Contact: Nathan Cameron, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications, 563-588-7243

Feb. 23, 2021 - The Loras College women's volleyball team (2-0, 2-0 A-R-C) downed crosstown rival the University of Dubuque (0-2, 0-2 A-R-C) in a five set thriller Tuesday night. Late match heroics sparked by Sara Hoskins helped push the Duhawks past the Spartans to secure a 3-2 victory in the season's home opener, seeing their record improve to 2-0. 

The last time the Duhawks and Spartans met was in the 2019 American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Tournament where the Spartans emerged victorious in five sets to advance in the tournament. Tuesday's matchup saw a different ending to a similar story, this time in the Duhawks' favor. 

Loras owned the first set, only falling behind once in the entire set after giving up the first point on an attacking error. A kill by Jackie Alberto jump started the Duhawks to immediately tie the set back up, not looking back from there. After multiple three point scoring runs, the Duhawks found themselves with a seven point lead on Dubuque in the middle of the set. As the set continued, so did the steady barrage of points to put the Duhawks up 1-0 after the first set.

Dubuque went into the second set with an adjusted game plan to see the Spartans take a quick and early lead, scoring four straight to take a 6-3 advantage on the Duhawks. Moira Mixan helped close the gap a few plays later on an assist by Krystal Tranel to bring the Duhawks within two of the Spartans but it wouldn't be enough to claim the second set victory, going into the third tied at 1-1. 

The Duhawks got an early jump on Dubuque in the third set, scoring back to back on a Tranel service ace on Dubuque's Emma Powell followed by a Lyndsi Wilgenbusch kill assisted by Hoskins. Dubuque answered with two points of their own but the Duhawks did the same, taking a 4-2 lead. Plays later, a kill from Jade Casper put the Duhawks up 8-4 early but it was short lived as two close three point scoring runs from the Spartans took the score to 10-9 in their favor. A service error from Julie May tied the score back at 10-10, but Dubuque again slowly added points on the board, owning a four point lead late in the set. Loras kept the fight in them through the entirety of the set, pulling within two at the end of the set. 

Down 2-1 going into the third set, the Duhawks earned four points early with Tranel serving to go ahead 4-1. Loras held the lead until the middle of the set when Shauna McAleer tied the set up at 10-10. The score tied two more times before the Spartans went ahead by three at 15-12, only to be answered by Wilgenbusch who brought the Duhawks back within two. As the set moved forward, the Duhawks trailed by six points before an attack error by Dubuque's Emma Powell put the ball back in the hands of the Duhawks. It was Sam Stoffregen at the service line who helped catapult the Duhawks past the Spartans in the fourth set, leading the charge to score eight straight points to win the set 26-24 to force a fifth set to be played. 

Set number five of the match began with the Spartans taking six straight points from the Duhawks to go up 6-0 but a kill from Wilgenbusch helped bring Loras back into the match, going on to score three straight cutting the deficit to three. Dubuque held the lead until Olivia Smith put the Duhawks back at the service line with Hoskins due up to serve. With the score at 12-10 in favor of the Spartans, Hoskins ignited the flame that set the Duhawks on fire, going on to score five straight to win 15-12, closing out the set on a service ace on Mary Kate Willie to win the match 3-2. 

Alberto and Casper highlighted the offensive pressure with 15 kills a piece, followed by Mixan who posted 12 of her own. Mixan also led the match in service aces with three on the night while Tranel and Talia McAtee both had two. Smith shined defensively at the net for the Duhawks recording three blocks, finding help in Alberto and Mixan who each added one a piece. As well as recording the match winning point, Hoskins led the match in assists with 46 to her name. 

The Duhawks return to Lillis Court on Saturday, Feb. 27 at noon as they host A-R-C foe Simpson College in a conference matchup.