CHICAGO – George Mason bested Loyola Chicago in a five-set battle Saturday afternoon. Three Ramblers finished with double-figure kills, including a match-high by
Leyna Nguyen who had 26.
With the loss, Loyola falls to 14-12 overall and 11-5 in A10 play.
Coach Quote:
Amanda Berkley
"It was definitely a battle today. Leyna had a great match offensively. She found a way to get the job done and was electric and so fun to watch. George Mason has an outside hitter who can run a fantastic back row attack, which really hurt us today. That said, I am proud of the team for coming back and fighting. We have to be able to side out more efficiently moving forward."
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Ramblers fell behind early, losing a tight first set 25-23. George Mason grabbed the advantage for good at 20-19 in a set that was knotted up five times before the Patriots took over in the second half of the stanza.
SET 2 | Loyola responded to pick up a 25-23 victory in the second set to even things out. The Ramblers took the set with the help of a strong showing on the attacking side. Loyola registered a .390 attack percentage with 18 kills in the set win. Nguyen led the attack with seven kills in the set.
SET 3 | George Mason took a 2-1 match lead after taking down the Ramblers in set three. The Ramblers fell in a back-and-forth battle, losing 25-23 in a set that featured two lead changes and was tied eight times. Neither team had a lead of more than four points along the way.
SET 4 | Loyola then responded to secure set four 25-14 to force a fifth set. The Ramblers scored first and never trailed in the set to secure the victory. Loyola finished up the stanza on a strong note, claiming its biggest lead, 11 points, to finish off the set, collecting 16 kills in the process.
Tenley Davis led Loyola with five hills in the set, while Nguyen hit .571.
SET 5 | Loyola then came up short in set five,15-12, to fall in the match. The Ramblers held a lead at 12-11 before George Mason rallied to grab the win. The Patriots had the final four points that saw three attack errors by the Ramblers.
Inside the Box Score
- Mya Ball led Loyola with 38 assists. She added six aces and eight digs.
- Emma Henry recorded 23 assists.
- Sam Falk and Jae Fitting recorded double-digit digs. Falk had a team-high 19, while Fittings recorded 10.
- Nguyen led the match with 26 kills, while hitting .488. She neared a double-double with nine digs.
- Katie Scherer added 18 kills, while Davis added 12. It marked a career-best and first ever double-figure night for Davis.
Up Next
The regular season wraps up at George Washington next weekend.
