WORCESTER, Mass. – Abby Hamilton and Ann Ernst combined for 28 kills as Loyola University Maryland hit .319, sweeping host College of the Holy Cross, 25-23, 25-20, 25-18, in the teams' Patriot League opener on Friday night.
 
Hamilton had a match-best 15 kills with only four errors in 43 swings, while Ernst put away 13 in 35 attempts with four errors. Mackenzie Fedota added seven kills, while Cat Vaccaro and Cecylia Guye each had six.
 
Ashley Dwyer made her Patriot League debut with 40 assists and a service ace. Katie Forsythe had a match-best 16 digs, while Corinne Filograna was one back at 15 and Ann Ernst had 13.
 
Loyola (8-7 overall, 1-0 Patriot League) built a four-point lead, 20-16, in the first set, but the Crusaders (3-12, 0-1) responded with three points in a row. Hamilton had back-to-back kills to put Loyola back in front by three, but Holy Cross closed within one three more times before a Crusaders attack error gave Loyola the set win.
 
In the second, the Greyhounds held an 8-6 lead before scoring five of the next six to break open the game. A similar run in the third turned a 4-4 tie into a 9-4 advantage when Guye and Ernst combined for a block.
 
The Greyhounds continue their Patriot League road swing on Saturday when they face Colgate University at 4 p.m. in Hamilton, New York.