Following a tough 3-2 loss to Bethel University at home yesterday, the Loyola University New Orleans volleyball team returned to The Den on Saturday morning to take on Martin Methodist in a SSAC matchup. Led by a double-double by Sr. OH Eva Allen (Oakland,Ca./Heads-Royce) , the Wolf Pack rolled to the 3-1 (20-25, 25-22, 25-17,25-19) victory at home.
Loyola improves to 16-15 overall and 6-7 in SSAC play with the win, while the RedHawks drop to 6-21 on the year and 4-8 in league play following the loss.
Set one was a game of runs as both teams used scoring streaks to take the lead. With the set tied at 12-12, Martin Methodist went on a 4-0 run to take the 16-12 advantage. Down 18-14, Loyola put together a 4-0 run of its own to knot the set at 18-18. The visitors ended set one with a 7-2 streak to claim victory 25-20 and go up 1-0.
The second set saw the Wolf Pack jump out to an early 5-2 lead to force a RedHawks timeout. Martin Methodist got its head back in the set and strung together a 6-1 run to grab the 12-9 advantage. Up 22-21, Loyola used a kill from Allen and two by Jr. OH Wren Overesch (Austin, Texas/Austin) to close out the set en route to the 25-22 victory.
With the match knotted at 1-1, the home team came out quick in the third set, racing to a 5-1 lead to force another Martin Methodist timeout. The RedHawks tried to get back in to the set but the duo of Allen and Fr. MB Jordan Davis (Litchfield Park, Ariz./Millennium) proved too much down the stretch and the Wolf Pack took the win 25-17 to go up 2-1.
Set four was another back-and-forth battle where runs played a huge role in the outcome. Loyola scored five-straight to take the 14-5 advantage, before the visitors answered with an unbelievable 9-0 streak to cut the deficit to just one at 15-14. With the Wolf Pack holding the slim three-point lead late, four-straight kills by Fr. MB Allison Hartmann (Slidell, La./Pope John Paul II), So. OH Raven Daniels (Lacombe, La./Lakeshore) and Overesch closed the door on the RedHawks and gave the Wolf Pack the 25-19 victory in the set and the 3-1 win for the match.
Allen recorded a double-double in the win, collecting a team-high 16 kills and 21 digs. Fr. S Maddie Huekels (Dyer, Ind./Marian Catholic) dished out a team-best 35 assists and Jr. L Katie Philippi (Metairie, La./Haynes) chipped in 15 digs in the win.
Loyola returns to action on Tuesday, Oct. 27, hitting the road to take on the University of Mobile at 7:30 p.m.
