CHICAGO -- In its Breast Cancer Awareness match, Loyola Chicago fought back after losing a tough first set to Davidson, prevailing to a 3-1 victory inside Gentile Arena on Friday, Oct. 16. The conference win improved the Ramblers' to 10-8 overall and 7-1 in Atlantic 10 play.
Three Ramblers finished the night with double-digit kills: sophomore Leyna Nguyen with 14, junior Kate Maley added 11 and sophomore Katie Scherer chipped in 10 as part of a balanced attack. Defensively, junior libero Sam Falk dug the match-high 19 balls and senior setter Emma Henry had 11.
Coach Quote: Amanda Berkley
"It was a really tough first set for us, but I'm proud of how we bounced back and played in the next three sets. Everything improved in the last three sets, our serving, defense and definitely our offense. We'll have to clean up our blocking, staying disciplined and doing a better job of being low and over."
"Sam [Falk] did a great job defensively, and Kate [Maley] turned it around after a tough first set for her. Leyna [Nguyen] is always a difference maker for us; she does it all, she has the pass, set, swing and can play defense."
How It Happened
SET 1 | It was a tough opening set for the Ramblers, who dropped 25-10 to the Wildcats. Loyola's attack hit in the negatives and couldn't withstand five Davidson service aces.
SET 2 | Loyola evened the match at 1-1, responding with a 25-19 set-two win. The Ramblers grabbed the advantage for good at 13-12 and hit .294 as a unit in the frame. Maley led with four kills on .429 hitting and Falk supplemented the offense with one ace.
SET 3 | The Ramblers took a 2-1 lead in the match after deating the Wildcats 25-20 in set three. Loyola's attack was sharp, hitting .362 and securing 20 kills in the stanza. Senior middle Avary DeBlieck clinched the set with a kill, assisted by Henry.
SET 4 | The fourth and final frame was the tightest, seeing 14 tied scores and five lead changes. Loyola persevered in the back-and-forth set, coming out on top, 25-22. Neither team led by more than three points in the set. Nguyen hit her best clip of the match at .364 with five kills.
Inside the Box Score
- Henry's 11 digs were a season high.
- Falk had the team-high two aces in the win.
- The Ramblers are on a seven-match win streak for the first time since 2024, when they went 9-0 to close out the regular season.
Up Next
The Ramblers and Wildcats rematch tomorrow afternoon, Saturday, Oct. 17 at 1 p.m. in Loyola's alumni match.
