Pittsburgh, Pa. – In a back-and-forth affair, the Duquesne volleyball team came up short in a five-set thriller, falling 3-2 to Loyola Chicago on Friday night inside UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Atlantic 10 action. With the loss, the Dukes drop to 12-5 (.706) overall and 3-3 (.500) in league play while suffering their first home loss of the season.
GOING THE DISTANCE
In a set that featured five ties and one lead change, the two teams traded points early, with Duquesne getting kills from three different players in the opening 12 points. Loyola Chicago, however, found its rhythm and strung together five consecutive points to build an 11-6 advantage. A kill from Kate Maley sparked the run, while back-to-back miscues by the Dukes prompted a timeout. Claire Van Den Herik added a kill out of the break before Sam Falk delivered an ace to extend the Ramblers' lead. Junior
Emersen Schrom stemmed the tide with a kill, but a Duquesne service error, followed by a kill from freshman
Simone Searles and another Loyola Chicago point, brought the Ramblers to match point. Loyola Chicago then sealed the set with a kill, taking the deciding frame, 15-9.
ALL EVEN
Trailing 2-1 in the match after Loyola Chicago edged out a 26-24 victory in the third set, Duquesne responded in a big way in the fourth, capitalizing on the Ramblers' negative hitting percentage while tallying 14 kills, four blocks and two aces. The Dukes jumped out to an early 4-1 lead, forcing a Loyola timeout before extending their advantage to 11-5 midway through the frame. Freshman
Simone Searles paced the attack with four kills during the stretch, while classmate
Londyn Stone added two more. The Ramblers trimmed the deficit to 14-10, but a successful swing from freshman
Maddie Bush pushed Duquesne's lead to five heading into the media timeout. Later in the set, senior
Jordan Robertson and Stone helped spark a 5-1 run, combining for a block before Robertson followed with a solo rejection on the ensuing rally. After Loyola Chicago briefly halted the run, senior
Chloe Wilmot added a point before consecutive Ramblers miscues sealed a 25-16 set victory for the Dukes, forcing a decisive fifth set.
THREE'S COMPANY
For the third consecutive match, the trio of
Simone Searles,
Emersen Schrom and
Londyn Stone each recorded double-digit kills, with all three also registering double-doubles. Searles tied her season high with 21 kills while establishing a career best with 16 digs, adding an assist and an ace. It marked the fourth time this season and the second straight match the freshman has tallied 20 or more kills. Schrom notched her seventh double-double of the year, finishing with 15 kills and 11 digs while leading the team with 3.5 blocks and adding an ace. The junior has now reached double figures in kills 15 times this season. Stone rounded out the trio with her fourth double-double, recording 10 kills and 10 digs to go along with two assists and a pair of aces. The performance marked the seventh time this season she has reached double figures in kills. Collectively, the trio accounted for 46 of Duquesne's 58 kills and combined for 37 digs
BY THE NUMBERS
Chloe Wilmot recorded her fourth double-double of the season, dishing out 46 assists and collecting 10 digs while adding four kills and a block Friday night. The senior has now eclipsed the 40-assist mark nine times this season. Sophomore
Alexa Flowers contributed 11 digs and a career-high five assists, while senior
Delaney McIntosh paced the Dukes with three service aces and added eight digs.
Jordan Robertson rounded out the effort at the net with three blocks and four kills.
UP NEXT
Duquesne wraps up its series with Loyola Chicago on Saturday, Oct. 9, with the opening serve scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
