Nov. 14, 2007

Loyola Game Notes In PDF Format

Tonight's Match
Loyola looks to find some of its championship magic this weekend as it opens Horizon League tournament play tonight against Green Bay. The Ramblers, who have five Horizon League tournament titles to their credit, enter the tournament as the No. 8 seed after an uncharacteristic 4-12 conference season. Losers of three straight matches, including a pair of five-game setbacks, Loyola will look to turn things around against a Green Bay team that it swept during the regular season, cruising to a four-game win at Alumni Gym before rallying from a 2-0 deficit to win in five tough games in Green Bay. The winner of tonight's match advances to tomorrow afternoon's quarterfinals against top-seeded Milwaukee.

Horizon League Happiness
Loyola looks to write another chapter in its book of tradition this weekend at the Horizon League Championship. The Ramblers have advanced to the title match in eight of the last 10 years, earning the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament five different times. In all, the Ramblers have a 39-20 (.661) lifetime record in the conference tournament but enter play tonight as the No. 8 seed, it's lowest seeding ever.

Everything Is Bigger In Texas, Including Block Numbers
Senior Melissa Craig has put together one of the best defensive seasons at the net in program history, totaling 121 blocks heading into postseason play. Craig's 108 block assists tie her with Shari Davis (2001) for Loyola's single-season record and her career total of 278 put her in third place on the Ramblers' all-time chart, 15 behind Davis' standard. Aside from her season and career accomplishments, Craig has already broken and re-broken the school's single-match mark, first with a 14-block performance (in just three games) against Milwaukee then with a 16-stuff (three solo, 13 assists) effort in the regular-season finale against Valparaiso. Offensively, Craig has also progressed, reaching double figures in kills in six of LU's last eight matches including adding 16 kills to her 16 blocks against Valpo.

Serritella's Digging For History
Sophomore libero Alyse Serritella has put together an outstanding season and is in line to make some Loyola volleyball history this weekend. The Darien, Ill. native, who did not assume starting libero duties until LU's fourth match, has 511 digs so far this season. In addition to being just the second Loyola player to amass 500 digs in a season, Serritella enters play this weekend 51 digs behind Ann Deelo's single-season record of 562 digs. So far in 2007, Serritella has recorded three matches of 30+ digs, including a school-record 36 digs in a five-game win at Bradley, notched 20 or more digs in 12 matches and has reached double figures in digs in each of her last 24 matches.

Prodigal Daughters Come Home To Milwaukee
This weekend will serve as a homecoming for three Loyola newcomers. Junior Sarah Singer (Waukesha), sophomore Lauren Ditscheit (Wauwatosa) and freshman Mallory Curran (Wauwatosa) all took different routes to Chicago and all three have been pivotal players for the Ramblers this season. Singer made the move to the Windy City after two seasons at Connecticut while Ditscheit played one season at Florida Atlantic before migrating back north. Curran, on the other hand, signed with Loyola in the early signing period and has been in the starting lineup from day one.

Four-Star DVD
Sophomore right-side Dana VanDiggelen has established herself as one of the top young players in the Horizon League and she leads Loyola in kills (343) and points (406) heading into the Horizon League tournament. She has played her best volleyball of the season during the second-half of the Horizon League season and has reached double figures in kills in nine straight matches (3.50 kpg) and 12 of her last 13. She became the just fifth different player in Loyola history to record 30 kills in a match (Sept. 8 vs. Brown) and can do it on defense as well, posting nine double-doubles and ranking second on the team with 95 blocks.

All-Around Achievement
Senior outside Keily Zins has reached a couple of milestones this season, becoming just the seventh player in Loyola history to reach 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in a career. The Barrington, Ill. native enters play with 1,038 kills and 1,122 digs and has been playing some of her best volleyball down the stretch with six double-doubles in her last eight outings.

Two-Point Heartache
One area where Loyola has struggled this season has been closing out close games. Thus far in 2007, the Ramblers are just 8-16 in games decided by two points, including a 4-10 record when the game goes to extra points. In addition, to underscore Loyola's difficulties in winning the big points this season, LU is just 2-6 in five-game matches. More amazingly, the Ramblers lost four of those five-game matches in the friendly confines of Alumni Gym, equaling their total number of five-game home losses over the last seven years combined.

Rising Up Against The Phoenix Dana VanDiggelen has been Loyola's top producer in the two matches with Green Bay this season, hammering down 33 kills (3.67 kpg) against the Phoenix. Loyola earned a four-game win in the first meeting before rallying from an 0-2 deficit for a stirring 3-2 (22-30, 21-30, 33-31, 30-25, 15-8) win in Green Bay.