BYU women's volleyball falls against the Ramblers in first-round NCAA tournament game

No. 5 seed BYU women’s volleyball (19-9, 12-6 Big 12) lost to Loyola Chicago (21-11, 13-5 Atlantic 10) on Thursday in a first-round NCAA tournament game in West Lafayette, Indiana.

While playing on host No. 4 seed Purdue’s home court, the two teams played a action-packed match against one another for the very first time.

The final score was 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-17) for Loyola Chicago as the Cougars' season came to an end.

Set one began as BYU took the first serve and Loyola Chicago grabbed the first point of the game. Cougars evened out the score 1-1 the very next play. Where one team earned a point, the other made up for the score, giving the game a very back-and-forth feel.

It was a tough start for BYU as it looked to find the flow of it's team throughout the first set.

Serving proved to be a general weakness for the Cougars as they struggled heavily with service errors throughout game, handing points to the Ramblers.

Even still, BYU did have impressive moments throughout the game. Players Brielle Kemavore and Kjersti Strong proved irreplaceable with their talents in the middle of the court.

Loyola Chicago played confident, feeling unstoppable on the court. The Ramblers continuously met BYU at the net and bested the jousts. Their momentum took Loyola Chicago into the lead.

Ramblers showed heavy kills from the back line and strategic hands in the front. Ultimately, points accumulated for the Ramblers as their offense hit strong.

Set one went to the Ramblers.

Set two started with the same patterns from both teams, the first point going to Loyola Chicago. The Ramblers played with electricity, exploiting BYU’s mistakes.

Just as in the first set, the Ramblers took set two as well.

BYU scored the first point of the third set, but the Ramblers wasted no time evening out the score. Loyola Chicago continued to lead by at least two points throughout the set, widening the gap towards the end.

The match ended when Loyola took the third set.

“They’re trying to make history for Loyola,” Ramblers coach Amanda Berkley said before the game.

History was indeed made as Loyola Chicago played a fast-paced, high-flying game that earned the Ramblers their first-ever win in the tournament.

Now, as BYU takes a step down, the Ramblers await the winner of the Purdue- Western Michigan game.