Volleyball Falls to Loyola Chicago and Northwestern to Open the Rambler Classic

Friday, August 28

Chicago, Ill.

2 PM

University of New Hampshire

0-1

Loyola University Chicago

1-0

New Hampshire

Loyola Chicago

Photo by: Greg Greene

Volleyball Falls to Loyola Chicago and Northwestern to Open the Rambler Classic

8/28/2015 8:44:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

CHICAGO -- The University of New Hampshire volleyball team conceded a pair of matches Friday at Gentile Arena to Loyola University Chicago, 3-1, and Northwestern University, 3-0, to open up the season at the Rambler Classic.

Against the Ramblers, the set scores were 25-18, 28-30, 23-25 and 23-25. In the match against the Northwestern, the line score read 12-25, 14-25 and 14-25. UNH slips to 0-2 in non-conference action.

Senior outside hitter Tori Forrest (Powder Springs, Ga.) led UNH with a double-double performance of 13 kills and 14 digs in the opening match against Loyola Chicago. Junior middle blocker Demi Muses (Orangevale, Calif.) was one kill shy of a double-double, posting nine kills and a team-high 15 digs. Senior middle blocker Cassidy Croci (Sylvania, Ohio) also eclipsed double-digit kills, slamming down 13 on the strength of a team-high .328 hitting percentage while adding four blocks. Junior setter Keelin Severtson (Delray Beach, Fla.) directed the offense with 36 assists. Muses and Severtson each ripped a pair of service aces.

Forrest again led the UNH offense with seven kills in the tilt against Northwestern. Muses logged three kills and nine digs. Senior outside hitter Maggie Kenney (Merrimack, N.H.) set a new career-high in blocks with five while chipping in a kill and a service ace.
The Wildcats and Ramblers battled it out in the early goings of the first frame as each side traded points at seven apiece. Loyola Chicago was the first squad to reach 10 points as the host team managed to rattle off four straight points, highlighted by back-to-back kills from Morgan Reardon. However, the Wildcats retaliated with a lengthy seven point run, sparked by a Forrest kill and a Muses service ace to give the visitors a 14-11 edge. The Ramblers responded with the next point, but never seized the lead for the remainder of the set. UNH stymied Loyola Chicago's offense, outhitting the home team .333 to .067 to take the first set of 2015.

The second set was evenly matched. The frame was tied on numerous occasions, but Loyola Chicago clung tight and rallied for the 30-28-marathon victory. In a set that featured 11 ties and two lead changes, each team landed seven points to begin the scoring. The Ramblers snapped the tie, but the 'Cats fought back and pulled within a point at 15-14. The mid-set rally was fueled by points from senior outside hitter Abby Brinkman (Brecksville, Ohio), Forrest and Muses. New Hampshire continued to fight, tying the set at the 22 mark. Muses landed a kill to give the Wildcats their first lead of the set as the Ramblers opted to huddle. Coming out of the stoppage, an attack error by Loyola Chicago forced set point in favor of the Wildcats. The Ramblers remained resilient, enduring four other set points. Loyola Chicago was able to counter late in the frame and escape with the second set, highlighted by a pair of kills from Reardon and Maureen Carls.

Much like the previous two sets, each team battled with a lot of back-and-forth action to start the third stanza. A two-point spurt by New Hampshire broke the 7-7 deadlock, carving out a 9-7 advantage. Loyola Chicago erased the lead, landing four straight points. Despite the run, UNH knotted the match at the 12, 13 and 15 marks. The Ramblers would not relinquish their lead, engineering a five-point run to take a 20-15 late in the frame and forcing UNH to burn a timeout. The breather proved to be beneficial to the 'Cats as the visitors tallied three points, cutting the Ramblers' lead down to 20-18. Opting to call timeout, Loyola Chicago was struggling to succumb the UNH rally as the score was tied at the 22 and 23 marks. Despite a pair of timely kills from Muses late in the set, Loyola Chicago pushed back and snagged the last two points to take a two-sets-to-one lead into the fourth set.

Kills by sophomore outside hitter Courtney Bowman (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) and Forest propelled a quick 4-1 lead for the Wildcats to begin the decisive set. The Ramblers countered swiftly, fusing together a 9-3 run to lead 11-6 and forcing the visitors to burn a timeout. New Hampshire whittled away at the Loyola Chicago lead and evened the set at the 16 mark. However, the Ramblers did not concede the lead for the remainder of the match. The host fended off the late surge by the Wildcats and captured set four, 25-23.
Northwestern staved off New Hampshire in the opening set, 25-12. The two sides split the first 12 points out of the chute at six apiece. NU broke the stalemate, stringing together a 7-1 surge to force UNH to call a timeout and trail 13-7. Muses tried to jumpstart the New Hampshire offense with a kill, but Northwestern never looked back and seized the first set.

In set two, Northwestern was the first team to 10, but UNH was just one point behind fueled by points from Kenney and Forrest. New Hampshire battled to tie the frame at the 11 and 12 marks. Despite that, NU buckled down and generated a 6-1 surge to take an 18-13 edge and force UNH to take a breather. Muses was looked upon again to jumpstart the Wildcat offense as she landed a kill, but NU maintained a minimum six-point cushion for the remainder of the frame to take a two-set lead into intermission.

UNH fell in the deciding set, 25-14. Northwestern bolted to a 9-3 advantage out of the chute. Following a New Hampshire timeout, sophomore right side hitter Sasha Cucuz (Plymouth, Mich.) recorded a kill out of the break. UNH would not go down quietly as the squad capitalized on NU miscues to narrow the deficit to 12-9. However, Northwestern was able to regain its composure and capture the deciding set despite points from freshman middle blocker Gabri Olhava (Mount Prospect, Ill) and Kenney.

The Wildcats returns to action tomorrow in the Rambler Classic to take on Wake Forest University. The match is set to begin at 11 a.m. and will be broadcasted on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app. UNH hosts its home opener Tuesday, Sept. 8 (7 p.m.) against Bryant University to begin a four-match homestand.

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