Wolf Pack earns eighth straight win on Senior Day

NEW ORLEANS – On a day when the Loyola University New Orleans volleyball team was honoring its seniors, the Wolf Pack claimed a straight-sets victory over Tennessee Southern to earn its eighth win in a row. The win moved Loyola to 7-4 in the Southern States Athletic Conference, just behind William Carey (7-3) and Blue Mountain Christian (8-4) in second and third place, respectively, in the league standings. 
 

Loyola honored its eight seniors: Amaya Bazemore, Preslie Boswell, Natalie Burkholder, Emma Fahy, Gabriella Masiello, Simone Moreau, Juliana Pacini, and Alicia Simmons.
 

Loyola will hit the road for its two final regular-season games, first traveling to Mobile next Saturday at 1 p.m. before the season finale at William Carey on Saturday, Nov. 9. 
 

Tennessee Southern struck first in the early going of the first set, 3-2, but the Wolf Pack tied the score four times, 6-6. A pair of aces from Bazemore broke the tie, giving Loyola an 8-6 lead. Shortly after, a kill by Pacini and an Ellie Connor ace made the score 10-7. The Firehawks managed to regain the lead, 12-11, but Loyola scored six straight points to get their largest lead of the set, 17-12. During that stretch, Boswell added two kills, Bazemore found the floor, and Moreau capped off the run with an ace. Kills from Clarissa Dupree and Boswell, along with a Bazemore-Boswell block ended the set, 1-0.
 

The Wolf Pack and the Firehawks traded leads early in the second set with UT Southern breaking away, 8-5. A Pacini kill, a block from Burkholder and Fahy, and an ace from Bazemore helped Loyola score five straight to take a lead, 10-8. After the Firehawks tied it up at 16-all, Dupree found the floor and Bazemore added two more kills to regain the lead, 19-16. The Pack kept the ball rolling, stretching the lead to four, 22-18, and ending the set with a Connor ace after a Bazemore-Fahy block and a UT Southern error.
 

Bazemore, Dupree, and Boswell combined for four kills to start the third set, 4-0. Once UT Southern, tied the set at 6-6, Loyola retook the lead with kills from Bazemore and Masiello, 10-7. The Wolf Pack attack continued with Pacini, Boswell, Dupree, and Burkholder each finding the floor, while Moreau served an ace to extend the lead 19-10. After a UT Southern timeout, Moreau added another ace and Dupree earned another kill to get the largest lead of the match, 21-11. After Bazemore and Fahy added kills, Simmons, who had been injured all season, entered the match to serve the match-winning ace, 25-15.
 

Wolf Pack Head Coach Jesse Zabal

"We really wanted to put a spotlight on the seniors today and they did such a fantastic job. The four seniors who have been here for four years really created a turning point for this program in their freshman year and with the addition of our three transfers and our early graduate, they have done nothing but elevate this program to achieve something new every year. Their names and the teams they led are all over the record books. I cannot be more proud of who they are as young women, who they have grown to be as volleyball players and student athletes, and I am so excited to see the impact that they'll have on this world. Throughout the match, they and their teammates showcased the steadiness and confidence that we've grown over the past month. Regardless of the score, regardless of a chaotic play, we knew we were in control. It feels great to get eight in a row and we're excited that we could send off the seniors in such a positive way."
 

Pack Facts

• Amaya Bazemore had her most efficient attacking performance of the season, totaling 15 kills in 23 attempts with no errors. Her .652 hitting percentage was her highest of the season. With four assisted blocks and three service aces, Bazemore led all players with 20 points scored on Saturday. 

• Simone Moreau also served three aces, recording a team-high 12 digs. 

• Juliana Pacini and Preslie Boswell each scored nine kills in the match. Pacini did so with no errors and just 15 attacks for a .600 hitting percentage. 

• Gabriella Masiello tied for a match high in assists with 18. It was her third-highest assists total of the season and her most in a three-set match this year. 

• Emma Fahy and Natalie Burkholder each added two kills. Fahy also had three blocks and Burkholder two. 

• Alicia Simmons served in a match for the first time at Loyola, starting the match with a serve and ending it with an ace.

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