NEW ORLEANS, La. – The Lady Crusaders fell in straight sets to SSAC rivals Loyola (La.) 3-0 on Friday evening.
 
Both teams opened the first set by going almost point for point. WCU and LU tied the game at 5-5, with Carey taking the lead on three occasions. An attack error, a service error, and a Maurin Reyes kill each time gave Carey the lead, but Loyola fought back each time to tie the game early on.
 
It was here, however, that Loyola took charge of the set. Clarissa Dupree and Alexa Palmer recorded two kills apiece to help the Wolfpack go on an 11-4 run, taking control of the set at 16-9. Back-to-back kills by Agnes Hegardt and Reyes attempted to stop the run early, but a 5-0 surge made it irrelevant.
 
Both teams exchanged points over the remainder of the set, but the damage had already been done. LU held a slight advantage down the final stretch, going 9-7 to close out the set 25-16. Loyola dominated the opening set, doubling Carey's kill count and posting a hitting percentage of .231 compared to Carey's .062.
 
The second set began almost identically to the first. Both teams exchanged blows before tying the game at 6-6. Two kills by Reyes and one each from Natalie Bartholomew and Zoie Mitchell threatened to help the Crusaders pull away, but each time Loyola battled back to ensure Carey never led by more than two.
 
The teams continued to go back and forth before finding themselves even again at 16-16. Neither team led by more than two points at any stage. An exchange of errors, kills, and aces kept the contest close.
 
That was until a seven-kill, 9-2 run put the set to bed for the Wolfpack. As Carey's offense stumbled, Loyola's thrived, with Katy Hollingsworth, Alexa Palmer, and Samantha Guillote each contributing two kills to claim the second set 25-18.
 
Once again, the third set began as a close contest with the teams tied at 6. Neither side led by more than two points as Carey refused to go quietly. The teams combined for seven kills in the opening stretch, spread among six different players.
 
After tying the game again at 10-10, Loyola twice jumped out to a four-point lead. The Wolfpack led 14-10 and 18-14, but the Lady Crusaders fought back on both occasions to tie the game yet again at 18-18. Hegardt and Bartholomew led the comeback, combining for five kills before Reyes leveled the score at 18 with an ace.
 
Carey fought hard to keep the third set close, but a 7-3 run closed out the set—and the match—for Loyola. Kills by Dupree, Guillote, and Hollingsworth accounted for four of the seven final points to seal the win.
 
Bartholomew led the Crusaders with nine kills, while Hegardt posted the best hitting percentage at .364. Bartholomew and Reyes each recorded nine digs.
 
Carey will be back in action on Friday, November 7, as they travel to Marietta, Ga., to take on Life. First serve is scheduled for 5 p.m. CST.