Flames extinguish Ramblers’ hopes of Chicago Cup in five-set thriller

Loyola women’s volleyball headed to the West Loop for an inner city matchup with the University of Illinois-Chicago Sept. 20 in their first game of the Chicago Cup. The Ramblers lost a five-set battle with UIC fourth-year outside hitter Ayat Amin, notching a game high of 16 kills while Loyola graduate setter Josie Halbleib added a triple-double with 10 kills, 16 digs and 33 assists.

The first point of the match came after a long rally ending in an attack error on the Flames’ redshirt second-year setter Mihaela Harizanova, giving the Ramblers a 1-0 lead. Consecutive service errors on each side and a UIC attack error kept the lead in Loyola’s favor at 3-1. 

The Flames’ first kill came from third-year outside hitter and middle blocker Gabi Peter, making it 3-2. Six consecutive attack errors — five on Loyola and one on UIC — gave the Flames a 7-4 lead. A service error on UIC fourth-year outside hitter Cleo Lorenzo, followed by a service ace from first-year middle blocker and outside hitter Karli Molnau, brought Loyola back within a point.

A three-kill streak from the Flames gave them the largest lead of the match so far at 11-7. The run was halted by a kill from fourth-year middle blocker Ann Marie Remmes before another three-point run off two UIC kills and a Rambler attack error.

Second-year outside hitter Kaitlyn Burke brought the score within five, but Loyola failed to gain footing into the UIC lead. The Flames’ lead grew off a Rambler service error and two kills from Peter and first-year middle blocker Ana Petrides, forcing a Loyola timeout.

UIC’s firepower didn’t stop there as they came out of the timeout with back-to-back kills by Amin and Lorenzo, making it 20-10.

Loyola added two more kills from second-year outside and right side hitter Kate Maley and Remmes, on top of two UIC errors. The Flames were able to put out the Ramblers’ hopes of a late comeback with three kills and a Remmes error, taking the first set 25-15.

Set two tipped off with a pair of Rambler attack errors, giving UIC a quick lead. Burke got Loyola on the board with a kill before another attack error increased the Flames’ lead to 3-1.

A Maley kill jumpstarted a five-point run for the Ramblers with a pair of kills from first-year outsider hitter and defensive specialist Leyna Nguyen, a service ace from second-year libero Sam Falk and an attack error on UIC, making it 6-3.

The two teams traded points, with two Loyola kills, one UIC kill and a Loyola service error, making it 8-5. Consecutive Rambler errors and a kill by Amin tied the set at eight. 

The two sides continued to offset each other with kills until the set was tied at 11. Back-to-back kills from Peter and Lorenzo gave UIC a two-point lead. Third-year Avary DeBlieck added a kill and Falk added another service ace as the Flames’ lead dimmed to 14-13.

UIC landed a 3-0 blow to Loyola off a block from Lorenzo and Petrides, a service ace from Lorenzo and a kill from Amin to make it 17-13, forcing a timeout from Loyola.

The Ramblers stormed back into the set with a 5-0 run led by kills from Halbleib, Burke and Remmes, a service ace by Nguyen and a UIC attack error.

Amin ended the run with a kill, tying the set at 18. A bad set from UIC gave Loyola service back, and Halbleib capitalized with a kill, making it 20-18. The teams traded kills and errors, with the lead staying on Loyola’s side until it was 23-22. Back-to-back kills by Nguyen won the set for the Ramblers at 25-22.

Set three started at a tie at three with the teams exchanging kills. Nguyen spiked a three-point Rambler run with a kill, followed by consecutive attack errors on the Flames. Burke, DeBlieck and Remmes tacked on kills as the two teams found themselves tied at 11. 

The set remained at a stalemate with neither team going up on the other by more than two. Kills from Nguyen and Halbleib, on top of 10 errors between the two sides, made it 19 apiece. 

Burke and Maley neutralized two kills from Peter to make it 21 all. The Flames’ third-year outside hitter Tamaea Kisic added two kills which Nguyen and Remmes countered with kills of their own to tie it at 23. Back-to-back kills from second-year Antoine Kelenárová won the set for UIC at 25-23.

Burke and Peter started set four with offsetting kills before another kill for Halbleib and an error on the Flames gave Loyola a 3-1 lead. The teams continued to trade off kills with each other until it was 7-5. Remmes landed a kill off an assist from Halbleib, who then added a block assist with DeBlieck and another assist on a Burke kill, making it 10-6. 

Halbleib continued to run point for Loyola, assisting on another kill for Nguyen, and added a block with Remmes to make it 15-13. The next eight points were a combination of kills and attack errors on UIC, making the score 19-17, still in Loyola’s favor.

UIC went on a three-point run after a Burke kill to tie the set at 20. Five kills and an attack error on UIC kept the set tied at 23, with Loyola needing a set win to keep their cup hopes alive. 

A service error on Peter gave Loyola their first set point before a Lorenzo kill tied the set again. The Ramblers never lost the lead, but faced four more set points before DeBlieck ended the set with a kill at 29-27 to force a fifth and final set.

Two errors on Peter kicked off the final set before two UIC kills tied the set at two. A Flames service error and an ace from Falk gave the Ramblers another two-point lead, which they held until the first of three straight Amin kills tied the set at six. Burke’s kill to make it 8-7 UIC was the final Rambler point of the night.

The Flames engulfed Loyola from there on, going on a seven-point run to end the match, with a combination of two aces, two kills and three attack errors. The win sealed the Chicago Cup for UIC.

Despite the loss, head coach Amanda Berkley commended the effort of Halbleib, who put up season highs in assists, blocks and digs to go along with her triple-double.

“She’s left-handed, so she can strike other teams out by striking on two,” Berkley said. “I thought she took steps forward, making plays defensively today, so I was really proud of her for that.”

Loyola volleyball hits the court again next Friday and Saturday against Fordham University Sept. 26-27, in The Bronx, N.Y., kicking off Atlantic 10 conference play.