Ramblers Brave Bradley in Five Sets

Loyola women’s volleyball defeated Bradley University in a five set thriller Sept. 14. Second-year outside Leyna Nguyen broke her personal record tallying 27 kills while Bradley second-year outside Gracie Furlong led the Braves with 21 kills. 

The first set started with a service ace from third-year defensive specialist Jae Fitting, but the Braves’ second-year middle blocker Adeline Goedheer returned with a kill. A Rambler block by fourth-year middle blocker Avary DeBlieck and second-year rightside Katie Scherer was met with a kill from Bradley’s second-year middle blocker Chloe Parker to tie the match at two. 

Despite a block from third-year middle blocker Mallory Bohl and Scherer, four Rambler service errors and a service ace from the Braves’ second-year libero put the Ramblers in a deficit. Loyola’s third-year outside Claire Van Den Herik and Nguyen each added a kill, which was met with a kill from Parker, giving Bradley a 8-5 lead.

Bohl traded a kill with the Braves’ second-year middle blocker Mairen Mannon. DeBlieck, Nguyen and Scherer added back-to-back kills, followed by a Scherer service ace. Furlong tabbed consecutive kills, but a kill from Bohl and a Bradley error tied the set at 13. 

Nguyen added a kill followed by a service ace, which the Braves combated with a kill from third-year outside Lauren Dale and a service ace from Bradley second-year libero Ava Patchett. Van Den Herik and Furlong swapped kills, which Deblieck followed up with a kill and a block, putting the Ramblers up 20-18. 

Another DeBlieck kill was met with a kill from Furlong. A kill down the line from Nguyen, followed by a Bradley error and a solo block by Loyola’s third-year setter Mya Ball closed out the first set for the Ramblers 25-20. 

Nguyen started the second set with a kill from the back row, followed by a kill from DeBlieck. Parker and Goedheer added a block before Nguyen and Furlong swapped kills. Bradley’s graduate middle blocker Cherlin Antonio scored an overpass kill, followed by a kill from Bohl, giving the Ramblers a 4-3 lead. 

A setter dump from Ball followed by a kill from Nguyen forced a Bradley timeout. Mannon and Bohl exchanged kills before Antonio and Furlong scored consecutive kills. A kill from Van Den Herik and a block by DeBlieck forced a second Bradley timeout, down 13-6. 

DeBlieck added another kill, which was met by a kill from Furlong and errors from both sides. Nguyen tabbed another kill, which was followed by a service ace from third-year libero Sam Falk. A block from Bohl and Nguyen was combated with a kill from Parker and a solo block by Mannon, but the Ramblers remained in the lead, 18-13. 

Ball and Bohl secured a block, followed by a kill from Bohl and Van Den Herik. Despite a kill from Furlong, a back row kill by Nguyen and a kill from Scherer put the Ramblers up two sets to none, 25-15.

A kill from Furlong got the third set started, which was followed by kills from both sides. Goedheer tallied an overpass kill which was met with back-to-back kills from Nguyen. Mannon added a kill, which was combated by another Nguyen kill as well as a block from Bohl and Ball. Scherer and Bradley fourth-year defensive specialist Megan DePoorter swapped kills, but the Braves held a 11-6 lead. 

Bohl and DeBlieck exchanged kills with Parker and Furlong. Various errors from either side were combated by two consecutive kills from DeBlieck. A kill down the line by Nguyen and a kill from Bohl were met with kills from Parker and Goedheer, tying the set at 17. 

Ball won a joust at the net, which was followed by a kill from Bohl. Bradley responded with three consecutive kills, one from Parker and two from Furlong, prompting a Loyola timeout. Even though Nguyen and DeBlieck added a kill each, it wasn’t enough to stop two Furlong kills and a block from Furlong and Goedheer to give the Braves set three, 25-21. 

The Ramblers started off with a 4-1 run to commence the fourth set consisting of kills from DeBlieck and Nguyen as well as a service ace from Fitting. Goedheer responded with a kill and Bitsaktsi added a service ace. Bohl tallied a kill, which was negated by an Antonio solo block. Ball tallied a kill and an error from either side put the Ramblers up, 8-6

Ball and DeBlieck added a block followed by a kill from Scherer and Van Den Herik. Goedheer and Parker combated with a kill each, but DeBlieck and Scherer added the same. Antonio added two kills which were negated by kills from Nguyen and Scherer, tying the set at 14.

Furlong tallied two more kills followed by a kill from Goedheer and multiple Rambler errors, prompting a Loyola timeout. Furlong accumulated two more kills, which were met with a kill each from DeBlieck and Nguyen. Despite another Nguyen kill, consecutive kills from Mannon and Goedheer tied the match at two sets apiece, 25-21. 

An error from both sides started the fifth set. Nguyen lit up the offense with three consecutive kills. The Braves met Loyola with a kill from Parker and Mannon as well as a block from Mannon and third-year setter Maria Drapp, tying the set at five. 

Nguyen tallied two more consecutive kills followed by a kill from Bohl and a solo block by Ball, prompting a Bradley timeout. Furlong added two kills and Drapp added one, but they were met with a kill from Van Den Herik and two from Nguyen. A block from Bohl and Scherer forced a Braves timeout, down 13-9. 

Despite a kill from Parker, a Nguyen kill and a Bradley error closed out the match, 15-10. 

Head Coach Amanda Berkley said she was proud of her team for managing their gameplan and competing, despite losing sets three and four.

“We talked about competing and doing our jobs,” Berkeley said. “Sometimes in the third and fourth set, we just didn’t do our jobs like we did in the first and second set. In the fifth set, we talked about doing our job, so that we can make plays.”

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