Ramblers Sweep Bulldogs for Third Consecutive Win

For the first time since last fall, Loyola women’s volleyball won three consecutive games in Gentile Arena with their sweep of Alabama A&M University.

Second-year outside Leyna Nguyen, third-year outside Claire Van Den Herik and second-year right side Katie Scherer all registered double digit kills and a combined seven blocks.

Scherer opened the scoring in the first set with a kill before the Bulldogs’ second-year middle blocker Carys Sanabria put the set back on even terms. Third-year middle blocker Mallory Bohl and Alabama A&M’s fifth-year outside Gerren Tomlin both added kills of their own. A Rambler error and Nguyen overpass kill brought the score level at 3-3. 

Van Den Herik picked up her first kill of the day and Nguyen aced the subsequent serve to put the Ramblers up, but a kill from second-year right side Mckenzie Charles and ace from Tomlin tied the set right back up at five apiece. 

Bulldogs third-year outside Rayishon Jackman and second-year middle blocker Cherrish Robinson combined for an A&M block, followed by a Loyola error. Two Van Den Herik kills meant the set was even at seven.  Jackman then got two kills, with Rambler fourth-year middle blocker Avary DeBlieck getting one in between. Third-year outside Amya Jennings added a kill, but the following Bulldog serve hit nothing but net.

Jackman added her third kill of the set, while Jennings and Sanabria put up a block which saw A&M take a 12-9 lead. A Bulldog serve once again found only netting, but a kill from Tomlin got the point right back.

Scherer added a point for Loyola, as did Robinson for A&M. Nguyen picked up another kill, and two Bulldog net violations tied the score at 14. Nguyen then aced her serve to give the Ramblers the lead before Bohl doubled it with a kill of her own. Two Rambler errors followed by an ace from Tomlin gave the lead right back to Alabama. 

Van Den Herik leveled it, but A&M pulled three back in quick succession, with a Charles kill, a block by Sanabria and Charles and a Jackman kill, forcing Loyola to take a timeout. A&M scuffed their serve following the break but put up a kill right after. 

Van Den Herik and Nguyen both got kills to force a Bulldog timeout, after which Nguyen struck again to tie the set at 21. DeBlieck and Scherer got a block and Tomlin got a kill. Three Bulldog errors handed the Ramblers the first set 25-22.

Sanabria started the second set, but Scherer got it right back. Loyola gave up an error before first-year outside Rhyan Holloway scored a kill for Alabama. Bohl and Jennings traded kills, as did Nguyen and Tomlin. Bohl got her second of the set, and an A&M error saw the set level at five. 

DeBlieck and Van Den Herik put up a block, and DeBlieck then got a solo block. Jackman got a kill, but Van Den Herik registered a solo block, sandwiched by two kills to force the Bulldogs to call a timeout.

Jackman tallied another kill after the restart, but Scherer and Nguyen’s kills and a DeBlieck-Nguyen block kept the Ramblers in a comfortable lead. Both teams traded errors before Nguyen and Tomlin swapped kills. Scherer scored another kill, but the Ramblers errored on the serve. 

Bohl and Charles got one each and A&M hit the net. Bohl aced her first serve, but errored her second. Loyola then errored again, but Van Den Herik got a kill followed by a Bulldog net violation and timeout.

Charles struck but Van Den Herik got her own kill the next play. DeBlieck and Scherer blocked an attack and Nguyen added a kill, but it was a Bulldog error that won the second set for the Ramblers.

Scherer got on the board first in the third set, and Tomlin hit back. Bohl preceded a Loyola error with a kill, and Nguyen followed it with one. Bohl then recorded a solo block to make it 4-2. Charles then struck for A&M, as did Van Den Herik for Loyola. 

Jackman and Charles each added a kill, but A&M picked up two straight errors to negate them. A Rambler service error and Sanabria kill evened the score before Sanabria combined with first-year outside Scholar Bates for a block to take the lead. Scherer added two kills split by both teams trading errors. 

Both teams then registered two more errors each, and Bohl and third-year setter Mya Ball blocked a Bulldog attack. Tomlin got a kill, and Loyola errored to tie the score at 13. Nguyen added another of her own before Bulldogs second-year setter Kaydee Smith surprised the Rambler defense with a setter dump. The Bulldogs then botched the serve, and Loyola did the same.

DeBlieck and Van Den Herik blocked for a point, before Scherer got another through a kill. Jackman struck twice, with the Bulldogs erroring their serve in between. Nguyen added another kill to her tally, as did Scherer, forcing an A&M timeout. 

Sanabria and Tomlin blocked a Rambler attack, but the following serve found the net. Bohl added another solo block and Nguyen got her final kill of the game before another A&M timeout was called. Tomlin scored a kill, and a Loyola defensive error was overturned to bring the score to 24-19. Charles got one back for A&M, but it wasn’t enough as a serving error gave the Ramblers the set and the match.

Despite a quick turnaround between games, Head Coach Amanda Berkley didn’t let the pace affect her players.

“It’s an earlier match, but we can’t have any excuses,” Berkeley said. “We have to come ready to play.”

Scherer had nothing but praise for her teammate Ball. “I think Mya did a great job dishing today, and so did her pass, which allowed her to spread the offense as she did,” Scherer said.

The Ramblers will face University of Illinois Chicago, Sept. 17 at 6 p.m. in Gentile Arena for the first of two Chicago Cup games. Streaming will be available on ESPN+.