Volleyball Edged by Loyola to Open the Loyola Invitational

Thursday, September 10

Chicago, Ill.

7:00 PM

Southeast Missouri State University

2-5,0-0OVC

Loyola

1-5,0-0Atlantic 10

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
Southeast Mo. St.	18	25	20	25	10	2
Loyola Chicago	25	19	25	21	15	3

Photo by: SEMO Creative Media

9/10/2026 9:22:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

CHICAGO, ILL. — Southeast Missouri volleyball's comeback fell short against Loyola Chicago 3-2 on Thursday. Southeast Missouri took an 8-5 lead in the fourth set after trailing 4-3 and won the set 25-21, but the Ramblers took the fifth 15-10.

Southeast Missouri built a 5-3 edge on early kills by Alaina Lester, Lucy Arndt and Katarina Miscevic. After the Ramblers stretched the margin to 12-7, Brooklyn Ritter's kill started a seven-point Southeast Missouri run, and Megan Holder served six straight points during the surge with two aces, a Reagan Nelson kill and a Lester-Paige Smith block helping put Southeast Missouri ahead 14-12. The Ramblers answered after Nelson's kill made it 15-13, scoring five straight to move ahead 18-15, and although Marin Johnson's kill later pulled Southeast Missouri within 21-18, the Ramblers took the final four points to win the set 25-18.

Southeast Missouri opened the second set with a Smith kill from Nina Schuberth, a Holder service ace and a Nelson kill from Holder for a 3-0 lead, and later pushed the margin to 7-1 behind two Lester kills and Lester-Smith block. The Ramblers worked back to 9-7 with Katie Scherer and Leyna Nguyen kills around two blocks, but Southeast Missouri answered with points from Johnson, Lester and Nelson to stay in front. Nelson's service ace made it 18-11, and after the Ramblers moved within 19-14, Arndt's kill from Ellie Burns and a Mallory Bohl attack error gave Southeast Missouri a 22-14 lead. The Ramblers scored three of the next four points, but Arndt and Nelson supplied late kills before Nelson closed the set with another kill from Burns for a 25-19 Southeast Missouri win.

Southeast Missouri edged in front 4-2 in the third set on kills by Arndt, Johnson and Schuberth before the Ramblers tied it at 4-4 and the teams traded points to 11-11. The Ramblers moved ahead with four straight points from there, using a Leyna Nguyen kill and two Southeast Missouri attack errors to build a 15-11 lead. Nelson recorded three kills as Southeast Missouri worked back within 18-16, but the Ramblers answered with four straight points, including a Katie Scherer kill and consecutive Jae Fitting service aces, to go up 22-16. Lester and Smith had kills late and Southeast Missouri reached 24-20 on a Ramblers attack error, but Mallory Bohl closed the set with a kill for a 25-20 Ramblers win.

After the Ramblers moved in front 4-2, Southeast Missouri tied the fourth set on Arndt's kill and went ahead 5-4 on an attack error. Arndt, Jacey Young and Nelson helped Southeast Missouri keep the lead through the middle of the set, with Nelson's kill making it 20-17 after the Ramblers had cut the margin to two. The Ramblers pulled within 21-20, but a service error, Lester's ace and another Arndt kill pushed Southeast Missouri to set point before Arndt finished the 25-21 set win.

Nelson opened the fifth set with a service ace and Arndt followed with a kill from Holder as Southeast Missouri moved ahead 2-0. The Ramblers tied it at 2-2, but Southeast Missouri stayed in front at 5-3 after a Smith kill, a Young kill and a Ramblers attack error. The set was even at 7-7 before the Ramblers scored three straight on a Lester attack error, a Mya Ball ace and a block by Avary DeBlieck and Claire Van Den Herik to go up 10-7. Nelson stopped that stretch with a kill, but the Ramblers pushed the lead to 14-8 and closed the fifth set 15-10 after Southeast Missouri pulled back two points.

Southeast Missouri Top Performers

Lucy Arndt
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- team-high and season high 24 kills
- team-high 24 points
- 17 digs

Reagan Nelson
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- 17 kills
- 20 points
- 12 digs
- 2 service aces

Megan Holder
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- team-high 28 assists
- 14 digs
- 3 service aces

Ellie Burns
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- 21 assists
- 10 digs

Alaina Lester
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- 10 kills on .308 hitting
- 3 blocks
- 12.5 points

Up next, the Southeast Missouri wraps up the matches this weekend Friday playing Bradley at 11 a.m. and Alabama A&M at 4 p.m.