Box Score CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Ann Ernst had a career-high 26 kills, while Abby Hamilton put away 17 and Cat Vaccaro recorded 11, as Loyola University Maryland opened the 2019 season with a five-set win over Furman University on Friday morning in the first match of the Cavalier Classic.
 
Katie Forsythe posted 29, while Alaina Acchione had a career-best 34 assists and Ashley Dwyer added 28 in her collegiate debut.
 
Furman (0-1 overall) built a 19-15 lead in the first set and held off the Greyhounds (1-0) for a 25-22 victory in the opening frame, but a Hamilton kill early in the second gave the Greyhounds a 7-3 lead. A kill by Ernst, who had five in the second set, shortly thereafter made it 12-5, but the Paladins got within three on a trio of occasions.
 
After Furman made it 15-12, Hamilton had a kill and then teamed with Molly Jarvis for a block as part of a 4-0 run that stretched the lead to 19-12. The Paladins sided out just twice more in the set as Loyola tied the match at 1-1 with a 25-14 set win.
 
Both teams hit better than .300 in the third set, but Ernst and Hamilton's 15 combined kills in the frame, pushed the Greyhounds out to a 2-1 lead in the match Forsythe also had 10 of her 29 digs in the third.
 
Furman rallied to hold Loyola to a .078 hitting percentage in the fourth, forcing a deciding fifth set.
 
In the fifth, Jarvis had a kill to tie the set at 4-4, and Ernst then bookended a combined block she had with Jarvis by putting away a pair of kills to give Loyola a 7-4 lead and force a Paladins' timeout. Jarvis and Cecylia Guye locked up a block out of the break to make it 8-4 at the side-switch, but Furman scored the next three points to get within one, 8-7.
 
Adara Kellogg had a kill to give Loyola a two-point cushion, 10-8, but Furman came back with a Nicole Mack kill. Ernst sided out with a kill, and Vaccaro put away one to make it 12-9 for Loyola. Furman scored the next two points to claw within one, 12-11, but two Vaccaro kills around a Forsythe service ace gave the Greyhounds the set and match win.
 
Loyola will be back on the court at 3:30 p.m. to take on Coastal Carolina University in the second match of the event.