CORALVILLE, Iowa - Loyola Chicago fell in the final match of the Kiwi Star Classic, 3-0 (23-25, 23-25, 18-25), to the Iowa Hawkeyes Saturday on the road at Xtream Arena.
The loss dropped Loyola to 2-4 on the season.
"I was proud of the way the team battled the first two sets," said head coach Amanda Berkley. "Sam had a nice match defensively and was able to steal some kills. We need to be a little bit better with serve receive and running our offense at a more efficient rate."
Kaitlyn Burke finished with 10 kills on the day to lead the Ramblers attack while finishing with a hitting percentage of .292. Sam Falk was tabbed to the All-Tournament Team following a 19 dig performance, while Ann Marie Remmes tallied seven blocks.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Ramblers found themselves in an early deficit, losing a nail-biter first set 25-23. Loyola Chicago trailed by as many as six points as Iowa grabbed the advantage for good on the first point in a set that was tied up three times before the Hawkeyes took the win. Burke tallied half her kills in the first set, hitting .556.
SET 2 | Loyola lost the second set 25-23, digging a 2-0 hole in the match. The Ramblers dropped a back-and-forth set, losing in a stanza that featured seven lead changes and was tied 15 times. Neither team led by more than four points along the way. It was a balanced effort with three Ramblers recording two or more kills, while the team finished with 5.5 blocks in the second.
SET 3 | Loyola couldn't prolong the match and lost in set number three, 25-18. Loyola trailed by as many as seven points as Iowa grabbed the advantage for good at 13-12 in a set that was tied up eight times before the Hawkeyes took over. Kate Maley registered four kills, attempting to spark Loyola's attack, but the Ramblers fell short.
Game Notes
- Falk had a team-high two aces.
- Remmes had a match-high seven blocks.
- The Ramblers posted 10.5 total blocks.
- Burke had a team-high 10 kills for Loyola Chicago.
- Loyola got a match-high 19 digs from Falk.
- Ava Hunter tallied 27 assists.
Up Next
The Ramblers return to Gentile Arena to open the 2025 home schedule. Loyola plays host to Stephen F. Austin, Indiana, and Bowling Green for the Loyola Invitational.