Volleyball reaches 20 wins Friday

NEW ORLEANS – The Loyola University New Orleans volleyball team rolled to a three-set win over Stillman College (25-12, 25-17, 25-14) on Friday, moving to 20-4 overall and 10-1 in the Southern States Athletic Conference. Loyola is set to host another SSAC foe on Saturday, as first serve against Mobile (15-7, 7-4) is scheduled for 2 p.m. 
 

The Wolf Pack racked up nine service aces in the first set to win handily. Madeline Corrall picked up the first one, then went back-to-back from the service line to make it a 6-1 Loyola lead. Kala Emanuelli notched two kills during that early going, too, and aces by Samantha Ingram and Katy Hollingsworth pushed Loyola's lead to 12-6. Gabby Masiello got on the train as well with a couple of aces, 16-7, and attacks by Emanuelli and Hollingsworth put the game out of reach, 24-12. Fittingly, Ingram got the set-winner on another ace to put the Wolf Pack up 1-0 in the match. 
 

The Tigers got off to a good start in the second set, but attacks from Emanuelli and Hollingsworth quickly tied the game, 4-4. Emma Fahy and Hollingsworth combined for a block, 6-4, then Emanuelli and Hollingsworth, once again, went back-to-back on kills to extend the advantage to 9-5. Alicia Simmons and Juliet Petruzelli added a couple of kills and Masiello had consecutive aces, 17-9, to really put the set away. Two kills by Petruzelli and an ace by Hollingsworth put the finishing touches on the game.  
 

Stillman began the third set with a 4-2 lead, but kills from Simmons, Hollingsworth, and Emanuelli evened the score at 7-7. Two service aces from Ellie Connor helped the Wolf Pack surpass the Tigers with a 9-1 run to take an 18-10 lead. Loyola continued to dominate only allowing four Stillman points the rest of the way. Natalie Burkholder and Fahy combined for a block to end the match, getting a 25-14 victory in the final game. 
 

Wolf Pack Head Coach Jesse Zabal

"Another really great win from our group and great to see some individuals have an opportunity to shine today. Gabby did a great job of leading the offense when on the court, while also earning five service aces. Kala and Alicia did a great job of remaining efficient on their attack, and Maddy was solid in the libero jersey tonight getting 12 digs and tacking on 4 aces.

Tomorrow, we look forward to remembering those who have lost their battles to breast cancer, as well as honoring those who are celebrating survivorship. It's always such an important moment to honor loved ones, educate others, and appreciate what we have. We hope everyone will join us in The Den for one of our last home matches of the regular season."
 

Pack Facts

• Now with a 20-4 overall record, Loyola has accumulated at least 20 wins in each of the last four seasons. It's also the fastest Loyola has ever reached 20 wins, only taking 24 matches to do so.

• The Wolf Pack also have put together five consecutive seasons of at least 10 conference victories. The team is 10-1 in SSAC play this season. 

• Loyola is an undefeated 5-0 in its all-time series with Stillman dating back to the 1999 season. 

• Kala Emanuelli led the Wolf Pack in attack, finishing with 11 kills and nine digs.

• Alicia Simmons had her best attacking performance since the 2021 season, posting nine kills on a .500 hitting percentage. 

• Gabby Masiello's team-high 13 assists were her most since September 3, 2022. 

• Masiello also led the team with five service aces, a new career best. 

• It was a new season high for Loyola, as the team combined for 16 service aces during the match, including nine in the first set. In two matches against Stillman this season, the Wolf Pack have a total of 29 aces. 

• Playing her first match at libero, Madeline Corral recorded a team-high 12 digs, plus four aces and two assists. 

• At the net, Loyola totaled eight blocks. Natalie Burkholder, Emma Fahy, and Katy Hollingsworth each had four assisted blocks. 

• Hollingsworth set a new season high with six kills, while Juliet Petruzelli did the same with five kills, 

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