Box Score Wolf Pack returns to the court on Tuesday, October 31, on the road at crosstown rival Xavier.
Looking to keep the momentum of yesterday's 3-0 sweep over Brewton-Parker rolling, the Loyola University New Orleans volleyball team headed to Macon, Georgia on Saturday night to battle Middle Georgia State University.
Saturday's affair was a highly-contested matchup as it took these two evenly-matched program's five sets to determine a winner in Macon. When the smoke cleared, it would be the host Knights that came out on top 3-2 in this key Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) exchange.
With the loss, the Wolf Pack falls to 14-16 overall on the year and 4-9 in the SSAC while MGS improves 8-13 on the year and 4-9 in league play following the win.
Down 1-0 in the match, Loyola was able to build a five-point cushion (15-10) in the second set following a kill by Beatriz Agosto (SO/Miami, Fla.) off an assist by Maddie Huekels (JR/Dyer, Ind.). The Knights managed to battle back to tie the set at 20-20 before an ace by Malea Howie (SO/Greenwood, Ind.) paired with a kill by Tylar Beckham (SO/New Orleans, La.) put the visitors on top, 22-20. Following a Wolf Pack attack error, Loyola would close out the second set on a 3-0 spurt – capped off by an ace by Kaitlynn Watson (SO/South Lake Tahoe, Ca.) – to claim the set 25-21 and tie the match at 1-1.
The Knights responded from the set defeat by claiming the third frame 25-17 to give the home team the 2-1 advantage in the match.
A kill from Beckham put the Wolf Pack up 24-22 and facing set point in the third stanza. MGS answered back with two-unanswered points to knot the set at 24-24 before both teams would exchange scores to bring the set to 25 all. Adelia Obioha (FR/New Orleans, La.) connected on a kill to put Loyola 26-25 and then assisted on a kill by Helene Masone (FR/Destin, Fla.) to seal the 27-25 victory for the Wolf Pack in set four.
It was all MGS in the free frame as the host squad raced out to a sizeable 10-5 advantage. A Knights attack error would bring Loyola within four, 6-10, before Middle Georgia would rattle off the next five-straight points to take the set (15-6) and the match (3-2).
Beckham had 12 kills to pace the Wolf Pack offense and Huekels handed out a team-best 25 assists in the loss. Sunni Blanchard (SO/Pierre Part, La.) notched the first double-double of her career (17 assists and 15 digs) while Helene Masone recorded 26 digs in the loss.
Brooklyn Roberts and Alexxi Howell led the Knights with 12 kills apiece while Delia Morin gave out a match-high 46 assists on Saturday.
Loyola will make the short trip across town on Tuesday, Oct. 31, to square off against crosstown rival Xavier at 6:00 p.m.
