DeKALB, Ill. -- Bradley opened the second day of play at the Northern Illinois Invitational Saturday with a three set loss, falling to in-state rival Loyola 25-21, 26-24, 25-12. Freshman Annie Cave (Easton, Ill./Illini Central) led the Braves with a season-best nine kills, while attacking at a .500 clip.

Bradley (3-6 overall) struggled offensively against the Ramblers, hitting .080 as a team. Loyola (9-1 overall) got off to a hot start, hitting .432 in the opening set and boasted a .234 attack percentage in the match.

The Ramblers scored the first two points of the first set and jumped out to a 20-7 advantage. Sophomore Melissa Collins (Manchester, Mo./Parkway South) recorded three kills to help highlight an 11-2 BU run as Bradley closed the gap to four points at 22-18. The Braves hit .303 in the set, but it wasn't enough offense to offset Loyola's .432 attack percentage. Sarah Singer notched a pair of kills to close out a 25-21 Ramblers win in the opening set.

The second set went back and forth, featuring 10 lead changes and 13 ties. It appeared Bradley was in control when a pair of BU blocks and a Loyola attack error gave the Braves a 24-21 lead. Loyola setter Lauren Ditscheit had a kill and Bradley followed with an attack error on the next play. The Ramblers tied the match at 24-24 when Dana VanDiggelen four the floor with a kill. Colleen Francis scored Loyola's fourth consecutive point with a kill to give the Ramblers a 25-24 lead and a Bradley attack error handed Loyola a 26-24 win and two-set lead in the match.

The Braves struggled offensively in the third set, recording just four kills. Loyola blew open the set early on, using a 7-0 run to take a 13-5 lead. Bradley would pull back to within six points at 16-10, before an 8-0 Loyola spurt put the Ramblers comfortably in front as they cruised to a 25-12 win to complete the three-set sweep.

Cave led the Braves with a season-best nine kills on 18 attack attempts. Collins was the only other Bradley player with more than five kills, finishing with eight on the afternoon. Senior setter Sam Black (Atalissa, Iowa/West Liberty) added her team-best fourth double-double of the year, collecting 21 assists and 11 digs.

Bradley closes out play at the Northern Illinois Invitational later today when the Braves face tournament-host Northern Illinois at 7 p.m.