led the Ramblers with 20 kills. She added 11 digs for the double-double. 
• Molnau had a career-high 19 kills while hitting .441.
• Remmes recorded 17 kills with a .593 hitting percentage. She finished with three blocks and seven digs.
• Henry dished out 58 assists and two aces.
• Sam Falk led Loyola with three aces. She added 10 digs and five assists.
• This marks the second straight and third overall A-10 title for the Ramblers since joining the league four seasons ago.