The Loyola University New Orleans Volleyball team began play at the 2015 SSAC Volleyball Championships on Thursday, taking on the top-seeded No. 21 College of Coastal Georgia in round one of pool play. The fifth-seed Wolf Pack hung tough with Mariners throughout the match, but ultimately fell 3-0 (25-19,25-20,25-22) inside the Cramton Bowl Multiplex.
Loyola returns to action tomorrow, Nov. 13, taking on fourth-seed Faulkner University at 10:00 a.m. before battling with the No. 8 seed Brenau University at 3:00 p.m.
Coastal Georgia jumped out to the early 3-0 lead in set one, before a kill from Fr. MB Allison Hartmann (Slidell, La./Pope John Paul II) followed by three Mariner errors put the Wolf Pack up 4-3. With the score knotted up at 13-13, another error by Coastal Georgia gave Loyola the lead at 14-13. The Mariners strung together three-straight points to take the 16-14 advantage in the opening set. Up 17-16, Coastal Georgia scored four-unanswered to stretch the lead to 21-16. The Mariners maintained the cushion for the remainder of the set to claim set one 25-19.
With the score tied at 6-6 in the second set, Loyola used a kill byHartmann and errors by Coastal Georgia to jump out to the 10-6 lead. Back-to-back kills by Fr. S Maddie Huekels (Dyer, Ind./Marian Catholic)paired with another Mariner error put the Wolf Pack on top 19-15 to force a Coastal Georiga timeout. Coming out of the timeout, the Mariners orchestrated a 10-1 run to earn the come-from-behind victory 25-20.
The Mariners took the early 3-1 lead in the third set, before a kill by Hartmann and a service ace by Jr. L/DS Katie Phillipi (Metairie, La./Haynes) knotted the set at 3-3. The set tied again at 7-7, before a 5-0 run put Coastal Georgia in control at 12-7. The Wolf Pack kept it close down the stretch and with the score at 21-18, Loyola put up two-straight points to cut the deficit to just one at 21-20. One point would be as close as the Wolf Pack would get for the remainder of the set as the Mariners claimed victory 25-22 to win the match 3-0.
Hartmann led Loyola with seven kills, while Jr. OH Wren Overesch(Austin, Texas/Austin) added six. Huekels dished out a team-high 19 assists to go along with five kills and Sr. OH Eva Allen (Oakland, Calif./Head-Royce) added five kills and a team-high six digs in the loss.
Friday's Schedule
Friday, Nov. 13 | Cramton Bowl Multiplex | Montgomery, Ala.
Court 1 | Pool A Court 2 | Pool B
10:00 a.m. Faulkner (Ala.) vs. Loyola (La.) 10:00 a.m. Bethel (Tenn.) vs. Dalton State (Ga.)
12:30 p.m. Coastal Georgia vs. Brenau (Ga.) 12:30 p.m. Mobile (Ala.) vs. Martin Methodist (Tenn.)
3:00 p.m. Loyola (La.) vs. Brenau (Ga.) 3:00 p.m. Dalton State (Ga.) vs. Martin Methodist (Tenn.)
5:00 p.m. Coastal Georgia vs. Faulkner (Ala.) 5:00 p.m. Mobile (Ala.) vs. Bethel (Tenn.)
