Women’s Volleyball Butt Rams in Straight Sets

Loyola women’s volleyball took on Fordham University in The Bronx, N.Y., to kick off Atlantic 10 (A10) conference play. First-year outside hitter Leyna Nguyen took offensive control, leading the Ramblers with 10 kills. Fordham’s fourth-year outside hitter Audrey Brown was at the head for the Rams with nine kills. 

Fourth-year middle blocker Ella Ramsay got the offense started for the Ramblers with a kill. First-year right side hitter Karli Molnau added back-to-back kills, increasing the Loyola lead to 3-0. 

Both sides traded attack errors, which was followed by a service ace from second-year outside hitter Kate Maley. A block from Fordham’s third-year middle blocker Tatum Holderied and Brown was met with a kill from Nguyen, putting the Ramblers ahead 7-3. 

Graduate setter and right side hitter Josie Halbleib and Brown traded kills, which prompted a 3-0 Loyola run consisting solely of Fordham attack errors. Third-year outside hitter Erynn Sweeney and Brown swapped kills with Molnau and Ramsay. Another attack error from the Rams increased the Rambler lead to 14-7. 

Brown tabbed another kill before a 4-0 run for Loyola, featuring two kills each from Nguyen and Molnau. A following 5-0 run for the Rams consisted of a kill from Fordham’s second-year outside hitter Gabby Destler and a service ace from fourth-year Rams outside hitter Zoe Talabong, along with three Rambler errors. 

Fourth-year middle blocker Ann Marie Remmes tallied two kills, which Fordham countered with a service ace from Holderied and a kill from Destler. First-year setter Ava Hunter added a service ace for the Ramblers, which Brown combated with a kill. 

Halbleib and Talabong traded kills, but second-year outside hitter Kaitlyn Burke added a kill to give the Ramblers set point, and Ramsay closed out the set with a kill, with a final score of 25-21. 

Ramsay tallied a kill to start the second set, followed by a service ace from second-year libero Sam Falk. Holderied and Nguyen traded kills and a Rambler error tied the set at three. 

Four kills from Remmes and Halbleib, along with errors from both sides brought the set to seven apiece. Burke and Ramsay added two kills, which Talabong and Brown combated with two kills for the Rams, bringing the score to 12-11. 

Molnau and Nguyen tallied three kills, followed by a Maley service ace. Kills from Fordham’s second-year middle blocker Sophia Kuyn and Brown closed the gap. A 3-0 run for the Ramblers contained kills from Burke, Molnau and Ramsay, making the score 22-17. 

Ramsay tallied another kill and Brown responded with a kill for the Rams. A Fordham service error gave the Ramblers set point, and a Molnau kill finished off the second set with a score of 25-19. 

The third set started off with a 6-2 run for the Ramblers, with a kill from Ramsay which Holderied countered for the Rams. Remmes, Nguyen and Halbleib added four kills to increase the Rambler lead. 

Destler tabbed a kill for the Rams, along with errors from the Ramblers, giving Fordham the lead. Third-year middle blocker Avary DeBlieck and second-year outside hitter Claire Van Den Herik grabbed their first kills of the match-making the score 10-9.

Fordham’s second-year right side hitter Bridget Woodruff tallied a kill for the Rams, which DeBlieck and Nguyen combated with Ramblers kills to tie the set at 12. 

Nguyen and Remmes swapped a kill with Brown, and Fordham attack errors gave the Ramblers the lead at 16-14. Remmes and Destler each added a kill followed by a Remmes service ace. A kill from Van Den Herik increased the Ramblers’ lead to 20-16. 

Destler and DeBlieck traded kills, which were followed by Ram attack errors. Molnau and Nguyen tallied two kills and Falk grabbed a service ace, giving the Rambers match point at 24-20. Despite a kill from Talabong, a service error from Talabong gave the Ramblers the match at 25-22. 

Head coach Amanda Berkley said she was happy to start conference play with a win and hopes to sweep Fordham during the match the following day. 

“We’re happy to open the A10 schedule with a win after some tough non-conference opponents,” Berkley said. “I thought our passers did a good job tonight of passing to target and managing their serves. Our middles did a nice job being available. We will look to limit some hitting errors tomorrow and hope to come away 2-0 after the road trip.”

The Ramblers next take on George Washington University Oct. 3 at 6 p.m. in Gentile Arena. Streaming will be available on ESPN+.