Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Dukes opened up a four-match homestand on Friday night, falling to Loyola Chicago in straight sets, 3-0 inside UMPM Cooper Fieldhouse during conference action. With the loss, the Duquesne University volleyball team dropped to 13-12 overall and 4-9 in Atlantic 10 play.

POINT OF EMPHASIS
The opening set featured seven ties and three lead changes as Duquesne grabbed an early 7-3 advantage. Out of a Ramblers timeout, Loyola Chicago responded with a 9-5 stint that featured six kills from six different players, to even that match at 12-all. Later in the set, the Ramblers would take a 17-14 lead before a 5-2 run from the Dukes even the set, 19-19. Freshman Emersen Schrom sparked the run with a kill followed by a successful swing from sophomore Avery Hobson. After a point from the visitors, graduate student Grace Kristofic found the floor successfully as a Ramblers miscue ended the run. Loyola Chicago regained the lead (23-20) but after a Duquesne timeout, the Dukes knotted the score at 24-all on back-to-back kills from junior Ariel Helm. The Ramblers would unfortunately register consecutive successful swings to take the set, 26-24.

STANZA THREE
Loyola Chicago (13-11 / 8-5) would take a 2-0 match advantage after taking the second set 25-11 before holding a 10-5 lead early in set three. Duquesne responded by scoring eight of the next 11 points to even the set 13-13. Four different Dukes found the floor successfully during the stint while a block from Helm and junior Carsyn Henschen capped the burst. After a rejection by Kristofic and sophomore Jordan Robertson knotted the stanza at 19-all and forced a Ramblers timeout. Loyola Chicago would end the set on a 6-3 surge to take the match and the set, 25-23.

300 MILESTONE
Junior middle blocker Ariel Helm came into tonight just one block shy of 300 for her career and it didn't take long for her to secure the milestone. Helm registered a solo block in the opening set to give the Dukes a 5-3 advantage while securing #300. She would finish the night with four total blocks and a pair of kills to give her 303.0 total rejections for her career. Helm became just the seventh Duke in school history to tally 300 rejections for a career as she surpassed Melissa Sheldon for seventh all-time in DU history. The Indiana native has put together a career season at the net, posting 126.0 total rejections, 97 block assists, and 25 solo blocks, which all are career-highs. Helm is just two blocks shy of breaking the single season record for most blocks in a season – which has been held by Monica Tinsley since 2005. The Junior currently ranks fifth in NCAA Division I in total rejections while sitting 36^th in blocks per set.

INSIDE THE STAT SHEET
Emersen Schrom finished as the only Dukes with double figure kills, carding 13 kills, nine digs, and an ace. Grace Kristofic, Carsyn Henschen, and Avery Hobson all tallied four successful swings while Kristofic totaled 20 assists, seven digs, and a pair of blocks. Junior Madison Grimm also collected seven digs while passing out three helpers on Friday.

UP NEXT
Duquesne wraps up its series with Loyola Chicago on Saturday, Nov. 2, with the opening serve scheduled for 1:00 p.m. inside UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.