VILLANOVA, Pa. – Villanova and Loyola volleyball were tied late in the first two sets and then separated only by a few points late in the third, but the Wildcats scores wins in all three to sweep the Greyhounds, 25-22, 25-20, 25-20 in the first game of the Villanova Classic.
Loyola tied the first set at 20-20 after a Wildcats attack error, and a
Gabi Verdicchio service ace made it 22-22 moments later, but the Wildcats got the last three points of the set to take a 1-0 lead.
The Greyhounds led early in the second, going up 14-9 on a
Leah Hunter ace, but the Wildcats would rally to tie at 17-17 on a Loyola blocking error. The teams traded points over the next two, but Villanova went on a 5-0 run to take a 23-18 lead en route to a second-set win.
Kacy Sekunda led Loyola with nine kills and 11 assists, while Verdicchio had 10 assists and a team-high 11 digs.
Loyola will be back in action on Saturday with two matches, playing Princeton at 11 a.m. and Old Dominion at 4:30 p.m.
