BLUE MOUNTAIN, Miss. – The Loyola Wolf Pack volleyball team suffered a tough defeat on Friday, dropping a four-set match to Southern States Athletic Conference foe, Blue Mountain College (25-18, 22-25, 15-25, 21-25). Next up for the Pack (11-9, 4-2 in SSAC) is a road trip to Stillman College on Saturday, and first serve is set for 1 p.m. in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. 
 

Loyola trailed early in the first set but prevailed 25-18 to take a 1-0 lead in the match. Simone Tyson got things going early with two kills, and two more kills by the reigning SSAC Player of the Year finally gave the Wolf Pack the lead, 15-14. Preslie Boswell added consecutive attacks, then Brittany Cooper had two kills to keep Loyola ahead, 22-18. An ace by Gracie Bailey and two BMC errors allowed the Pack to take the first game. 
 

In the pivotal second set, the Wolf Pack jumped ahead 5-1 thanks to two kills by Boswell, a kill by Cooper, and two errors by the Toppers. Two kills by Tyson made it a 9-6 Loyola lead, however, BMC used a 9-2 run to take control of the set, 15-11. An ace by Juliet Petruzelli cut the deficit to 17-16, but the Toppers stayed ahead to even the match. 
 

After a tough third set, Loyola tried to stay alive in the fourth game. Emily Sheperis and Cooper got things going in the fourth, as the Pack took an early 4-2 lead. Amaya Bazemore kept Loyola ahead with two kills in three points, 8-6, but again, a BMC run put the home team ahead, 12-9. Cooper and Tyson, as well as blocks from Sheperis, Tyson, Boswell and Bazemore, tied the game, 14-14, though, the Toppers again pulled ahead, this time for good to claim the match. 
 

Wolf Pack Head Coach Jesse Zabal

"Tonight was a tough one. We really wanted to get on an upswing from our last couple of losses, and it just wasn't our night. We started strong on both offense and defense, but our offensive attack waned as the match went on. We definitely have to give Blue Mountain some credit for the touches they made defensively,  but we also just made too many unforced errors. It was great to see Preslie get back to having a strong game. Rebecca continues to make strong connections with our hitters and post some big assist numbers. Simone Moreau just gives her all, puts her body on the line and keeps us in games. She had a great match. We're just now nearing the end of the first half of conference play and know we have so much more to give. The pieces are there, and we just have to keep working to find the right fit for each match."

Pack Facts

• Brittany Cooper had her third consecutive match with double-digit kills with 10. She also was second on the team with 18 digs, notching her second double-double in a row. 

• Simone Tyson also had a double-double, her team-leading sixth of the season, with 11 kills and 15 digs. 

• The best attacking performance of the night for the Wolf Pack belonged to Preslie Boswell, who finished with a season-high 12 kills on a .400 hitting percentage. 

• Rebecca LaCour led the team with 21 assists, while Gracie Bailey had 14. 

• Simone Moreau had a team-high 21 digs. 

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.