Loyola Puts Up Fight Against Kentucky in NCAA First Round but Loses in Three Sets

The Loyola women’s volleyball team’s (25-8, 17-1) NCAA tournament run was cut short after being swept in three sets by the tournament’s No. 12 seed University of Kentucky Dec. 1 in the first round. Loyola put up a physical and emotional fight, but a powerful Kentucky team took over to advance to the second round. 

The match began in the hands of the Ramblers with sophomore setter Bree Borum serving first. It wasn’t long before junior outside hitter Karlie McNabb got her hands on the ball and hit the first kill of the night, giving Loyola the first point. Kentucky took the next two points with kills from Adanna Rollins and Azhani Tealer, followed up by a service ace putting the Wildcats in the lead early on. 

Kentucky continued to lead, showing off its size at the net with six blocks and 15 kills. Kentucky’s Erin Lamb, Bella Bell and Reagan Rutherford — all over six-feet tall — were stationed at the net to block three of Loyola’s attack attempts. The Wildcats’ size proved to be a big advantage for them as Loyola struggled to get past the wall posted at the net. Rollins finished the set for Kentucky with three kills, only interrupted by a kill from Loyola’s senior outside hitter Addie Barnes with a kill. The Wildcats took the first set 25-17. 

McNabb began the second set in similar to the first with a kill off a Kentucky serve. The Wildcats responded with two consecutive kills from Rollins and a dual-block by Bell and Rollins. Once again, the Ramblers struggled with getting hits over Kentucky’s blockers but were able to find some gaps past the net. 

The Wildcats continued to use their height, which was an average of six-foot across the court, to stifle Loyola with blocks. Kentucky jumped to an 11-point lead near the halfway point of the set, extending it to twelve after another kill by Rutherford. The Ramblers fought back, as a long back-and-forth volley showcased Loyola’s ability to stay in the hunt.

With multiple digs from junior libero Grace Hinchman and attack attempts from McNabb and Barnes, the Ramblers had some good looks on both sides of the court, but got battered by Kentucky’s height up until the end of the set. Borum hit a kill to delay the Wildcats set point by one play, but Rutherford hit her eighth kill of the night which helped Kentucky take the 25-14 win. 

The Wildcats got on the board first in the third set off a kill from Tealer, followed by another from Rollins. Loyola stopped Kentucky in its tracks with a kill by Barnes and a dual-block by junior middle blocker Kelsey Watson and Banitt. The Ramblers stayed within three points of the lead, taking advantage of two service errors and an attack error. 

Kentucky extended its lead with two more kills from Rollins, and one from Tealer The Ramblers continued to fight, going on a three-point scoring run with a kill by Barnes, a block by Banitt and a Kentucky attack error. The run brought the Ramblers within three of the tie, but the Wildcats’ Rutherford cut them off with her 11th kill of the night. 

Two consecutive kills from Loyola — one from McNabb and one from Venuto — gave Loyola hope, along with a solo block from Borum late in the set. The Ramblers fought until the end, but the effort wasn’t enough to overcome a powerful Kentucky team. The Wildcats took the third set on Rollins’ 15th kill of the night to win in three sets against Loyola, with a final score of 25-20.

Statistically, the Wildcats out-hit the Ramblers with a hitting percentage of .389, compared to Loyola’s .159. Kentucky took advantage of its height against Loyola, with two players towering at six-foot-three one at six-foot-four. Loyola Head Coach Amanda Berkley said the game was incredibly physical because of the height and the level Kentucky is used to playing at as a Power Five conference team. 

“They don’t make a lot of mistakes,” Berkley said. “It was definitely a lot tougher of a match. We usually have a good serving team and they were able to pass pretty well against our serves.” 

Following the match, an emotional McNabb said the team’s season motto, “Win 4 Kim” in tribute to her late mother, was something that drove them to keep pushing the entire game. McNabb said she’s proud to be a part of a team that supported her throughout a really hard time, adding she’s forever thankful for every player on the team. 

The Ramblers finished the season with a 25-9 overall record, going 17-1 conference play. They won the program’s first ever Atlantic 10 championship title and set countless records in the program and conference level.