Women’s Volleyball Comes Back and Defeats VCU 3-1

The Loyola women’s volleyball team defeated Virginia Commonwealth University three sets to one in the semifinal round of the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament Nov. 23. 

After losing the first set, the Ramblers readjusted and took the next three to secure the match win. 

The game started with a kill from VCU’s third-year opposite hitter Julia Rienks. After another kill by first-year opposite and outside hitter Lara Del Core and a VCU ace, Loyola got their first point when a VCU-attempted kill hit the net, making the score 3-1. 

VCU responded with a kill by graduate middle blocker Jasmine Knight. Knight and third-year opposite hitter Alicja Jarsyzek worked together for three kills in a four point span, putting VCU up 8-3. Loyola called a timeout after VCU’s lead reached  11-4. 

After the timeout, second-year middle blocker Avary DeBlieck pulled the Ramblers closer with a kill.

Loyola and VCU took turns scoring over the span of nine points, making the score 17-9. Of VCU’s five points, three were kills by Knight and Reinks. Graduate outside hitter Marta Cvitkovic and third-year middle blocker Ann Marie Remmes had two kills for the Ramblers. 

After three consecutive points from the Rams as a result of Loyola attack errors, the Ramblers called another timeout down 19-9. 

Following four consecutive Loyola points — two of them kills by fourth-year right side and opposite hitter Esma Ajanovic and DeBlieck — VCU called a timeout up 20-14. 

VCU led in kills throughout the set, aided by several block solos and assists by first-year middle blocker Letizia Galli. 

Remmes gained a kill after a lasting rally, which included a dig from second-year VCU libero Anja Kujunkzic. 

VCU reached set point after a strong kill from Knight. Fourth-year setter Bree Borum fought back with a kill, though the Ramblers were still down by six. The Rams took the first set 25-18 after a serve from Borum landed squarely in the net. 

The second set began with a Galli block and a Rams service error. Loyola took a 4-3 lead off an ace by first-year libero Sam Falk. 

Behind 8-6, Borum responded with a disguised set which fell squarely into VCU’s side of the court. 

The Rams continued to gain the upper hand after a kill by third-year outside hitter Alicja Jaryszek put them up 12-7. After a Loyola timeout, Borum grabbed an ace and Rienks extended the VCU lead to 15-10 with two kills. 

Down by five, the Ramblers came back and tied up the score at 17, earning five consecutive points on the back of strong serves by fourth-year outside hitter Olivia Lovett. 

The score drew close as the end of the set neared. Two kills from Cvitokovic put the Ramblers ahead 21-20. 

VCU gained match point, holding the Ramblers 24-23. The Ramblers took the next three points, ending the set 26-24 with a kill by Remmes. 

Another Remmes kill opened scoring in the third set after a lengthy rally. VCU took the next four points off two Knight blocks, but Borum quickly shut down the rally with a kill of her own. The teams tied at seven and again at nine, until the Rams started to creep ahead.

VCU took three kills in a row, two by Knight and one from Jaryszak, putting them up 17-12. Loyola responded with five consecutive points to tie, forcing the Rams to call a timeout. 

After going up 21-19, Ajanovic secured two aces in a row to make it 23-19. The set ended 25-21 on a striking kill by Remmes. 

A combined block from Rienks and Galli, followed by a lone kill from Galli put the Rams up two to start the fourth set. 

The two teams traded eight consecutive back-and-forth points, with six coming from kills. The pattern concluded after Ajanovic hammered two consecutive kills. After a long rally, which saw a forceful dig from Borum, VCU got back on track after falling behind by two. 

The Ramblers and Rams remained even, matching each other to each point, except for when the Rams gained three consecutive points off a service error, a kill from Knight and an ace. After being tied at 11, the Ramblers began to break away and found themselves up 17-12. 

Loyola gained four points in a row, three of them coming off kills by DeBlieck, Ajanovic and Cvitkovic. 

In the final stretch of the match, Knight tried to bring the Rams back with two straight kills, making the score 24-16 in favor of Loyola. The Ramblers went on to secure the set 25-17 with a final kill from Remmes sending them to the tournament’s final round. 

Head coach Amanda Berkley said the Rambler’s serves were a key contributor to their victory. Berkley also lauded Ajanovic’s performance, with 13 kills and a .423 hitting percentage on the day. 

“I was really proud of Esma,” Berkeley said. “I thought she had a great match. She willed us to win.” 

Knight and Reinks had 21 combined kills for the Rams, and the team recorded a total of 17 blocks. On the other side of the net, Remmes and Ajanovic initiated 27 kills. Both teams were nearly even in their hitting percentages, with Loyola’s being .208 and VCU’s .207.