CHICAGO - The Ramblers dropped a five-set battle in the Atlantic 10 opener to VCU Friday night. Loyola Chicago took the first set before going down 2-1. The Ramblers forced a fifth with a win in set four before the Rams delivered the final blow.
The loss dropped Loyola's record to 3-8 overall and 0-1 in A10 action.
The Ramblers were led by a double-double from Leyna Nguyen, who registered 12 kills and 10 digs on the day. Katie Scherer also added 14 kills to help the attack. On the defensive end, Sam Falk chipped in for with 12 digs to go with nine blocks from Chloe Morgan.
Coach Quote: Amanda Berkley
"What a battle tonight. Every time we play VCU it is a battle. We have to figure out a way to keep that first set momentum and consistency through the entire match. We need to slow down a few of their key players and really focus on passing and killing the ball tomorrow."
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Ramblers grabbed control on the first point and never looked back to win the first set 25-12. Loyola opened up its biggest lead, 13 points, to close out the set, totaling 17 kills while only notching one attack error in the process.
SET 2 | Loyola lost set two 25-17 to tie the match 1-1. Loyola trailed by as many as 11 points as VCU grabbed the advantage for good at 4-3 in a set that was tied up eight times before the Rams took over the lead.
SET 3 | The Ramblers then lost their second set in a row, falling behind in the match two sets to one. The Ramblers dropped a tough set 25-15. Loyola trailed by as many as 11 points as VCU grabbed the advantage for good at 5-4 in a set that was tied up four times before the Rams took over the lead.
SET 4 | Loyola broke its two set losing streak and forced a fifth set with a 25-17 victory in set number four. A fantastic serving performance helped Loyola earn a victory in a set where they notched five aces. The Ramblers rallied from down five at 6-1 to grab the win.
SET 5 | The Ramblers forced a fifth, but couldn't complete the comeback, losing the set 15-13 and the match 3-2. The Ramblers fell in a back-and-forth set five, losing in a stanza that featured two lead changes and was tied eight times. Neither team led by more than three points in the set.
Inside the Box Score
- Nguyen finished with a double-double on 12 kills and 10 digs.
- Scherer had a team-high 14 kills.
- Mya Ball dished out a team-best 27 assists and had two aces.
- Falk added six assists, three aces, and 12 digs.
Up Next
The Ramblers and Rams close out the series Saturday at 1 p.m. in Gentile.
