NEW ORLEANS – The Loyola University New Orleans volleyball team is in Montgomery, Alabama, this week at the Southern States Athletic Conference Championship, and the No. 3-seed Wolf Pack started the tournament with a three-set win over No. 2 William Carey (29-27, 25-16, 25-19). 
 

Loyola will now play No. 6-seed Life University Friday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. to complete Pool B Play. The semifinals are set for later in the day at 5:30 p.m. in the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl. 
 

Loyola and the Crusaders had a battle in the opening set, as the Pack went on to take a 1-0 lead in the match with a 29-27 first-set win. The Crusaders jumped up 12-6 early, but four straight points for Loyola got the team back in the game. Amaya Bazemore and Emily Sheperis each had kills during that stretch, and another 4-0 run for the Wolf Pack gave them a 14-13 lead. Preslie Boswell and Sheperis combined for a block for the first point of that run, then Brittany Cooper and Sheperis blocked another on the next point. Back-to-back service aces for Cooper put Loyola ahead 17-16, then Emma Fahy and Bazemore combined for a block to make it a 19-19 game. From there, the game was tied seven more times until two kills by Bazemore sealed the win. 
 

WCU started the second set with the first four points before the Wolf Pack could get rolling. With the set tied 6-6, Rebecca LaCour had three aces during an 8-0 run to extend the lead to 14-6. Bazemore and Cooper combined for three kills moments later, 17-7, and three kills by Simone Tyson at the end of the set gave Loyola a 2-0 lead in the match. 
 

Again, the Crusaders got off to a good start in the third set, leading 5-3 early, but Bazemore, Cooper and Sheperis each had two kills to help make it a 12-7 advantage. After the Crusaders cut the deficit to 13-11, Tyson had consecutive attacks, and Bazemore and Boswell went back-to-back to jump ahead 17-13. Again, WCU cut the score to keep it close, 17-16, but Loyola used kills by Bazemore, Tyson and Cooper, as well as an ace by Simone Moreau kept the momentum in Loyola's favor, 22-17. Cooper finished things off with three kills in the final four points. 
 

Wolf Pack Head Coach Jesse Zabal

"Our group was excited to compete today and it is always an intense matchup with Carey. We started a little slow but I'm so proud of our team's perseverance through a tough set. Once they earned that momentum, it was clear they weren't going to let go of it. Carey did a great job of defending our pin attacks, but Amaya and Emily didn't mind taking care of the ball for us. It was probably one of Amaya's best offensive games, and Emily just stayed consistent throughout. Rebecca had an incredible service run in the second set and Mo wouldn't let a ball drop. The road ahead is not close to over and it won't be easy, but more than ever our team is in this fight for and with each other."
 

Pack Facts

• Loyola had two players with double-figure kills, as Amaya Bazemore had 11 with five blocks and a match-high .429 hitting percentage, and Brittany Cooper finished with 10 kills. 

• Cooper and Simone Tyson both were close to double-double territory. Tyson neared double digits with nine kills, while each player recorded nine digs. 

• Cooper served three aces, vaulting her into ninth place on Loyola's career aces list. She's up to a team-high 56 this year. 

• Gracie Bailey notched her eighth double-double of the season, earning a solid stat line of 21 assists and 10 digs.

• Just like she did in last year's conference tournament, Simone Moreau stepped up her performance at libero, finishing with 24 digs, an average of eight per set. She's at 937 digs for her career, inching closer to the 1,000 mark. 

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.