BALTIMORE – Loyola University Maryland took five-time defending Patriot League champion American University to five sets for the first time since joining the conference in 2013, and the Greyhounds held an early lead in the decisive set, but the Eagles came back for a 25-14, 18-25, 25-18, 20-25, 15-13 victory on Saturday night in Reitz Arena.
 
Ann Ernst combined 21 kills and a .250 hitting percentage with 16 digs, while Haley Puddy had 14 kills to go with six total blocks for Loyola. Aleksandra Kazala tallied 16 kills and 18 digs for the Eagles (18-9 overall, 12-0 Patriot League), who remained undefeated in League play this season.
 
The Greyhounds (11-13, 6-5) took a 4-0 lead to start the fifth behind kills from Abby Hamilton and Cat Vaccaro and a Molly Werts service ace, but after calling a timeout, the Egales sided out and ran off four-straight points to tie the set at 4-4.
 
Molly Jarvis had one of her nine kills to sideout for the Greyhounds, but American scored off a Greyhounds service error.
 
Ernst had two kills in a row to push Loyola back up by two, 7-5, but the Eagles reeled off three in a row to lead 9-8 on a Helena Elbaek kill. Ernst sided out with a kill to tie the score at 9-9, but an Elbaek kill put American back in front and started 4-0 run that would see the Eagles lead 13-9 on a Shannon Webb kill.
 
Puddy wrapped two kills around a Jarvis-Hamilton block for the Greyhounds, her second kill making it 13-12 in American's favor before Jeanne Westney swung from the right-side to sideout at 14-12. Loyola kept the set alive with Puddy's final kill of the match, but Kazala ended the contest with a kill down the line.
 
American opened the match with a dominating first set, hitting .400 to go with six total blocks, easing to a 25-14 win.
 
The Greyhounds surged in the second, turning an 8-8 tie into a 13-9 advantage on an Ernst kill. The Greyhounds stretched the lead to five on four occasions before American cut its deficit to three, 21-18 on an Aleksandra Sochacka kill.
 
Loyola called a timeout and Ernst sided out with a kill before Alisah Cash had a solo block for the Greyhounds and the Eagles had a hitting error, giving Loyola set-point at 24-18. Westney and Sochacka held off Loyola for a point with a block, but Cash ended the set with a kill to even the match at one set each.
 
American again took control in the third set, winning 25-18, and the Eagles appeared headed for a three-set victory after building a 13-10 lead in the fourth.
 
Loyola quickly chipped away at its deficit, scoring five of the next six points to lead 15-14 on an Ernst ace. After the media timeout, Puddy had a kill before Cash and Hamitlon locked up a block to give the Greyhounds a three-point lead, 17-14.
 
Elbaek and Vela McBride combined for an Eagles block to sideout, but a Jarvis solo block sparked a 3-0 run that saw the Greyhounds lead 21-15 when Puddy and Jarvis combined to block Webb.
 
Jarvis and Cash each had seven blocks total to lead the Greyhounds. Loyola finished with 15 total blocks on the night.
 
American cut the Loyola lead to four three times after it was 21-15, but they could not draw closer, and the match headed to the fifth set.
 
Loren McKenzie and Elbaek each had 10 kills for the Eagles, and McBride totaled 10 blocks to go with eight kills.
 
Hamilton finished with 15 digs, while Molly Werts posted a double-double with 27 assists and 16 digs. Alaina Acchione added 21 assists, while Katie Forsythe led Loyola with 23 digs.
 
The Greyhounds return to action on Sunday afternoon when they host the U.S. Naval Academy at 1 o'clock in Reitz Arena. Prior to the match, the Greyhounds will honor their three seniors – Cash, Puddy and Werts – in pregame ceremony.