Golden Bears Deliver Silver Medal to Ramblers in a Sweep

Loyola women’s volleyball was swept by University of California Sept. 4 in Nacogdoches, Texas. The Golden Bears’ fourth-year outside Ashley Li paved the way with 14 kills while second-year outside Leyna Nguyen led the Ramblers with 10 kills. 

The Ramblers began the first set with a 4-1 run consisting of two kills from fourth-year middle blocker Avary DeBlieck and two Golden Bear errors. California’s fourth-year middle blocker Sawyer Thomsen exchanged a kill with Nguyen before a Rambler service ace closed the gap 5-3. 

Loyola’s second-year rightside Katie Scherer grabbed a kill, followed by a block from third-year middle Mallory Bohl and third-year setter Mya Ball. The Golden Bears first-year outside Abby Zimmerman contributed a kill, followed by an ace. Loyola’s first-year outside Tenley Davis swapped a kill with graduate middle blocker Cari Bohm, taking the score 9-6. 

The Golden Bears went on a 4-1 run with a kill from Li and two blocks by Zimmerman and Thomsen. Scherer responded with a kill before Nguyen and DeBlieck added a block. Thomsen scored a kill, followed by a service ace from Li. Scherer tallied a kill which prompted a 5-1 run for the Golden Bears consisting of two Zimmerman kills and three Rambler errors. 

Bohm, Li and Zimmerman added two kills each before two Golden Bear errors. Li and Davis swapped kills, and then Ball and DeBlieck held the defense with a block. Despite Li and Scherer trading kills, a Thomsen kill and a Rambler attack error closed out set one with California in the lead 25-21. 

Li started off the second set with a kill, which the Ramblers met with a block by third-year outside Claire Van Den Herik and DeBlieck. Thomsen tallied a kill before Li secured a service ace. Scherer and DeBlieck then each added a kill before the Golden Bears went on an 8-1 run, consisting of a kill from Zimmerman and graduate outside Portia Sherman and Rambler errors. Zimmerman then tabbed three consecutive service aces, putting the Golden Bears up 14-4. 

Errors from both sides kept the game moving, but Loyola found momentum with kills from Bohl and fourth-year defensive specialist Jordan Bruckner. Thomsen exchanged kills with Van Den Herik and Scherer before third-year defensive specialist Jae Fitting added a service ace, but despite the offensive stride, the Ramblers trailed 20-10. 

Nguyen and Bohl tallied a kill each which was met with a kill from Zimmerman and a block by first-year setter Anna Flores and Bohm. Nguyen grabbed back-to-back kills, but two kills from Bohm and a kill from Li ended the second set 25-16. 

The Golden Bears started the third set with a 7-1 run including two service aces from Flores, two kills from Thomsen and a block by Thomsen and Zimmerman. Nguyen swapped a kill each with Thomsen, Sherman and Li. Bohl and Scherere got the defense going with a block, making it 11-5. 

Li and Flores tabbed a kill each which were met with kills from Scherer and Nguyen. Sherman and Thomsen gained a block which was negated by a block from Ball and Bohl. Zimmerman, Li, Bohl and Nguyen each recorded a kill which prompted a 6-1 California run, including three kills from Li and a kill from Thomsen, closing out the match, 25-12. 

Head coach Amanda Berkley said she was proud of her team’s fight but acknowledged they needed to find more consistency within the game.

“There were some good moments tonight and fight in the first set,” Berkeley said. “We need to find consistency in all facets of the game.”

The Ramblers take on Southeastern Missouri State at the Loyola Invitational Sept. 10 at 7:00 p.m. in Gentile Arena. Streaming will be available on ESPN+.