DUBUQUE, Iowa – The Loras College women's volleyball team opened its 2026 campaign Tuesday night on Lillis Court, falling to Monmouth College in straight sets.
The Duhawks (0-1) battled the Fighting Scots (1-0) throughout a tightly contested opening set. Monmouth grabbed an early 10-8 advantage following back-to-back Loras attack errors. The Purple and Gold were able to work their way back into the set, and an
Iva Senio service ace eventually pulled Loras even at 16.
The Duhawks continued to build momentum and found themselves on the verge of taking the opening frame with a 24-19 advantage. Monmouth, however, responded with six unanswered points to steal the set, 26-24, and take a 1-0 lead in the match.
Loras responded with a quick 3-0 start in the second set before the Fighting Scots answered with a 9-1 run to move ahead 9-4. Monmouth stretched its advantage to seven (16-9) and maintained control the rest of the way, taking the second set 25-16.
The visitors carried that momentum into the third, opening the frame with six straight points. Kills from
Kyra Kuehn and
Cydney Tath, along with a Monmouth attack error, helped the Duhawks cut the deficit to three at 8-5. The Fighting Scots answered once again, using a 7-1 run to regain control before closing out the match with a 25-12 third-set victory.
Kuehn and
Cat Meyer paced the Loras attack with seven kills apiece, while Tath added six kills in her Duhawk debut.
Isabel Hart dished out a team-high 17 assists, while Senio anchored the Duhawk defense with 13 digs.
For Monmouth, Bri Woodard finished with a team-high eight kills, while Kaylee Celus added six. Isa Hughes recorded 17 assists, and Zoe Nizzia led the Fighting Scots with 12 digs.
Up Next: Loras will travel to Jacksonville, Ill. to compete in the Lady Blue Challenge, hosted by Illinois College. The Duhawks will take on Mount St. Joesph University and Greenville University on Sept. 4, followed by match ups with Illinois College and Anderson University (Ind.) on Sept. 5.
