WASHINGTON, D.C. – Loyola University Maryland volleyball built a 13-9 fifth-set lead and held off a late Howard University charge on Tuesday night to down the host Bison, 25-17, 25-22, 20-25, 23-25, 16-14, at Burr Gymnasium.
 
Mackenzie Fedota and Ann Ernst put up a block for the Greyhounds (2-5 overall), turning back Howard's Kailyn Williams to make it 13-9, but the Bison (2-6) scored three-consecutive points to draw within one on a kill by Jurnee Tipton.
 
Loyola sided out on a Howard service error, setting up match-point for the Greyhounds, but a Kira Porter kill and a Loyola hitting miscue tied the set at 14-14.
 
The Greyhounds again sided out with a Bison service error, and a bad set by Howard decided the match point in Loyola's favor.
 
Ernst finished with a team-high 17 kills to go with four total blocks, and Cat Vaccaro posted nine kills. Molly Jarvis put away seven kills and had a match-high seven blocks.
 
Loyola broke a 13-13 tie in the first set with five-straight points, highlighted by back-to-back blocks by Ernst, plus Jarvis and Vaccaro. Tipton, who led all players with 19 kills, got the Bison back within three, 18-15, but Ernst and Jarvis each had two kills, and Ashley Dwyer had another, to push the score to 23-15 en route to a first-set win.
 
In the second, Howard, the MEAC North Division preseason favorite, closed a 20-15 deficit to one at 21-20, forcing a Greyhounds timeout. The Bison made back-to-back hitting errors out of the break and after a Howard kill, Vaccaro had a kill to get the Greyhounds match-point, 24-21. The Bison managed a sideout kill, but Ernst closed the set with one of her own to put Loyola in front, 2-0, in the match.
 
The Greyhounds would need those early wins, however, as Howard hit .352 in the third and fourth sets to push the match to a fifth.
 
Loyola will make its home debut Friday when it hosts the first day of the 2019 Charm City Challenge presented by Residence Inn Owings Mills. The Greyhounds take on Canisius College at 12:30 p.m. in Reitz Arena before hosting UNC Charlotte at 7:00 p.m.