LEADING OFF
Loyola Chicago women's volleyball kicks off the 2026 season at the Cyclone Invitational, taking on host Iowa State Friday, Aug. 28, at 6:30 p.m. CT followed by a matinee match against UNI on Saturday, Aug. 29 at 1:30 p.m. CT. The Ramblers close out the weekend against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Sunday, Aug. 30 at 11:30 a.m.
QUICK HITS
- The Ramblers are the back-to-back Atlantic 10 Champions and earned consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances in 2025 after winning two five-set thrillers in the conference tournament. Loyola took down Duquesne for a spot in the championship match where the Ramblers bested host site VCU.
- Junior outside hitter Kaitlyn Burke led the squad with 20 kills while senior middle Avary DeBlieck had the match-high six blocks. Both were named to the A10 Second Team in their first-ever all-conference awards.
- DeBlieck is one of three seniors, alongside setter Emma Henry and defensive specialist Jordan Bruckner, and led the Ramblers at the net last fall. She totaled 168.0 blocks (135 BA, 33 solos), placing her second in the league.
- Henry facilitated Loyola's offense with 664 assists, good for third in the league. She dished out a career-high 58 assists in the tournament championship against VCU (Nov. 23). Junior libero Sam Falk held it down with 479 total digs (3.93/set) and led the team at the service line with 50 aces.
- Loyola returned nine letterwinners and added seven new faces, including three freshmen (Tenley Davis, Camryn Hughes, Anna Jirmasek) and four transfers (Mya Ball, Mallory Bohl, Morgan Jones, Katie Scherer).
- Amanada Berkley enters her ninth season at the helm of the program, holding a 153-93 (.622) record.
SCOUTING REPORT
Coming off a 23-8 season, the Cyclones were picked to finish sixth in the 15-team Big 12 Preseason Poll. 2025 Big 12 Libero of the Year Rachel Van Gorp was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Player of the Year Watch List and was the sole libero on the Big 12 Preseason Team. She averaged 4.7 digs/set to pace the conference.
The Panthers topped the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Preseason Poll with 11 first-place votes and had four athletes named to the preseason all-conference team: reigning MVC Player of the Year Cassidy Hartman, 2025 first team all-conference selections Lily Dykstra and Maryn Bixby, and All-MVC Second Teamer defensive specialist/libero Jadyn Petersen.
After finishing 16-14 overall in 2025, the Yellow Jackets landed at No. 6 in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Preseason Poll. Junior middle Bianca Garibaldi was top 20 in the country and second in the ACC with a .417 hitting clip last fall. She totaled 139 blocks in her sophomore campaign and received Second Team All- ACC and AVCA First Team All-Region Southeast Region honors.
All three opponents are 2025 NCAA Tournament teams: Iowa State defeated St. Thomas before falling in straight sets to No. 17 Minnesota, UNI had a first-round win against Utah then took a set off No. 11 Creighton in round two, and Georgia Tech battled No. 8 UCLA to five sets. All three teams received votes in the AVCA Preseason Poll.
SERIES HISTORY
- Iowa State holds a 6-0 all-time series record against Loyola as the two programs meet for the first time since 2011.
- It marks the first meeting between the Ramblers and Panthers since Loyola departed from the MVC prior to the 2022 season. UNI boasts a 22-4 record against Loyola.
- Meeting for only the second time ever, Georgia Tech defeated Loyola in straight sets back in 2000.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
All matches will be streamed on ESPN+ with live stat links available. Follow @RamblersWVB on Instagram and X for in-game updates.
