BALTIMORE – For the second time in two weeks, Loyola University Maryland extended the match to five sets, but 15-time Patriot League Champion American University pulled out the win. Wednesday, the Eagles scored the match's last three points for a 21-25, 25-19, 19-25, 25-12, 15-12 conference victory in Reitz Arena.
 
Ann Ernst had a solo block on a tip attempt by American's Aleksandra Sochacka to tie the score at 12-12, forcing an Eagles timeout, but Helena Elbaek came out of the break with two-straight kills, and Zeynep Uzen finished the set with a kill to give American (19-7 overall, 12-1 Patriot League) the win.
 
Ernst finished with 18 kills and 20 digs, while Abby Hamilton led all players with 19 kills for the Greyhounds. Katie Forsythe added 23 digs and two service aces, while Megan Bukala had 10 kills and five blocks, and Adara Kellogg added five kills and seven blocks.
 
The Greyhounds (12-15, 5-8) took a 1-0 lead in the match after hitting .231 in the first set as Ernst compiled seven kills and 11 of her digs in the opening frame.
 
Uzen had the hot hand, however, in the second, posting eight kills to help American even the match at a set each.
 
Loyola went up 17-9 in the third on a Bukala kill, and while American got within four at 23-19, Hamilton had a kill and an ace to close the match and again give the Greyhounds the edge. Loyola hit .519 in the third as Hamilton (six), Ernst (five) and Bukala (four) combined for 15 of the team's 16 kills.
 
American scored the fourth's first five points and then went on a 10-2 run late in the frame to pull away for a 25-12 win, holding Loyola to -.057 hitting during the set.
 
Loyola went up 9-7 in the fifth on a Hamilton kill, but the Eagles came back to score four in a row, punctuated by two kills from Vela McBride and one from Sochacka. The Greyhounds sided out on an American service error, got back within one on a Kellogg kill and tied it when Ernst blocked Sochacka. The Eagles, however, scored the last three to take the match.
 
Four Loyola players had 10 or more digs, as Corinne Filograna (13) and Alaina Acchione (12) joined Forsythe and Ernst. Acchione and Dwyer combined for 54 assists, each totaling 27.
 
The Greyhounds play Sunday in Annapolis, Maryland, at the U.S. Naval Academy in a 2 p.m. match.