Esma Ajanovic of Loyola attempts a block against BYU’s Claire Little during the Ramblers’ NCAA tournament opening-round win Thursday at Purdue.
Loyola (22-11) achieved a historic upset in the NCAA women’s volleyball tournament’s first round on Thursday in West Lafayette, Indiana. The Ramblers swept 24th-ranked Brigham Young (19-10) in a shocking victory before 2,415 fans at Purdue’s Holloway Gymnasium.
With a 25-20, 25-21, 25-17 triumph, Loyola earned its first win in seven NCAA tournament appearances, advancing to face Purdue (25-6) on Friday (6 p.m., ESPN+). The host Boilermakers swept Western Michigan (20-13) earlier in the first round.
Graduate student outside hitter Marta Cvitkovic (Croatia) led Loyola with 13 kills on 27 attempts with just one error (.444 hitting percentage). She sealed the match with a powerful spike to the sideline. Senior setter Bree Borum (Sterling, Illinois) contributed four kills, 32 assists, 10 digs, and two blocks for the Atlantic 10 champions. Freshman libero Sam Falk (Mother McAuley) added 11 digs, two aces, and four assists, helping the Ramblers extend their winning streak to 13 games.
BYU, a Big 12 at-large tournament entry, had not exited the first round of the NCAA tournament since 2005. The Cougars ranked 19th in RPI, while Loyola held the 56th spot.
“Our team has been incredibly focused during this postseason run, and they stepped up again today,” said Loyola coach Amanda Berkley. “That’s been our theme all year—making plays. Marta, Bree, Sam, and Olivia [Lovett] all contributed significantly. Marta was phenomenal offensively.”
In other NCAA first-round matches on Friday, Illinois (18-12) faces Northern Iowa (25-7) at 3 p.m. in Louisville, followed by Chicago State (19-9) against the host Cardinals at 6 p.m. (both on ESPN+).