CHICAGO - Loyola Chicago won its second straight Atlantic 10 title last week, punching its ticket to the big dance. The Ramblers will take on No. 7 Louisville in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Friday night at 5:30 p.m. CT. The winner will play the winner of Marquette vs. Western Kentucky in the second round on Saturday.

The match will be streamed on ESPN+ with Jeff Milby (PXP) and Stephanie Cantway (Analyst).

QUICK HITS
• Loyola won its third A-10 championship in four years and second straight after beating No. 6 Duquesne in the semifinals and No. 4 VCU in the championship. The Ramblers beat both in five sets.
• Ann Marie Remmes was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament, while Kaitlyn Burke and Emma Henry were on the All-Championship Team.
• Remmes totaled 36 kills while hitting .425 over the two matches. She added 10 digs, seven blocks, and two aces. She had 19 kills in the win over Duquesne and followed up with 17 against VCU.
• Burke went for back-to-back double-doubles in the tournament. She had 21 kills and a career-high 28 digs vs. the Dukes. Against the Rams, she had 20 more kills with 11 digs.
• Henry racked up 115 assists, averaging 11.5 assists per set. She had 57 in the win over Duquesne and 58 more vs. VCU. She recorded a double-double vs. the Dukes with 14 digs.
• Karli Molnau stepped up big for the Ramblers in both matches, finishing with 32 total kills and averaging 3.2 per set. She tallied 13 against the Dukes and came in hot with 19 vs. the Rams.
• Loyola has played 128 sets this season and 12 five-set thrillers. In seasons 2023, 2023, and 2022 combined, the Ramblers only saw five sets 12 times.
• The Ramblers rank in the NCAA top-20 in the following categories: eighth in total assists (1,527), eighth in total attacks (4,570), 10th in total kills (1,637), 11th in total digs (1,935), and 16th in total blocks (306).
• Avary DeBlieck broke the single-season block record that previously stood at 144 during the final weekend of regular season action. She has 168 and counting this season, which ranks fifth in the country. DeBlieck is averaging 1.41 blocks per set, sitting 23 in the NCAA.
• Burke is nearing 400 kills on the year. She currently has 391, which is the fourth most in the Atlantic 10. She sits fifth on Loyola's single season charts.
• Loyola's history in the NCAA Tournament dates back 30 years. The Ramblers won their first conference title in 1995 and have since won seven more conference championships and trips to the NCAA Tournament.
• The Ramblers won their first ever tournament game last year in the first round over No. 24 BYU, 3-0.
• Head coach Amanda Berkley is in her eighth season at the helm. Her overall record with the Ramblers is 153-92.

SCOUTING LOUISVILLE
Louisville enters the tournament ranked No. 7 in the AVCA Coaches Poll with a 24-6 overall record. The Cardinals went 16-4 in ACC action this season and are on a two-match skid with losses to Pitt and Stanford to close the regular season.

Louisville leads the country in total blocks (349.5) and is second in blocks per set (3.12). The Cardinals have the 16th best opponent hitting percentage at .168.

Cara Cresse and Hannah Sherman rank in the nation's top-15 blockers. Cresse has 160 total blocks and ranks 10th, while Sherman has 158 and ranks 12th. Offensively, three Cardinals have over 300 kills this season. Chloe Chicoine leads the team with 350, averaging 3.15 per set. She's recorded 10+ kills in 21 matches so far this year.

SERIES HISTORY
Louisville leads the all-time series, 3-1. Loyola's lone win came in 1986. The Cardinals have one three straight (1998, 1999, 2000).