Loyola Women’s Volleyball Secures Second Straight A10 Championship Title

Loyola women’s volleyball defeated Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in five sets to win their second consecutive Atlantic 10 (A10) Championship. Second-year outside hitter Kaitlyn Burke spearheaded the win, tallying 20 kills, while the Rams’ fourth-year outside hitter Alija Jaryszek tabbed 21 kills. 

Burke tallied back-to-back kills to start the first set. VCU’s fourth-year right side hitter Julia Rienks responded with a kill, which was followed by two consecutive service aces from VCU’s fourth-year outside hitter Kalina Pylinska. Service errors from both sides gave VCU a 4-3 lead. 

First-year right side hitter Karli Molnau and Burke traded kills with VCU’s third-year middle blocker Nina Boledovicova and Rienks. Jaryszek followed with a service ace. Molnau tabbed another kill, but the Rams held the lead at 8-6. 

Boledovicova grabbed a kill and service ace, but fourth-year middle blocker Ann Marie Remmes and Molnau combated with a kill and second-year defensive specialist Jae Fitting tallied a service ace. VCU’s graduate setter Elif Ozsoy and Rienks tallied three kills, but were negated by three service errors, along with a Molnau kill to even the set at 13. 

Second-year outside hitter Claire Van Den Herik, Burke and Molnau exchanged kills with Rienks and Jaryszek. Two VCU attack errors incited a 4-0 run from the Rams, including kills from Rienks and Jaryszek and a service ace from Pylinska, giving the Rams a 21-19 advantage. 

Kills from Remmes and Burke along with a Remmes service ace gave the Ramblers momentum. Jaryszek traded kills with DeBlieck and Molnau. Another Jaryszek kill gave VCU set point, and a Rambler attack error closed out the first set for the Rams at 27-25. 

A kill and service ace from Remmes got the second set started. Molnau and Burke swapped kills with VCU’s second-year middle blocker Letizia Galli and Jaryszek. Back-to-back blocks from DeBlieck put the Ramblers in the lead at 7-3. 

A kill from Rienks and a service ace from Jaryszek were met with a kill from DeBlieck. Two Pylinska kills were combated with kills from Burke and Remmes. Jaryszek tacked on two kills which were negated by VCU errors. Burke and Molnau added kills met by a kill from Boledovicova to increase the Rambler lead to 17-14. 

Remmes and Molnau exchanged kills with Boledovicova, Rienks and Pylinska. First-year outside hitter Leyna Nguyen and Remmes contributed kills which were combated by Pylinska and Galli. Burke tallied a kill and a block assisted by DeBlieck, and Jaryszek responded with a kill but the Ramblers held the lead 25-24. 

A kill from DeBlieck gave the Ramblers set point and a service ace from second-year libero Sam Falk ended the second set with a final score of 27-25, in favor of the Ramblers. 

Burke and Remmes swapped kills with Pylinska and Galli to begin the third set. Two blocks and two kills from Boledovicova were countered with a kill from Molnau. Burke and Pylinska exchanged kills, and a Remmes kill had the third set tied at eight. 

Remmes and Nguyen scored a block and the Rams tallied two attack errors. Galli added two blocks which were followed by a kill from Rienks. A block from Henry and DeBlieck was negated by two kills from Jaryszek, and a kill from Rienks gave VCU a 15-14 advantage. 

Kills from Molnau and Burke, along with a service ace from Henry gave the Ramblers momentum. Boledovicova and Rienks combated with kills for the Rams. Falk added a service ace before Pylinska tabbed two kills and Boledovicova added a service ace to put the Rams up 22-20. 

Remmes and Nguyen traded kills with Pylinska, and a block from Jaryszek and Galli tied the set at 25. A Rambler attack error gave VCU set point, and a Jaryszek kill closed it out with a final score of 27-25. 

The fourth set began with blocks from Remmes and Burke met by a block from Galli and Rienks. Two Molnau kills, one Burke kill and a service ace from Henry were met with kills from Jaryszek, Ozsoy and Galli to give VCU a 7-5 lead. 

Nguyen and Remmes traded kills with Rienks and Pylinska who followed with a service ace. A kill from Burke was met with service errors from both sides. Two Jaryszek kills were cancelled out by three Molnau kills, and a service ace from Falk to tie the set at 14. 

A Pylinska kill and Boledovicova service ace incited a 6-1 run for Loyola, including kills from Remmes and Burke and VCU attack errors. Two Rambler attack errors were followed by kills from Burke and a block from DeBlieck to give Loyola set point.

Despite a kill from Jaryszek, a kill from Nguyen closed out the fourth set and forced a fifth set with a final score of 25-21. 

Kills from Pylinska and Rienks started off the fifth set. Burke responded with a kill for the Ramblers. A flurry of kills from both sides came to a halt with a kill from Boledovicova which prompted a 6-1 run for Loyola consisting of kills from Nguyen and Remmes to give the Ramblers a 10-5 lead. 

Jaryszek, Pylinska and Rienks swapped kills with Remmes and Burke. A Galli service ace and block from Boledovicova and Rienks closed the gap, but a block from Burke and DeBlieck and a kill from Burke gave Loyola match point. 

Jaryszek tried to keep the Rams alive, but a kill from Molnau gave the Ramblers the set with a final score of 15-12 and secured them their second consecutive A10 championship. 

Head coach Amanda Berkley said she’s proud of her team’s determination and competitive spirit.

“I am so proud of this team for believing and playing with gritty competitive fire,” Berkley said. “VCU played unbelievable, and it was an incredible match. Proud of [Henry] for continuing to improve this season. I think she played her best these last two matches. [Molnau], [Burke] and [Remmes] really paced the offense while [Falk] and [Fitting] did an incredible job passing and digging. I am just super proud of this group for continuing to get better and make the play.”

The Ramblers will head to the NCAA tournament Friday Dec. 5 in Louisville, Ky., to face the seventh-seeded University of Louisville. Streaming will be available on ESPN+.