Contact: Emily Zadny, Director of Athletic Communications, 563-588-7970

DUBUQUE, Iowa (Sept. 28, 2019) – The Loras College women's volleyball team faced two talented Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) opponents on Saturday at the University of Dubuque Invite, scoring a 3-1 win against the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (13-5) and dropping a 3-1 decision to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (16-4) in the second match.

Against Oshkosh, Kelly Boge got the offense started with a kill to open the set and Kayla Kinney, Jackie Alberto and Abby Allgeyer all added kills for the 11-9 advantage. Krystal Tranel added two service aces and Jessalyn Roling and Kendra Cave joined in on the scoring action to help Loras take the first set, 25-20.

The Duhawks battled the Titans in the second set with both teams trading points off errors and efficient hitting. A kill from Boge and two errors by Oshkosh gave Loras the 13-11 lead midway through the set, but the Titans were able to hold off Loras for a 25-21 win. The third set began much like the second with the teams neck and neck and Oshkosh managed to hold a narrow lead for the majority. With the score 22-20 in favor of the Titans, Cave came up with a much-needed kill to halt the opponent's momentum and Moira Mixan and Kayla Kinney added two points for Loras' five-point run to take the third set, 25-22.

Oshkosh came into the fourth set looking to force a fifth and held a 10-6 lead early in the set. Loras scored four-straight points to tie the set 10-10 and soon grew its lead to 23-17 with kills from Boge, Mixan and Cave. Loras kept the Titans at bay and came up with two kills to close the set, 25-20, and win the match.  

Against Stevens Point, the Duhawks were forced to play catch up early, trailing 9-1 in the opening set. Kills from Kinney and Allgeyer put Loras on the board while kills from Alberto helped the Duhawks chip away at Stevens Point's lead, but the first set went in favor of the Pointers, 25-17.

Kills from Boge, Kinney and Roling helped put Loras ahead early in the second set until the Pointers found momentum to take a 16-11 lead. The Duhawks remained collected and patient, as kills from Alberto and Kinney as well as a block from Boge and Cave steered Loras to a 21-19 lead. Stevens Point tied the set 22-22 following two kills, but kills from Boge and Talia McAtee brought the Duhawks to set point and an ace from Cave sealed the win, 25-22.

Loras held a 5-1 lead in the third set with kills from Mixan and Boge but the Pointers responded with a four-point run to take the lead 10-8 just a few plays later. Back-to-back kills from Kinney sparked four points for the Duhawks to lead 14-13, but it did not last long as Stevens Point scored six of its own to lead 21-16. A kill from Alberto held the Pointers at set-point for one more serve but was not enough to thwart the 25-20 win.

The Pointers did not want to take the match to five sets, pulling ahead early in the fourth set, but the momentum shifted after two errors sparked a four-point run by the Duhawks, giving Loras a 12-8 lead. Stevens Point tried to pull away yet again, leading 19-14 but three kills from Kinney and the Duhawks' defense forcing the Pointers to surrender errors gave Loras a 20-19 lead with set point quickly approaching. A kill from Alberto and two service errors by the Pointers kept Loras alive in the final points of the set, but the Pointers held on for a 25-23 win to take the match, 3-1.

Kinney led the Duhawks with 32 kills between both matches while Boge had 22 kills and a team-high three blocks. Cave and Tranel each had two service aces and Roling recorded 71 assists.

Loras (14-5, 1-0 A-R-C) resumes American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) play on Friday, Oct. 4 at Luther College. Match time in Decorah is set for 7:30 P.M.