BALTIMORE – Loyola University Maryland rallied from at least three points down in the final five of the first two sets to beat visiting Bucknell University, 25-22, 27-25, 23-25. 22-25. 15-8, on Friday night in Patriot League action.
All five of the Greyhounds' hitters had at least eight kills, as outsides
Ann Ernst and
Abby Hamilton each had 20 or more in the victory.
Ernst posted her third career match with more than 20 kills and 20 digs, logging a career-best 22 kills with 24 digs. Hamilton had 20 kills and 14 digs, while
Megan Bukala posted a career-best 15 kills and two blocks.
Mackenzie Fedota had 13 digs and two blocks, and
Cecylia Guye had eight kills in the win.
Katie Forsythe led the Greyhounds' defense with 29 digs, while
Corinne Filograna and
Alaina Acchione added 12 and 10, respectively.
Ashley Dwyer had 45 assists, and Acchione added 21.
Bucknell (12-3 overall, 1-2 Patriot League) opened up an 18-11 first-set lead on the Greyhounds on a Loyola service error, but Loyola scored six of the next seven points to get within two, 19-17, on a Fedota kill.
The Bison, however, pushed forward to lead by three, 22-19, on a Loyola attack error before the Greyhound scored five in a row to lead, 24-22, on a Bucknell hitting error. Ernst then put away her fifth kill of the first set to claim the frame for Loyola.
Bucknell looked to even the match at 1-1 when it led 21-17 after a Mimi Richards kill in the second, but Bukala converted on a sideout to make it 21-18. Richards and Kelsey O'Loughlin locked up a Bison block for sideout, and a Loyola attack error made it 23-19 in the Bison's favor.
Bukala again sided out with a kill, and Ernst had kills that bookended a Dwyer dump for a point that made it 23-23. Anna Carroll gave Bucknell set-point at 24-23, but Ernst evened the score at 24-24.
A ball-handling error by the Bison and a Greyhounds' service error made it 25-25 before Hamilton and Fedota had kills to push the second set in Loyola's favor.
Bucknell came back form 17-13 down in the third to win the frame, 25-23, and the Bison then rallied from 16-13 back to win the third, 25-22.
Loyola turned a 6-6 fifth-set tie into a 10-7 lead on an Ernst service ace, and a Hamilton kill later made it 12-7 in the deciding set.
Hamilton then put away kill on the final three points to swing the match in Loyola's favor.
The Greyhounds return to Retiz Arena on Saturday for a 3 p.m. match against Lafayette College.
