PEORIA, Ill. ? Junior Katrina Goncher (Batavia, Ill./Aurora Rosary) tied a career-high with 14 kills and added a career-best 10 blocks, but visiting Loyola-Chicago rallied from a two games to one deficit to defeat Bradley Tuesday night in non-conference volleyball action at Robertson Memorial Field House. Game scores in favor of the Ramblers were 30-32, 30-27, 23-30, 30-24, 18-16.

The two teams battled back and forth throughout the match, which included 60 ties and 28 lead changes in the five games. Goncher was one of three Bradley players in double figures in kills, matching her career-high with 14. She also added a career-high 10 blocks (three solo, seven block assists), helping Bradley to a season-best 19 blocks.

Goncher helped the Braves (2-19 overall) rally to take the opening game 32-30. Loyola (6-16 overall) was serving game point at 30-29, when Goncher notched her fifth kill of the game to even the set at 30-30. A Rambler attack error gave Bradley a 31-30 lead and Goncher followed with her sixth kill of the game to close out a 32-30 BU victory.

The score was knotted at 24-24 in game two, before four Bradley attack errors helped Loyola go on a 5-1 run that gave the Ramblers a 29-25 lead. An Emily Austin (St. Louis, Mo./Oakville) kill and Sam Black (Atalissa, Iowa/West Liberty) ace made it 29-27, but Loyola's Keily Zins found the floor with a kill to give the Ramblers at 30-27 win to even the match.

Bradley used solid defense and its best offensive game of the night to take a 2-1 lead after game three. The Braves used a 7-0 midway through the frame to take a 17-12 lead and never let Loyola cut the lead under three points as Bradley cruised to a 30-23 win. BU hit .190 in the game and limited the Ramblers to an .070 attack percentage.

Loyola did the same thing to the Braves in game four, breaking open a tie game with a 7-1 run that gave the Ramblers a 25-19 lead. Bradley would cut the Loyola lead to five points twice, but Loyola would even the match with a 30-24 win and force a fifth and deciding game.

The Ramblers held a 12-9 lead in the final game, before the Braves rallied and eventually served a match point. Senior Jenna Harrison (Edwardsville, Ill./Metro East Lutheran) notched a kill and a block to highlight a four-point BU spurt that gave the Braves a 13-12 lead. A Loyola block was followed by a Nikki Pierzchala (Sylvania, Ohio/Northvie) kill to put Bradley ahead 14-13. Loyola's Dana VanDiggelen helped Loyola steal back momentum with back-to-back kills to put the Ramblers ahead 15-14.

Loyola led 16-15 and was serving match point when Goncher recorded her 10th block of the night to even the game at 16-16. VanDiggelen would strike again with a kill to put Loyola up 17-16 and a Bradley attack error ended the match as Loyola escaped with an 18-16 win in the final set.

Pierzchala added 13 kills, 11 digs and six block assists and freshman Melissa Collins (Manchester, Ohio/Parkway South) had 11 kills, 11 digs and two service aces to help highlight things for the Braves. Black finished with her team-best 10th double-double of the year with 50 assists and 16 digs. Sophomore Kaitlyn Comiskey (Crystal Lake, Ill./South) led the Braves defensive efforts with 19 digs. Bradley hit a combined .170 in the first three games, but Loyola limited the Braves to an .068 attack percentage in the final two games.

Loyola had four players reach double figures in kills, led by VanDiggelen's match-high 21 kills. Alyse Serritella recorded 11 digs in the first game and finished with a school record 36, helping Loyola to a 96-82 edge in digs in the match.

Bradley returns to Missouri Valley Conference play Friday, when the Braves play at Creighton at 7 p.m. at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.