WORCESTER, Mass. – Holy Cross volleyball sophomore outside hitter Rachel Johnson established a new career-high with a game-best 20 kills however the Crusaders fell in five sets to Patriot League opponent Loyola (Md.) 3-2 Saturday afternoon on Senior Day in Coach George Blaney '61 Gymnasium.

Holy Cross wraps up their season at 4-21, 1-15 PL while the Greyhounds move to 11-15, 6-10 PL with the win.

Johnson easily bested her previous career-best mark of kills in the match. She added eight digs, two blocks, two assists and an ace. Making her first start as a libero, freshman Emma Halstead produced a match and personal-high 23 digs (1.000 reception percentage) with three assists and once ace.

Junior Abbie Lane double-doubled for the 18th time in her career with 11 kills and 16 digs. Senior Halle Carter added her 22nd double-double as a member of the Crusaders with 14 assists and 13 digs.

Before the match, the Crusaders held their Senior Day ceremonies honoring Carter and Sanaea Simmons.

Thank you @hallecarterr and @sanaeasimmons_ ??#GoCrossGo pic.twitter.com/qvlnEyMmJ5
— Holy Cross Volleyball (@HCrossVB) November 11, 2023
 

SET SCORES:

• Greyhounds 3, Crusaders 2 (25-20, 19-25, 25-17, 19-25, 11-15)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• A Carter ace put the hosts ahead 5-0 early. Lauren Link pulled the Hounds within one at 6-5. Three straight from the Crusaders leapfrogged them back into the lead, 9-5. Loyola dropped the deficit to two, 9-7, but the Crusaders went on a 9-2 run getting two kills from Lane to double up Loyola, 19-8. Loyola countered with a 9-2 run of their own. Two attack errors and a Johnson kill gave the Crusaders the 1-0 match lead.
• Lane tallied a kill for the 4-2 Crusader lead in the second set. Behind 7-5, Johnson posted five kills for the Crusaders part of a 6-1 outburst for the 11-8 home margin. Loyola exploded for an 11-3 scoring binge to take a 19-14 edge before tying the match 1-1.
• Halstead doubled up the guests 8-4 by placing an ace. Behind by three, Loyola clawed back into the set on the strength of five straight to lead 11-9. Holy Cross countered with another scoring stretch, 6-1 to lead 15-12 at the media timeout. Loyola once again came within one, but Lane tallied two kills part of six in a row for the 22-15 advantage. Junior Lauren Halverson clinched the set powering a kill from the middle.
• No team led by more than two points in the fourth set up to the media timeout as Loyola was in the lead, 15-13. The Greyhounds rallied after the timeout for a 6-1 scoring stretch to jump ahead 21-14. They tied up the match 2-2 winning 25-19.
• With a 5-4 lead, Lane dropped an ace to move the hosts ahead 6-4. After the teams switched sides Halverson roped a kill and Johnson's 20th kill of the match opened up a 10-4 margin. Loyola closed the match on an 11-1 run to take the contest.

OUTSIDE THE BOX:

• Johnson's 20 kills tied for the seventh most during a five set match in the conference this season.
• Johnson became the first Crusader since Clare Honan (Nov. 10, 2017 vs. Bucknell) to record 20 kills in a match.
• Halstead's 23 digs were the ninth most in a five set match in the Patriot League this season.
• Johnson finished the season with 262 kills which is currently seventh in the league and she is seventh in kills per set (3.12).
• Lane completed the season with 234 digs that ranks eighth in the conference. Lane is eighth in kills per set (2.85).

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