Atlantic 10 Tournament Semifinals
Score: #2 Loyola Chicago 3, #3 VCU 1 (26-24, 14-25, 25-18, 25-16)
Location: Davidson, N.C. (Belk Arena)
Records: VCU 17-13, Loyola Chicago 19-11
 
The short story: Junior outside hitter Kialah Jefferson powered VCU with 11 kills, but the Rams fell in four sets to Loyola Chicago Saturday in the Atlantic 10 Conference semifinals.
 
OPENING VOLLEY

• Jefferson added 12 digs and three blocks on the way to a 13-point day for the Black and Gold
• Freshman libero Anja Kujundzic rang up 23 digs for VCU, one day after she set an A-10 Tournament record with 39
• Freshman outside hitter Sydney Houchens provided eight kills and five digs for the Rams, while senior middle blocker Jasmine Knight added seven kills and three blocks
• Addie Barnes led the Loyola attack with 17 kills and three blocks

THE DIFFERENCE

• Loyola outhit VCU .184-.120. In the third and fourth sets, combined, the Rambler advantage ballooned to .260-.028
• VCU evened the match at 1-1, but Loyola got five kills each from Barnes and Karlie McNabb in the third on the way to a 25-18 win. The Ramblers stormed to a 13-7 lead and never looked back
• In the fourth, Loyola turned a 2-2 frame into an 18-8 lead in short order as Barnes spiked three kills
• The Ramblers owned a 79-64 edge in digs

NOTABLE

• VCU was making its 10^th A-10 Semifinal appearance in 12 seasons
• Kujundzic averaged 6.89 digs per set in two A-10 Tournament matches. In all, she totaled 570 digs in her rookie campaign, the most-ever by a VCU freshman and the seventh-most in program single-season history. She is one of just five players in VCU history to average 5.00 digs per set in a season
• Knight's 137 blocks this year rank eighth in program single-season history. She also ranks fourth in program history in career hitting percentage (.314) and 10^th in kills (997)