Ramblers Cease the Flight of Redhawks in Five Set Thriller

Loyola women’s volleyball defeated Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) Sept 11. in a five-set match as a welcome back to Gentile Arena. Second-year outside hitter Leyna Nguyen led the charge with 23 kills, while fourth-year outside Lucy Arndt carried the Redhawks with 24 kills. 

Nguyen got the first set going with a back row kill which was met with kills from Arndt and Redhawks third-year middle blocker Alaina Lester. After a one-armed dig from third-year libero Sam Falk, third-year outside Claire Van Den Herik tabbed a kill, tying it at two apiece. 

Arndt and Nguyen traded two kills each before second-year rightside Katie Scherer scored a kill followed by a service ace. Third-year middle blocker Mallory Bohl tallied her first kill of the night, which was followed by a solo block of a backrow attack. Nguyen added two more kills, Bohl added one and Arndt answered with a lone kill for the Redhawks, making it 11-6. 

The Redhawks third-year outside Marin Johnson scored two kills prior to a kill from Lester. SEMO second-year outside Reagan Nelson tabbed a kill and an ace which third-year setter Redhawks Megan Holder followed with two consecutive aces. Nelson and Scherer exchanged kills, followed by an ace from third-year defensive specialist Jae Fitting, tying the set at 15. 

Nguyen and Scherer tallied a kill each along with a block from Nguyen. To put the Ramblers up 23-18, Lester and Arndt exchanged kills with Scherer and Bohl who added a block each. Back-to-back Redhawk attack errors closed out the first set 25-18. 

The Redhawks started out the second set on a 7-1 run consisting of kills from Nelson, Lester and first-year rightside Paige Smith, as well as solo blocks from Lester and Nelson. Scherer responded with consecutive kills, but Arndt responded with a kill of her own, holding the lead 8-3. 

The Ramblers proceeded to go on a 5-0 run containing Scherer and Nguyen adding a kill each and blocks from Bohl, Nguyen and fourth-year middle blocker Avary DeBlieck. A block by Redhawks third-year middle blocker Katarina Miscevic and third-year outside Marin Johnson was met with a Scherer kill, making it 11-8. 

Arndt and Johnson added a kill each which first-year outside hitter Tenley Davis responded to with a kill of her own. Nelson and Lester each tallied a kill along with a service ace from Nelson. Nguyen countered with a kill, but Rambler attack errors widened the gap, making it 19-12. 

Schere and Arndt swapped kills and — despite another kill from both Scherer and Nguyen — two Nelson kills along with errors by Loyola concluded the second set 25-29. 

The third set started with Arndt trading kills with Scherer and Nguyen. Johnson tabbed a kill which was met with a solo block by Bohl. Three consecutive Missouri attack errors put the Ramblers in the lead, but kills from Johnson and Nelson, along with a contribution from Van Den Herik in the form of a block tool, tied the set at six. 

Nelson and Van Den Herik exchanged kills before third-year setter Mya Ball added a service ace. Van Den Herik stayed hot with another kill, which was met with a kill from Lester. DeBlieck and Nguyen added back-to-back kills which Arndt combated with a kill for the Redhawks, tying the set at 11. 

A Nguyen kill and attack errors from the Redhawks prompted a Missouri timeout. Returning from the break, Arndt swapped kills with Van Den Herik and Bohl. Nelson added three kills, but it wasn’t enough to stop the accumulation of errors or stop a Scherer kill and a service ace from Fitting, putting the Ramblers up 21-16. 

Nguyen tallied a solo block, which was met with a kill from Arndt and Lester. Scherer and Nguyen each added kills that were negated by two Loyola attack errors, and a Bohl kill closed out the third set 25-20. 

Nguyen got the fourth set started with a kill by tipping over the block. DeBlieck and Bohl added a kill each which were met with kills from Arndt and Lester to tie the match at four. Redhawks third-year middle blocker Jacey Young and Arndt added three consecutive kills which were met with a lone kill from Van Den Herik, making it 8-6 in favor of the Redhawks. 

Arndt and Nelson exchanged kills with Scherer and Van Den Herik. Smith tallied an overpass kill alongside a Nelson kill that Scherer combated with a kill for Loyola. Lester and Arndt swapped kills with Nguyen, and Van Den Herik and Bohl tabbed a block, closing the gap 16-13. 

Nguyen then swapped a kill each with Arndt and Nelson. Ball added a service ace prior to a Nguyen kill, then Scherer and DeBlieck secured a block which Nelson met with a kill, keeping the lead 20-17. 

Nguyen fought back with three kills, but a Loyola service error and an ace from Lester kept the Redhawks ahead. Arndt gave Missouri set point and, after an attack error, a kill from Arndt finalized the fourth set 25-21, forcing a fifth set. 

The fifth set started with a service ace from Nelson and a kill from Arndt. Scherer tallied a kill before Nguyen and Bohl added a block. A kill from Young was negated by a tip over the block from Nguyen, making it 4-3. 

Nguyen and Van Den Herik traded kills with Nelson and Arndt. Van Den Herik added another kill, followed by a service ace from Ball, prompting a Missouri timeout. DeBlieck and Van Den Herik added a block which was combated with a Nelson kill. An attack error by the Redhawks and a kill from Nguyen forced another Missouri timeout, down 12-8.

Fitting added a service ace before Scherer tallied a kill, giving the Ramblers match point. Back-to-back Rambler errors kept the Redhawks in the game, but a Missouri service error closed out the fifth set and the match, 15-10. 

Head Coach Amanda Berkley said her team worked on getting in front of their pin hitters and taking up space at the net.

“They are very good players and good hitters,” Berkley said. “I thought Sam [Falk] did a nice job of deafening them, but we told our blockers just to get in front of them.” 

Nguyen said this first win felt great going into the long weekend of games and emphasized the energy the team needs for the rest of the weekend. 

“I think we can take me and Katie’s [Scherer] energy into this weekend ‘cause I feel like we haven’t seen much of that in the past couple games,” Nguyen said.

The Ramblers take on University of Illinois Chicago Sept. 17 at 6 p.m. in Gentile Arena. Streaming will be available on ESPN+.