Falcons Fly By Women’s Volleyball in Four Sets

Loyola Women’s volleyball suffered a 3-1 loss against Bowling Green State University Sept. 13 during the final match of the Loyola Invitational hosted in Gentile Arena.

First-year outside hitter Karli Molnau led the charge for the Ramblers with 19 kills and three blocks while third-year middle blocker Avary DeBlieck also contributed seven kills and three blocks. 

The Falcons came out strong, going on a 9-2 run consisting of kills from fourth-year right side hitter Lauryn Hovey, with four kills in the first 11 points.

The Ramblers rallied and took the lead through a 7-0 run with contributions by second-year libero Sam Falk, including two service aces, and two kills by fourth-year right side hitter Josie Halbleib.

The two teams held a close margin for the rest of the first set, neither gaining a lead of more than five points. DeBlieck and Hovey traded multiple kills while Falk produced yet another service ace, keeping the margin tight.

Nearing the end of the first set, the Falcons went on a 5-0 run, with three kills from third-year outside hitter Avery Hobson, leaving Bowling Green with a 22 -17 lead. 

The Ramblers fought back into the set, but two crucial kills by first-year Leyna Nguyen were not enough to combat a kill by Hovey, which closed the first set for the Falcons at 25-22.

A slow start to the second set consisted of service errors on both sides, resulting in a 4-3 lead for the Ramblers. After a kill by Falcons’ first-year outside hitter Marin Dunaway, three consecutive kills from Nguyen and one kill from Molnau put the Ramblers ahead at 9-6.

Bowling Green responded with kills from Dunaway and Hobson, along with fourth-year middle blocker Jessica Andrews and Hovey gaining a block. A 5-0 run by the Falcons put them in the lead with a score of 13-10, prompting a Rambler timeout.

The Ramblers went on a 3-0 run with kills from DeBlieck and Halbleib. A kill by Hovey, a block assist by Andrews and Hobson, along with attack errors by the Ramblers, prompted a 4-0 streak for the Falcons, putting them ahead 17-13. 

A block assist by fourth-year middle blocker Ann Marie Remmes and second-year outside hitter Kate Maley, a kill by DeBlieck and a service error by Bowling Green, narrowed the lead to 18-17. Hobson and Dunaway each tallied a kill, giving the Falcons set point. Despite two consecutive kills by Molnau, the Falcons took set two at 25-21 following a kill by Dunaway.

The Ramblers came out on a 7-3 run on the Falcons in the third set, establishing a lead they held  on to for the entire set. Molnau came out strong for the Ramblers, grabbing a solo block and a kill. A service ace by Ramblers’ third-year libero Jordan Bruckner and multiple attack errors by Bowling Green widened the gap.

Andrews tabbed a service ace while Hobson tallied two kills, aiding in a Falcons run. Remmes cut the Falcon streak short with a kill, putting the Ramblers on top at 10-6. 

Kills from second-year outside hitter Claire Van Den Herik and a service ace by Falk furthered the Ramblers’ lead, as the score settled at 18-12. Two kills from Hovey and a block from Hobson and Dunaway aided the Falcons, but DeBleick and second-year outside hitter Kaitlyn Burke gained a block, followed by a kill from Remmes to clinch the set in the Ramblers’ favor at 25-18.

DeBlieck started off the fourth set with two kills while Molnau and Burke each contributed one. Consecutive blocks by Bowling Green’s second-year middle blocker Helen Winlford with the help of Hovey and Hobson, gave the Falcons a 3-2 lead.

Kills from both teams, including four from Dunaway and two from Molnau resulted in an intense exchange of points. With the score at 13-11 in favor of Bowling Green, Van Den Herik made two crucial plays, narrowing the lead to one. Her massive block and kill kept the Ramblers in the game.

The Falcons responded, extending their lead to 20-13 after a six-point streak consisting of three kills from Dunaway as well as Rambler errors. 

The Ramblers strung together a four-point run, narrowing the Falcons’ lead to 24-20. Two blocks from Molnau and Remmes sparked some energy on Loyola’s side, but a kill from Hobson gave the set and match to Bowling Green at 25-20. 

Ramblers’ head coach Amanda Berkley said she believes the team needs to relax and have more fun.

“We’ve got to get better at just playing looser,” Berkley said. “We’re still really tight and stressed, so we’ve got to find a way to play loose and have fun while we’re playing.”

The Ramblers are set to face the University of Minnesota Sept. 19 in Gentile Arena at 6 p.m. Streaming will be available on ESPN+.