Horizon League Championship Match Preview: No. 7 Wright State vs. No. 4 Loyola

Nov. 19, 2005

Seventh-seeded Wright State University will take on No. 4 Loyola University Chicago on Sunday, Nov. 20 at 2 p.m. ET in the title match of the 2005 Horizon League Volleyball Championship. The championship match, which features two of the League's three first-year coaches in Loyola's Marcie Bomhack and Wright State's Trina Smith, will air live on Comcast Sports Net Chicago, Comcast Indianapolis and the Ohio News Network.

How They Got Here

Wright State finished the regular season with a 9-19 record, having won five games against League competition. The Raiders defeated No. 6 Butler, 3-0, in the opening round of the tournament on Thursday, then survived a 3-2 match with No. 3 UIC in the quarterfinal round on Friday. The Raiders defeated No. 2 Cleveland State in five games on Saturday to advance to the team's first ever Horizon League Championship match.

Loyola concluded the regular season with an overall 10-17 record, including eight wins in League play. The Ramblers had a bye into the quarterfinal round of the tournament, where they faced No. 5 UW-Green Bay. The Ramblers defeated the Phoenix in five games, then knocked off regular season champion UW-Milwaukee in four games on Saturday to advance to an eighth championship match in the last nine seasons.

How They Fared Against Each Other

Loyola won both matches between the two teams during the regular season, including a 3-1 win on Oct. 7 and a 3-0 victory on Nov. 5.

Players to Watch

Wright State
Sarah Poling
The All-Horizon League selection has recorded a total of 51 kills and 54 digs in 13 games, for an average of 3.92 kills and 4.15 digs per game during the tournament.

Lindsey Frank
The Wright State setter narrowly missed a triple-double in the team's five-game win over Cleveland State in the semifinals, notching nine kills, 49 assists and 16 digs.

Lizzy Gunn
The All-Newcomer selection leads all players in the tournament with an average of 1.31 blocks per game.

Loyola
Sarah Elmer
The Rambler setter narrowly missed recording a triple-double in each of the team's two matches during the tournament.  On Friday, Elmer fell two kills short, recording eight kills, 51 assists and 11 digs, then notched 11 kills, 50 assists and nine digs on Saturday against UW-Milwaukee.  She also leads all players with a .405 hitting percentage.

Ann Deelo
The Loyola libero has totaled 55 digs on the weekend, good for a 6.11 digs per game average.

Audrey Davis
The All-Newcomer selection is hitting .327 during the tournament, including two double-digit kills performances.  She has also recorded five blocks.