Loyola defeated Blue Mountain Christian in three sets during a Southern States Athletic Conference match Friday evening inside The Den in New Orleans.
Marissa Gerleman led the Topper offense with 10 kills, and Valeria Velez added six. The team finished with 28 kills overall. The Toppers’ strongest effort came in the second set, which they nearly won before Loyola secured a 25-20 victory.
In the third set, Blue Mountain Christian continued to compete but couldn’t overcome Loyola’s late surge, falling 25-18. Defensively, libero Abbi Williams recorded a match-high 19 digs, while Velez and Salice Speed each contributed six. Olivia Lewis led the team at the net with four blocks, with Speed and Velez adding two each. The Toppers totaled seven blocks, one shy of Loyola’s eight.
Brenyn Wilbanks led the team with 11 assists, followed by Olivia Domino with seven and Sydney Tague with six. Speed also recorded two of the team’s three service aces. The Toppers will seek to rebound Saturday against Xavier in their next SSAC match.
