The Loyola women’s volleyball team defeated George Washington University in five sets, and three Ramblers recorded double-doubles. Second-year outside hitter Kaitlyn Burke supplied a game high of 14 kills along with 16 digs, third-year setter Emma Henry had 25 assists and 15 digs and first-year setter Ava Hunter added 23 assists and 15 digs. Set …
The Loyola women’s volleyball team defeated George Washington University in five sets, and three Ramblers recorded double-doubles. Second-year outside hitter Kaitlyn Burke supplied a game high of 14 kills along with 16 digs, third-year setter Emma Henry had 25 assists and 15 digs and first-year setter Ava Hunter added 23 assists and 15 digs.
Set one began with George Washington on the attack and a block by graduate middle blocker Sydney Hasenfratz and second-year opposite hitter Taylor Treahy. A kill from first-year middle blocker and outside hitter Karli Molnau tied the set at one.
George Washington sprang a 5-0 run off a kill and ace from Hasenfatz, two Rambler attack errors and a block by Revolutionaries second-year outside hitter Alexis Rodriguez and fourth-year middle blocker Cianna Tejada.
The two sides traded points until a Rodriguez attack error gave Loyola control. The Ramblers notched three more points off a Burke kill, a block from graduate setter Josie Halbleib and a Tejada attack error, tightening the deficit to 9-8.
The Revolutionaries immediately fought back with a 7-2 run, starting with kills from second-year outside hitter Cayla Cogan, Hasenfratz and two from Treahy. The kills and errors on Loyola from Halbleib, Burke and fourth-year middle blocker Ann Marie Remmes made it 16-10.
Kills from Burke, first-year outside hitter Leyna Nguyen and Molnau brought the score to 17-13. A 4-0 Revolutionary run helped secure the set as three consecutive attack errors on Remmes, Molnau and Nguyen undid Loyola’s offensive work. The rally was capped off with a Tejada kill.
Remmes and Nguyen added kills before an attack error on Halbleib brought set point at 24-15. A service error on George Washington’s second-year libero Lydia Zeng started a Loyola rally consisting of back-to-back service aces by Remmes. Third-year middle blocker Avary DeBlieck added a kill and a solo block to make it 24-20. Cogan finished the set with a kill on the next play, ending the set at 25-20 for the Revolutionaries.
The second set started with the Ramblers up 2-0 after an attack error on Cogan and a kill by Burke. Loyola lost their footing with two straight attack errors to tie it at two. Kills by Remmes, Burke and Molanu offset kills from George Washington’s Rodriguez, Treahy and Tejada tied the set even at seven until a kill from second-year setter Abby Markworth started a 3-0 run.
A bad set by Hunter and a kill from Rodriguez made it 9-7. The Ramblers fought their way back in front with three kills from Molnau, a kill by Nguyen and a block by Molnau and DeBlieck, making it 13-10 in favor of the Ramblers.
Loyola held the lead from there as three straight points by Nguyen — one off a kill and two service aces — blew the set open. Burke, DeBlieck and George Washington errors gave Loyola a 21-14 lead. Three errors from the Revolutionaries and a final kill from Molnau won the set for the Ramblers at 25-17.
Five kills and an error opened the third set with a tie at three. A Rodriguez kill and attack errors on Burke and Halbleib led to a 6-3 George Washington lead. Kills from Burke, Nguyen and Remmes tried to bring the Ramblers closer, but the Revolutionaries stayed ahead at 14-11.
Kills from Hasenfrantz and Tejada and a block by Rodriguez and Tejada were met by George Washington errors to make it 17-13. Loyola launched a 5-0 rally behind two kills from Burke, a block by DeBlieck and Molnau and two attack errors from Rodriguez, taking the Ramblers to a 18-17 lead.
The lead was short lived after three straight kills from Tejada put George Washington back in front at 20-18. Burke and Molnau added kills to get Loyola back in the set, but kills from Tejada and Cogan and a block from Cogan and Hasenfratz extended the lead to 23-20.
An attack error by Rodriguez and a kill from Remmes were offset by kills from Cogan and Treahy to end the third set in George Washington’s favor at 25-22.
Hasenfrantz led the fourth set with a kill before assisting Cogan on two blocks to give the Revolutionaries a 3-0 lead. After a kill by second-year outside and right side hitter Kate Maley, George Washington tacked on four straight points from an error on Maley and Burke. A service ace by George Washington’s fourth-year libero Penelope Hiepler and a Hasenfratz kill made it 7-1.
Maley and Burke added kills while Molnau and DeBlieck combined for a block to bring it to 8-4. Kills from second-year outside hitter Claire Van Den Herik, DeBlieck and Remmes brought the score within one at 11-10.
Loyola continued to chase the lead from there as George Washington held off their attempts with kills from Cogan, Hasenfratz and Tejada and three Loyola errors. A service error on Henry gave George Washington a 19-17 lead before adding three straight points on a block from Treahy and Hasenfratz. Kills by Hasenfratz and Cogan led the Ramblers at 22-17.
The Ramblers began to cut into the lead with two kills by Remmes, and one each from DeBlieck and Maley to make it 23-21. A kill by Hasenfratz gave George Washington match point, but a three point rally from the Ramblers on kills from Maley and Molnau and a block by DeBlieck and Burke tied the set at 24.
A service ace from Hunter gave Loyola set point before a Molnau attack error re-tied it at 25. Treahy gave the Revolutionaries another chance at match point, but Burke combated with a kill. Tejada added a kill to make it 27-26, but Molnau added a kill herself to tie it at 27. An attack error on Markworth gave Loyola another chance at set point which was finished off by a service ace from second-year libero Jae Fitting.
The fifth and final set opened with a Nguyen attack error, but a Maley kill tied it up. Rodriguez and Treahy tacked on consecutive kills to make it 3-1 in favor of George Washington, but Maley landed two kills and Burke added a kill on top of a Tejada error to make it a 5-3 Rambler advantage.
Tejada added another kill before Maley sparked a massive 5-0 Rambler rally with a kill. Hunter scored on consecutive service aces while DeBlieck made a block. A Tejada error kept the lead with the Ramblers at 10-4.
Two more kills were added on by Tejada, but the Ramblers raced ahead with a block by Molnau and DeBleick, two kills from Nguyen, a kill by Molnau and another service ace from Fitting to end the match in a Rambler victory, at 15-8.
After the match, head coach Amanda Berkley spoke on how proud she was of the all around team win.
“I am really proud of this team tonight,” Berkley said. “One of the things we said in the locker room afterwards was it was a really solid team win. This group is really gritty and everyone contributed to the win.”
The Ramblers will retake the court Friday, Oct. 10, at 6. pm. in Gentile Arena, starting a two-game series against Duquesne University. Streaming will be available on ESPN+.
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