CHICAGO, Ill. - Four Ramblers double-doubled propelling the Loyola Chicago volleyball team to a 3-2 home opening win (25-18, 22-25, 22-25, 29-27, 15-13) over the SFA Ladyjacks Thursday night.

The win moved the Ramblers' overall record to 3-4 on the season.

"Wow, what a rollercoaster of a match," said head coach Amanda Berkley. "I thought we started really strong. The team was excited to be back home in Gentile. We had some areas where we didn't sideout very well, but I am really proud of this team for finding a was to get the job done and compete. You can never count them out."

The Ramblers were led by double-doubles from Leyna Nguyen, who had 14 kills and 16 digs, Kaitlyn Burke, who had 25 kills and 12 digs, Ava Hunter, who had 43 assists and 12 digs, and Josie Halbleib, who had 17 assists and 10 digs. Karli Molnau also added 13 kills to help the attack. On the defensive end, Sam Falk chipped in for with 32 digs to go with six blocks from Avary Deblieck.

How It Happened
SET 1 | The Ramblers grabbed control on the first point and never looked back to secure the first set 25-18. Loyola led by 12 points at 18-6 before finishing off the set, collecting 16 kills along the way. Burke heated up early with a set-high five kills to lead the first. 

SET 2 | Loyola then dropped the second set 25-22, tying the match at a set apiece. The Ramblers fell behind on the first point and never took the lead before dropping the set. Loyola tied it 18-18 with the help of an attack error, but SFA held on to win. Nguyen tallied seven kills in the set. 

SET 3 | Loyola  fell again in the third set to make it a 2-1 lead for the Ladyjacks. The Ramblers battled back from an eight-point deficit at 17-9, but SFA held on to win the set 25-22. Molnau took advantage of the set start and registered four kills.

SET 4 | Loyola broke their two set losing streak and forced a fifth set with a 29-27 victory in set number four. The Ramblers survived a back-and-forth set to win in a stanza that featured five lead changes and was tied 17 times. Neither team was able to grab a lead larger than four points along the way. Twenty of Loyola's their 29 points came via the kill, while a solid defensive performance from a front row that blocked four SFA attacks. Burke tallied another eight kills, while Molnau added five.

SET 5 | The Ramblers battled back to force the fifth, culminating in a 15-13 set victory to grab the 3-2 win. The Ramblers took the lead for good at 13-12 in a set that showcased three lead changes before the Ramblers took over the lead. The Ramblers victory came in a set where they hit .300. Burke and Molnau combined for nine kills in the final frame.

Game Notes

• Nguyen, Burke, Hunter, and Halbleib registered double-doubles in the win.
• Burke had a match-high 25 kills for Loyola and added 12 digs. Both marked season-highs.
• Nguyen tallied 14 kills and a season-high 16 digs.
• Hunter added 43 assists and 12 digs, while Halbleib had 17 assists and 10 digs.
• Molnau tallied a season-high 13 kills.
• Loyola had five players in double figures in digs.
• Sam Fak tallied a season-high 32 digs and eight assists.