Box Score The Loyola Wolf Pack opened up Southern States Athletic Conference play with a win at William Carey Friday night
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The Loyola University New Orleans volleyball team ended a four-game losing skid Friday night, winning its Southern States Athletic Conference opener over William Carey 3-1 (20-25, 27-25, 27-25, 25-19) Friday night in Hattiesburg.
It was the second meeting for the two teams, as the first matchup in October didn't count towards the SSAC standings.
After dropping the first set 25-20, the Wolf Pack won a close set 27-25 to tie the match 1-1. Jordan Bernard started the set with a service ace, then Jules Mokry had three straight kills to give Loyola an 11-7 lead. Bernard had three kills in a short time span to keep Loyola ahead 15-12, then Kailyn O'Neal had a kill and an ace to extend the score to 20-15.
William Carey tied the match at 23-23 but kills by Bernard and Emily Sheperis gave Loyola the advantage.
The third set featured another close ending, as Loyola took a 2-1 match lead with another 27-25 win. The game featured 11 ties and four lead changes, as neither team held a lead larger than four. The Wolf Pack had six different players record a kill in the set, but it was a combination of Brittany Cooper, O'Neal and Sheperis who finished the set in the Wolf Pack's favor.
The Crusaders took a 2-1 lead in the fourth game, but after Loyola tied it on the next point, it grabbed and kept the lead for good. Bernard and Sheperis earned three straight points for the Wolf Pack, then Bernard and Sheperis added two more kills each to jump ahead 16-12. William Carey tried to get to within a point, 18-16, but Loyola got five more kills down the stretch to close out the match.
Loyola returns to The Den Friday, March 5, hosting Faulkner at 6 p.m.
"Tonight was a full team effort. From the bench to the floor, these ladies showed up for each other. They displayed grit and tenacity, and I am so proud of the way they earned this win. The setters did a phenomenal job of getting the ball to all of our hitters, we served tough, passed well, and fought to keep the ball off the floor on defense. We're excited to get back to work on Monday and, at the end of the day, just grateful for another opportunity to play this game."
Pack Facts
Helene Masone set a new career-best with 37 digs. Her previous career-high of 32, also against William Carey, came on October 7, 2017.
Gracie Bailey registered her second double-double of the season with 24 assists and 15 digs. Both of her double-doubles have come against William Carey.
With 11 kills and 15 digs, Brittany Cooper notched her third double-double of the season.
Loyola had two kill-dig double-doubles on Friday. Jordan Bernard recorded a team-high 13 kills and 11 digs for her first double-double of the season.
Two more players reached double-digit kills for the Wolf Pack: Emily Sheperis with 12 and Jules Mokry with 11. Sheperis added four blocks, a game-high.
Kailyn O'Neal had a team-high 27 assists, and she was one dig away from a double-double. Her four service aces are a season-best.
You can keep up with the Pack by following Wolf Pack Athletics on Facebook at Facebook.com/LoyolaWolfPack, Twitter and Instagram @LoyolaWolfPack, and by checking out our website at LoyolaWolfPack.com
