Flyers defeat Ramblers in five sets 

Loyola women’s volleyball traveled to Dayton, Ohio to take on the Flyers Oct. 23, losing in five sets. Second-year outside hitter and defensive specialist Leyna Nguyen soared ahead for the Ramblers tallying 21 kills. The Flyers’ first-year outside hitter Sidney Sprada led the offense with 16 kills. 

The first set began with kills from the Flyers’ third-year middle blocker Abigail Cresse and fourth-year outside hitter Kamryn Hunt, which Nguyen combatted with two kills. Dayton’s second-year outside hitter Charlotte Vinson added a kill before the Ramblers’ fourth-year middle blocker Avary DeBlieck and third-year outside hitter Claire Van Den Herik added a kill each. A service ace from third-year libero Sam Falk put the Ramblers up 7-3. 

The Flyers’ first-year middle blocker Ava Liening and fourth-year rightside hitter Gabriela Machin Borges exchanged kills with third-year outside and opposite hitter Kate Maley and Van Den Herik. The Flyers proceeded to go on a 5-1 run including a kill each from Machin Borges and Sprada, as well as various Loyola errors.

Third-year middle blocker Mallory Bohl and Cresse traded kills. Dayton’s second-year defensive specialist Morgan Asleson added back-to-back aces which DeBlieck met with a kill. Fifth-year setter Rylee Sloss secured two service aces and Machin Borges added a kill, giving Dayton a 19-13 lead. 

DeBlieck added a solo block, but Hunt countered with a kill. Maley and Machin Borges swapped kills before second-year setter Emily Harden added a service ace. Bohl and Machin Borges exchanged kills prior to back-to-back blocks by DeBlieck and Bohl. A Loyola service error gave the Flyers a set point, and a kill from Hunt ended the set 25-19.

The second set started with a kill each from Nguyen and Bohl. The Ramblers proceeded to go on an 8-0 run consisting of kills from Nguyen and DeBlieck. A service ace from fourth-year setter Emma Henry and a block by Nguyen and DeBlieck, along with various Flyer errors, made it 11-4. 

Falk added another service ace and Maley tallied two kills. Machin Borges retaliated with a kill but it was negated by a block from third-year rightside Chloe Morgan and Bohl. Sprada and Nguyen swapped kills and Hunt tallied a kill, as well. Three consecutive kills from Nguyen gave the Ramblers a 20-11 lead.

Maley and Van Den Herik traded kills with Sloss and Liening but the Ramblers secured set point. A kill from Van Den Herik concluded the second set for the Ramblers 25-14. 

The third set got going with a service ace from the Flyers’ first-year setter Natalie Harrington. Despite a kill from Nguyen, Vinson and Hunt added two kills each. Nguyen and Sprada traded kills, and Liening and Machin Borges swapped blocks with Morgan and Van Den Herik. Third-year setter Mya Ball added a service ace and a kill from Nguyen tied the set at nine. 

Cresse and Vinson added a kill each, which prompted a 6-0 run for the Ramblers consisting of kills from Bohl, Nguyen and Maley. Cresse and Nguyen traded kills which were followed by a kill from Sprada and a block by Hunt and Liening. Maley and Sprada swapped kills, and Flyers errors gave the Ramblers a 21-15 lead. 

Machin Borges and Van Den Herik exchanged kills prior to a block by Cresse and Vinson. A kill by Bohl gave the Ramblers set point. Despite a kill by Cresse and a block by Cresse and Hunt, Nguyen closed out the third set, 25-20.

The fourth set began with two kills from Nguyen. Hunt added a kill and a service ace, which Bohl met with a kill of her own. Sprada added back-to-back kills which DeBlieck combated with a kill. Sprada, Hunt and Cresse swapped kills with Nguyen and Van Den Herik. Vinson, Hunt, Machin Borges and Sprada added a kill each. Nguyen tallied a kill which was negated by two kills from Sprada, putting the Flyers up 15-10. 

Despite a kill from Nguyen, the Flyers went on a 6-0 run including a block by Cresse and Machin Borges, two service aces from Harrington and a kill by Vinson. Van Den Herik and DeBlieck added a block, and Van Den Herik traded kills with Sprada. A kill from Hunt and a service ace from Asleson gave the Flyers set point. A block by Flyers second-year middle blocker Isabel Simmons and Hunt closed out the fourth set, 25-15. 

The fifth set started with a block by Vinson and Simmons and a kill by Morgan. Sprada and DeBlieck exchanged kills and Hunt tallied a service ace. DeBlieck and Maley added a block prior to a kill from Sloss. The Ramblers proceeded to go on a 5-0 run consisting of kills from Maley and Van Den Herik, making it 8-7. 

Sprada added two kills which were met with a kill by Van Den Herik. Cresse added a kill and Morgan countered with a solo block. Vinson and Hunt added a kill each, and Bohl responded with a kill for the Ramblers. A kill from Hunt and a Rambler error gave the Flyers match point. A block by Simmons and Machin Borges closed out the match 15-13. 

Head Coach Amanda Berkley said the team battled against a tough Dayton team. 

“There was lots of up and down play, but we need to focus on playing with more consistency,” Berkeley said. 

The Ramblers return to Gentile Arena to take on Fordham University Oct. 30 at 6 p.m.