DAYTON, Ohio -- Loyola Chicago took down Dayton after a thrilling five sets, as two Ramblers secured double-doubles en route to victory on Saturday, Oct. 24. The win boosted the Ramblers to 11-10 overall and 8-3 in Atlantic 10 play.
Loyola was led by sophomore outside hitter Leyna Nguyen, who had 13 kills and 11 digs, and senior middle Avary DeBlieck with 10 kills and a season-high 10 blocks. Defensively, senior setter Emma Henry chipped in a career-best 19 digs.
Coach Quote: Amanda Berkley
"I'm really proud of the team for having a more balanced attack today. Avary [DeBlieck] had a very productive match, her blocking was great today. Our team was super excited to get a regular-season win against Dayton -- our first time since 2022."
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Ramblers took an early deficit, dropping the opening set 25-20, trailing by as many as eight points before clawing back to remain close throughout the frame.
SET 2 | Loyola responded with a 25-21 victory in set two, leading from the first point on to secure the win. The Ramblers led by eight points at one point and hit .273 as a team in the frame. The front row blocked four Dayton attacks in the stanza.
SET 3 | The Ramblers found themselves down again after a tight third set, falling 25-23 in the back-and-forth battle. Neither team led by more than four points in a set that saw six lead changes and nine tied scores.
SET 4 | Loyola forced a fifth set with a decisive 25-17 set-four victory, again leading from the first point on. The Ramblers totaled 16 kills in the frame, led by Nguyen with six, and only committed two attack errors.
SET 5 | After being down two sets to one, Loyola powered back to win the final two sets, resulting in a 15-10 fifth-set victory to take the match 3-2. The Ramblers opened up to a six point lead at 9-3 before finishing off the set, totaling nine kills and one attack error in the process. Junior middle Chloe Morgan sealed the Ramblers' fate with a hard kill, assisted by Henry.
Inside the Box Score
- Nguyen recorded her seventh double-double of the season and second in a row.
- DeBlieck led the Ramblers efficency, hitting .588 in the match.
- Juniors Kate Maley and Mallory Bohl each met double-figure kills with 12 and 10, respectively.
- The Ramblers are only the second team to defeat the Flyers in conference play so far this season.
Up Next
The Ramblers make a pit stop at Saint Louis for a midweek matchup on Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 4 p.m. CT before returning to Gentile Arena to host Fordham on Friday, Oct. 30 and Saturday, Oct. 31.
