Billikens Bulldoze Women’s Volleyball in Five Sets

Loyola women’s volleyball took on Saint Louis University Nov. 4 in Gentile Arena. Fourth-year middle blocker Ann Marie Remmes was at the helm of the Rambler offense with 20 kills while Saint Louis’ first-year outside Ellie Rink tallied 16 kills for the Billikens. 

Saint Louis’ first-year setter Jetta Brenning kickstarted the offense with a setter dump which was immediately met with a kill from third-year middle blocker Avary DeBlieck. A Rambler block from second-year outside hitter Kaitlyn Burke and Remmes followed by a service ace from second-year libero Sam Falk gave the Ramblers an early 4-1 advantage. 

The Billiken’s first-year outside hitter Tamia Maddox and second-year middle blocker Kayla Jansen tabbed a block and paired with a Rambler attack error and a Maddox kill, which tied the set at four. A kill from Remmes was negated by a block from Saint Louis’ redshirt first-year middle blocker Justina Asamoa and Brenning. 

Three Rambler violations combined with a solo stuff from Rink gave the Billikens the momentum. First-year right side Karli Molnau and Rink swapped kills, and an attack error from the Billikens had the set tied at 10. 

The Billikens’ second-year outside hitter Tea Kalajdzic and Burke swapped kills. DeBlieck tallied a block, and two Saint Louis errors had both sides tied again at 13. Rink scored a service ace which Burke combated with a kill. A Rambler service error was canceled out by Burke scoring with a tip over the block. 

First-year outside hitter Leyna Nguyen tabbed a kill which was followed by a solo block from Remmes. Maddox responded with a kill, but it wasn’t enough to combat a Remmes kill and a net violation from Saint Louis, giving the Ramblers a 19-16 lead. 

Molnau tallied two kills to Maddox’s one, and a block from DeBlieck and Burke kept the energy with the Ramblers. Rink kept the Billikens in the set, but another block from DeBlieck and Molnau followed by a DeBlieck kill gave Loyola a set point.

A setter dump from Brenning and a Rambler attack error kept the Billikens alive, but Loyola closed out set one with a solo block from Burke and a final score of 25-21. 

Nguyen got the second set started with a kill which was met with kills from Rink and Brenning. Remmes negated those kills with consecutive kills, but Loyola couldn’t outscore their own errors, trailing 4-3. 

Remmes and Molnau swapped kills with Maddox, but Saint Louis maintained a lead after a tip from Asamoa and a block by Asamoa and Kalajdzic. Kalajdzic tallied two more kills which the Ramblers combated with a service ace from third-year setter Emma Henry and a block from DeBlieck and Molnau but still trailed at 10-8. 

Burke tabbed two kills which were followed by a block from Nguyen and DeBlieck. Rink and Remmes traded kills which Maddox and Brennings met with a kill each for the Billikens. Remmes and Maddox exchanged kills, but a service ace from Brenning increased Saint Louis’ lead to 17-13. 

Remmes added a service ace which — combined with a Molnau kill and a block from DeBlieck and Molnau — brought the Ramblers within one. Rink gained two kills to the Ramblers three, courtesy of second-year outside hitter Kate Maley, Burke and Falk to tie the set at 20. 

Back-to-back Rambler errors and a block from Jansen and Brenning forced a Rambler timeout. Burke added a kill, but a Jansen kill gave the Billikens set point. A kill from Maddox closed out the second set with a final score of 25-22. 

A Burke and DeBlieck block opened set three, which was combated with a block from Brenning and Asamoa. The Ramblers conceded two points early due to errors. Remmes and Asamoa swapped kills which were followed by three consecutive Billiken errors. A service ace from Nguyen and two consecutive Remmes kills put the Ramblers in the lead with a score of 8-4. 

Nguyen tabbed another service ace but followed it with a service error. A 3-0 run from Saint Louis included a block from Rink and Kalajdzic, a service ace from Maddox and a kill from Rink. A service ace from Saint Louis’ fourth-year libero Vivian Kieffer made the score tied at 10 apiece. 

A block from DeBlieck and Burke followed by a Henry service ace was countered with a kill from Jansen. DeBlieck tabbed a kill while Brenning scored from a setter dump. Remmes and Brenning swapped kills while Rink and Maddox exchanged a block with Remmes and Nguyen, bringing the score to 17-15. 

A service ace from Burke was met with a kill from Asamoa. Remmes and Kalajdzic swapped kills which incited a 4-0 run for the Ramblers to conclude the set consisting of kills from Molnau and DeBlieck and match point being a block from Henry and DeBlieck making the score 25-18. 

Rink tallied the first kill of set four which Falk met with a service ace. A service ace from Saint Louis’ third-year defensive specialist Alivia Bronner and a kill from Brenning sparked a kill each from Remmes and Burke. Maddox and Jansen gained a block which was negated by a kill from Nguyen and Molnau, tying the set at six. 

Brenning gained another service ace and a block from Asamoa and Kalajdzic demanded a Rambler timeout. The Ramblers gained energy with kills from Molnau and Remmes, paired with a block from DeBlieck and Molnau to tie the set at nine. 

A kill each from Molnau and Burke offset a block by Rink and Asamoa and a kill from Rink. Second-year defensive specialist Jae Fitting added a service ace which was answered with kills from Rink, Jansen and Brenning. A single Burke kill brought the score to 15-13. 

Brenning tallied a kill which the Ramblers combated with a block from Remmes and Burke followed by a kill from Henry. Brenning and Nguyen traded kills, but a Molnau kill made the score 20-18 and forced a Billiken timeout.

Rink and Molnau traded kills before consecutive kills from Kalajdzic and Rink gave Saint Louis set point. A final Rink kill kept the Billikens in the game and forced a fifth set with a score of 25-21.

Remmes and Henry kills opened set five and were countered with a kill from Brenning and a service ace from Kieffer. Remmes, Molnau and DeBlieck exchanged kills with Asamoa, Kalajdzic and Rink. A Rambler block from Nguyen and DeBlieck tied the set at seven. 

Back-to-back kills from Rink were met with a single kill from Molnau. A kill from Jansen followed by a Loyola attack error resulted in a Rambler timeout. 

Remmes tallied a kill which Jansen and Brenning countered with a block. Despite a Molnau kill, Asamoa grabbed a kill to give the Billikens match point and a shanked pass from the Ramblers gave the fifth set to Saint Louis with a final score of 15-11. 

Head coach Amanda Berkley said the team needs to find more ways to score. 

“I think [Remmes] had a great match,” Berkley said. “Unfortunataley when we are out of system, we can’t set them up, so someone else has to find a way to score.” 

The Ramblers take on The University of Rhode Island Nov. 7 at 6 p.m. in Gentile Arena. Streaming will be available on ESPN+.