SAINT LOUIS, Mo. -- Behind sharp service play and a diligent attack, Loyola Chicago picked up a hard-fought win on the road at Saint Louis, defeating the Billikens in four sets, 3-1. The victory moved the Ramblers to 12-10 overall and 9-3 in Atlantic 10 play.
Sophomore outside hitter Leyna Nguyen led Loyola with her third straight double-double, registering 18 kills on .324 hitting and a career-high 20 digs in the win. Junior Kate Maley contributed 16 kills while hitting .367 and had five blocks -- both career-bests. Defensively, junior libero Sam Falk chipped in 19 digs to go with another five blocks from senior middle Avary DeBlieck.
Coach Quote: Amanda Berkley
"I'm really glad we got that win tonight. We were in every point and communicated really well today. Our passing was decent which helped us find our hitter and ger great production from Leyna, Avary, Kate and Katie [Scherer]."
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Ramblers took an early lead with a 25-23 first-set win thanks to a strong showing on the attacking side. Loyola's offense put together a .333 attack percentage with 16 kills in the victory. Maley led the way with five kills, only committing one attack error in the frame.
SET 2 | Loyola put itself on the verge of a sweep, securing set two 25-18. The Ramblers came out on top in the back-and-forth set, which saw nine tied scores and seven lead changes. Nguyen paced the offense, registering six kills while hitting .600 in the set.
SET 3 | Saint Louis stopped the sweep and forced a fourth set, taking the third in extra points, 27-25. It was another tight set with seven tied scores and three lead changes. The Ramblers hit their lowest, registering a .231 attack percentage.
SET 4 | The Ramblers responded to end the match with a 25-19 set-four victory, taking the lead for good at 8-7. Loyola boosted its offense with four aces in the set, led by Nguyen with two and one from junior middle Chloe Morgan and another from senior setter Emma Henry.
Inside the Box Score
- The Ramblers ended the Billikens five-match winning streak and are tied for first in the league.
- Loyola recorded a season-best 12 aces in the win, led by Falk and junior setter Mya Ball with three apiece.
- Henry recorded a team and season-high 33 assists.
Up Next
The Ramblers return home to host the Fordham Rams in a two-match series on Friday, Oct. 30 at 6 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 31 at 1 p.m.
