Women’s Volleyball Secures First Win at WKU Invitational

Loyola Women’s volleyball traveled to Bowling Green, Ky. to compete in the Western Kentucky University Invitational Aug. 29 and 30. The Ramblers secured their first win of the season against Drake University in five sets, but fell to Western Kentucky University and Wright State University. 

Loyola vs. Drake Aug. 29. 

A kill from second-year outside hitter Kaitlyn Burke started off the first set for the Ramblers against Drake. Three kills in a row from the Bulldogs’ fourth-year outside hitter Macy Daufeldt and fourth-year setter Addison Beagle put Drake up 7-4. 

Two kills from first-year outside hitter Leyna Nguyen closed the gap for the Ramblers. However, a seven-point run for the Bulldogs — consisting of kills from first-year outside hitter Caroline Smith and graduate middle blocker Kacia Brown — along with four Rambler errors, gave them a 15-7 lead. 

Both sides traded kills with Burke securing two points for the Ramblers. A kill and block from Daufeldt increased the Bulldogs’ lead to 21-10. The teams traded kills until the match reached 24-13. After three set points, the Bulldogs closed out the first set with a kill from fourth-year middle blocker Aniyah Davis. 

The second set started back and forth with a kill by third-year middle blocker Avary DeBlieck and Nguyen for the Ramblers, as well as Davis and Brown for the Bulldogs, making it five apiece. The teams proceeded to trade four kills each.

Fourth-year middle blocker Ann Marie Remmes, DeBlieck and Burke each secured a kill for the Ramblers. Drake also grabbed two kills from second-year middle blocker Bliss Beck and Smith, putting them up 13-11. 

Two kills from Nguyen — along with back-to-back service aces from second-year libero Sam Falk — put the Ramblers on top 15-14. 

Remmes and Burke tabbed a combined three kills, but the Bulldogs responded with kills from Daufeldt, Smith and David, tying the set at 20. 

A kill and block from Remmes gave the Ramblers set point at 25-24. Eventually, Burke closed out the second set with a kill as Loyola took the set, 28-26. 

Kills from Burke and Brown tied the third set early at one. Two kills from first-year middle blocker Karli Molnau for the Ramblers and second-year right-side hitter Emily Lisi and Smith for Drake kept the game tied at five each. 

Two service aces from Brown put the Bulldogs up 10-6. A kill from Nguyen, a solo block by Remmes and Drake errors closed the gap to 11-10. 

Daufeldt tabbed a kill and an ace, followed by a solo block from Brown, giving the Bulldogs a 15-11 lead. 

Consecutive kills from Brown and Daufeldt — in spite of Rambler kills from Molanu and Remmes — allowed Drake to pull away. Daufeldt added another kill, giving the Bulldogs a 23-16 lead. 

A block by Smith on Beck won the third set for the Bulldogs 25-18. 

Two aces for the Bulldogs from Beagle and Brown were rebutted with kills by Burke and Nguyen, putting the Ramblers up 4-3 early in the fourth set. 

A kill from Remmes and Nguyen, followed by back-to-back aces for Nguyen, increased the Rambler lead to 12-7. 

Burke added two kills, which the Bulldogs responded to with a kill from Brown. Kills from Molanu, Remmes and Nguyen put the Ramblers’ lead at 19-14. Remmes furthered the lead, securing two kills in a row. 

A kill from Burke and Remmes gave the Ramblers set four, 25-19. 

A Bulldog service error followed by a service ace from first-year setter Ava Hunter gave the Ramblers an early 2-0 lead. Two kills from DeBlieck and one by Nguyen made it 5-2. Bliss and Daufeldt responded with a kill each for Drake. 

A Nguyen kill, along with Remmes’ solo block, held the Ramblers’ lead of 7-5. Despite four kills by Brown for the Bulldogs, Burke and Nguyen answered with kills of their own, tying the set at nine. 

Kills from Remmes, DeBlieck and Burke gave the Ramblers set point. Burke closed out the match with a kill, making the final score 16-14. 

This was the Ramblers’ first of three matches at the Western Kentucky Invitational and their first win of the regular season. 

Loyola vs. Western Kentucky Aug. 29. 

Kills from Burke and DeBlieck put the Ramblers up 3-1 early in their first set against Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers responded with kills from third-year middle blocker Gabby Weihe and first-year right-side hitter Kaira Knox. 

The first set contained back-and-forth play with both sides conceding errors as well as adding kills. Two kills each from Remmes and Burke, as well as kills from Weihe and Knox, had the set tied at ten. 

The Ramblers gained a two-point lead off kills from DeBlieck and Burke. Despite a kill by second-year outside hitter Mya Ayro for Western Kentucky, two service aces from Falk kept the Ramblers ahead 15-14. 

Both teams traded kills until a solo block from Hilltoppers’ second-year outside hitter Alivia Skidmore put Western Kentucky up 22-21, prompting Loyola to take a timeout. 

Regardless of a late kill from Remmes, back-to-back kills from Skidmore and Knox closed out the first set for the Hilltoppers 25-23. 

Third-year outside hitter Kendall Meller, Knox and Weihe started the second set for Western Kentucky with kills, but errors kept the game close with a tie at five. 

Kills from Nguyen and Remmes weren’t enough to combat an ace from fourth-year Abby Schaefer and kills from Knox and Weihe. The Hilltoppers went up 13-8. 

Two kills from Nguyen and a kill from Molanu closed the gap for the Ramblers at 14-11. Western Kentucky responded with two kills from Bauer and an ace from second-year libero Tayler Baron, prompting a Rambler timeout down 18–12.

Skidmore, Knox and Weihe added another kill each. Hunter and Remmes combated with kills of their own. Another kill from Knox brought the Hilltoppers to set point. Second-year outside hitter Faith Young closed out the second set with a kill, 25-18. 

Second-year defensive specialist Camila Adams, Meller and Knox continued the momentum for the Hilltoppers, leading 4-1 at the beginning of the third set. 

Kills from Remmes and Molnau brought some life back into the Ramblers, but Loyola errors and kills from Skidmore, Knox and Meller strengthened the Hilltoppers’ lead 12-7. 

A service ace from Schafer was rebutted with a service ace by Falk for the Ramblers. Errors from Loyola followed by a service ace from Baron allowed Western Kentucky to pull away, putting them up 21-11. 

Despite kills from Molnau, Remmes and Nguyen, two kills from Weihe concluded the Ramblers’ second game of the Invitational at 25-15. 

Loyola vs. Wright State Aug. 30.

The final match of the invitational turned out to be a five-set thriller with the Ramblers falling two sets to three.

A block from DeBlieck and early errors by the Wolves put the Ramblers on top 4-1. A service ace by Falk strengthened the lead, but Ayro answered with a kill of her own. 

Second-year outside hitter Katie Sowko gained momentum for the Wolves with a kill and a block, followed by another block from fourth-year right-side hitter Elena Dubuc, tying the set at eight. 

An ace from third-year middle blocker Reilly Zegunis, followed by a Dubuc kill, gave Wright State an 11-10 lead. 

Back-to-back kills from Burke gave the Ramblers the advantage. A kill from graduate middle blocker Taylor Bransfield and two kills from Ayro allowed the Wolves to pull ahead 18-15. 

Trading kills and errors, the Wolves kept the momentum. A three-point run, including a kill and block from Sowko and a solo block from Dubuc, closed out the first set 25-20 in Wright State’s favor. 

The Ramblers came out strong in the second set with DeBlieck tabbing three kills and second-year libero Jae Fitting and Falk each gaining a service ace, giving Loyola a 6-2 lead. 

Despite gaining a few kills from Sowko and Ayro, the Ramblers took control of this set with another service ace from Falk and kills from Remmes and Nguyen, strengthening the lead to 10-5. 

Two kills in a row from DeBlieck and Burke prompted a Wright State timeout. The Ramblers proceeded to go on a 4-0 run with two kills and a block from DeBlieck and a block from Molnau, to put the Ramblers up 18-8. 

Another four-point run from the Ramblers brought set point. A missed serve by the Wolves gave the Ramblers the second set 25-10. 

A 4-1 run to start the third set for the Ramblers consisted of kills from Molnau and Nguyen. Molnau and Remmes added to the lead with a kill each. 

A spree of kills from both sides tied the set at 12. Nguyen and Burke each tabbed two for the Ramblers while Zegunis, Sowko and Dubuc each added two for Wright State. 

A 4-0 run for the Ramblers included a service ace by third-year defensive specialist Jordan Bruckner, a block by Remmes and a Nguyen kill. 

The Wolves never got their momentum back, regardless of kills from Sowko and Zegunis. 

Molnau, DeBlieck and Nguyen added kills to give the Ramblers set point, where a kill from Nguyen secured the Ramblers’ set three 25-22. 

A kill from Burke for the Ramblers and Ayro for the Wolves got the attacking started early in the fourth set. Nguyen, Molnau and Hunter scored kills for the Ramblers while Dubuc, Sowko and Segunis scored for the Wolves, tying the set at nine.

Rambler errors and kills from Zegunis and Sowko combated kills from Remmes, Burke and Nguyen, but more kills from Bransfield and Ayro gave the Wolves a 22-20 advantage. 

Back-to-back kills from Zegunis closed the set for Wright State 25-22, forcing a fifth set. 

A service ace from Fitting and a Molnau kill started the Ramblers early at 3-1. Three kills in a row from DeBlieck, Nguyen and Remmes strengthened the Ramblers’ lead to 6-2, before a Wright State timeout. 

Sowko responded with two kills and an ace, which was rebutted by Nguyen, who tabbed two kills of her own. A kill and block from Ayro pulled the Wolves ahead 10-9. 

Burke secured two kills along with a service ace by Hunter to counter two kills from Dubuc and Sowko. A service ace by fitting gave the Ramblers match point at 15-14. 

Trading points and kills, the Ramblers missed two additional match point opportunities and eventually lost the fifth set after back-to-back errors, 23-21. 

The Ramblers ended the weekend 1-2, with Nguyen leading the Ramblers with 49 kills and Falk leading with nine service aces on the weekend. 

The Ramblers take on Stephen F Austin University Sept. 11 in Gentile Arena at 6 p.m. Streaming will be available on ESPN+.