The Loyola women’s volleyball team took revenge against conference rival Spring Hill College in the third straight victory this month. Tuesday night the Lady ‘Pack defeated the Badgers in a 3-1 contest.
The first game, start to finish, was closely scored with 11 ties throughout and seven lead changes. Loyola took the final lead at 25-24 to win, 30-26.
“Our teams were really well-matched. Once we got focused on winning and finally got over the tension, we were able to concentrate on what we needed to do,” said Mary Seals, accounting senior.
Loyola started the second game with a 3-0 lead, but Springhill countered to win 30-27, tying the match.
Seals started the third game off serving a 2-0 lead. She ended the match with 34 digs and 16 kills. Danielle Posey, communication junior, and Sarah Howard, marketing senior, ended a potential Badger rally off a blocked a spike at 28-18. The ‘Pack went on to win the game 30-19.
Springhill started out strong in the fourth game taking a 7-1 lead, but the ‘Pack rallied to tie the match behind Tiffany Stafford’s term of service. They took the lead and Posey’s kill held it at 19-15. The match ended with a 30-21 victory for Loyola.
“There was a little more excitement for this game,” Posey said. “We’re both Jesuit schools and there’s some rivalry between us, but we played our best and played as a team.”
Posey finished the game with five service ace serves, 11 kills, and 27 digs. Tiffany Stafford, psychology senior, led the defense with 60 digs and a service ace. Howard helped power the offense with 12 digs, six kills, and 24 assists.
“We play for each other,” Seals said. “There are no personal mess-ups. You make a mistake and it keeps everyone else from being able to do their job. We all just try to keep this mindset and work together as a team, not individuals.”
Coach Tommy Harold agreed. “We are all team-oriented. Everyone plays their own role and we work toward the same goal. We don’t adjust to the other team, if we do what works for us on our side of the net, the rest will fall in place.” This Friday and Saturday Loyola will host the Wolfpack Invitational Tournament at The Den. Friday the ‘Pack plays Ursuline College at 1 p.m. and Southern Nazarene University at 7 p.m.
