After falling in a 1-0 hole, the University of Evansville volleyball team rallied, but in the end, fell just short against Loyola, dropping a 5-set match to the Ramblers in Friday’s Missouri Valley Conference opener at Meeks Family Fieldhouse.
Rachel Tam led all players with 22 kills while Mildrelis Rodriguez was just behind with 17. Alondra Vazuqez added 11 for the Purple Aces (6-8, 0-1 MVC). Elena Redmond had a stellar day with four service aces while Allana McInnis posted 51 assists and Olivia Goldstein chipped in 18 digs. Loyola (9-4, 1-0 MVC) saw Elle Van Grinsven lead the way with 21 kills.
Loyola set an early tone, taking a 3-1 lead before a Tam kill tied it up at 3-3. The Ramblers posted five of the next six to go up 9-4. After UE scored a pair, Loyola put the set out of reach, recording eight in a row before going on to a 25-14 win.
UE fell into another early hole in the second set as Loyola jumped out to a 9-2 advantage. After the Ramblers extended the edge to 11-3, the Aces made a run as a double block by Joselyn Coronel and Mildrelis Rodriguez got UE back within five at 13-8. The Aces continued to battle back as Tam’s sixth kill of the evening cut the deficit to one – 17-16. In the next ball, Rocio Fortuny and Kerra Cornist recorded a double block to tie the game.
Loyola retook a 20-18 lead, but Evansville came back with a Rodriguez kill to knot the score once again at 20-20 before a Cornist kill put the Aces in front. With the game tied at 23-23, a Rodriguez kill put the Aces back in front before an Allana McInnis service ace gave UE the set, 25-23.
Evansville rebounded from another early hole in the third game. After Loyola jumped out to a 5-2 lead, the Aces rallied back with nine in a row to take an 11-5 advantage. Elena Redmond had back-to-back service aces in the rally. UE continued to add to its lead, going up 15-7 as Alondra Vazquez notched an ace of her own. Loyola chipped away at their deficit, getting within three points at 21-18, but two more kills by Rodriguez pushed the lead back to five – 23-18. UE picked up a 2-1 match lead as they finished off with the 25-20 win.
Game four saw Loyola hold off each UE rally in the early going, pushing their lead to 8-5 before a pair of Tam kills cut the LUC lead to one – 10-9. Elena Redmond added two more aces to give Evansville a 13-12 lead. The Ramblers pushed right back, scoring the next five before pulling away to tie the match at 2-2 with a 25-17 triumph.
The Ramblers scored the first three points in game five before Tam got UE on the board with her 19th kill of the night got the Aces on the board. Loyola pushed its lead out to 6-2 before the Aces scored a pair to get within two at 6-4. After Loyola pushed its advantage back to four, UE rallied once again with to make it a 10-8 game. From there, the Ramblers hung on to clinch the 5-set win with a 15-11 decision in game five.
