TALLADEGA, Ala. – Talladega (11-14, 4-10 SSAC) started out strong in the second and third sets, but could not slow down the Loyola offensive attack for long, falling in straight sets at Billy C. Hawkins Arena on Saturday afternoon.
The Wolf Pack (19-9, 12-3 SSAC) compiled a .287 total hitting percentage, with a high of .323 in the second set, by tallying 37 kills to only 12 errors on the day in the win (25-15, 25-16, 25-13). The Tornadoes collected only 18 kills with their 21 miscues for a -.034 performance, while also reaching their best offensive mark in the second at .030. Loyola led in every major statistical category with Talladega unable to replicate Friday's output, when the hosts put a scare in 26-1 William Carey, the SSAC's top squad, and only fell by the minimum in the first and third sets.
Facing an early 5-1 deficit to the Wolf Pack, the Tornadoes made it a back-and-forth contest until the former reached the teens. After surrendering two points via errors to fall behind 14-9, Talladega rattled off four straight points to get within one. A kill from Zyarie-Prettie Garrit got her team into double digits before a block by
Josephine Gates and Garrit and two Simone Tyson errors put the visitors on notice as their lead was narrowed to 14-13. Loyola responded by scoring the next two points before answering a Garrit score with a set-clinching 9-1 run. Five of the points came via kills, one by Tyson and two apiece from Amaya Bazemore and Brittany Cooper. The Wolf Pack scored the final six points of the frame and Cooper claimed the last two.
The first two points of the second set went to Talladega on a
Nedu Evans kill and a Cooper error before Loyola equalized in the same fashion and later took a 5-4 lead. The teams then matched blow for blow before a trio of errors staked the Tornadoes to an 11-9 advantage. After another trade of points, the Wolf Pack scored six of seven to go up 16-13 before rattling off six straight following Tyson's service error. Trailing 22-14,
Mahalynn Sawyer and
Tianah Sanders tallied kills, both off assists from
Dominique Madarang, to put their team within six. However, Cooper closed the door on another frame by collecting three consecutive kills to put her team up 2-0.
Despite ceding the first point of the third, two Loyola errors were sandwiched by a Garrit kill and a
Maloree Calzadillas ace to put the Tornadoes on top 4-1. The Wolf Pack still weren't going away, scoring five of the next six to take a 6-5 lead, before
Kennedy Freeman answered right back with two kills off Calzadillas assists. A trade of points would see Talladega claim their final lead of the day via a Tyson service error, as Loyola responded with four consecutive points off errors to go up 11-8. The visitors proceeded to have multiple points in answer to Talladega, who could not gain more than one at a time, until the set reached match point. An error momentarily stayed the win until Bazemore finished it off with a kill.
Garrit led the Tornado offense with seven kills and eight digs, while
Kenya Glenn headed the defensive effort with 11 digs. Madarang assisted 11 kills, and Evans and Sanders each assisted on two blocks.
Talladega stays at home for its next match on October 25, its final non-conference match of the season against Philander Smith.