HARRISONBURG, Va. (JMU Athletics) – James Madison volleyball opened the 2026 season with a sweep of Loyola Maryland (25-14, 25-20, 25-23) on Friday night inside the Convocation Center in front of 727 fans – the fifth-largest attendance for volleyball at the facility.
The Dukes (1-0) posted a hitting percentage of .259, while limiting the Greyhounds (0-1) to .079. JMU also held an advantage in blocks (11-8) and service aces (8-3) in the season-opening victory. The two teams will square off again tomorrow at 2 p.m. with action streaming on ESPN+.
Kennedy Louisell led all players with 12 kills, hitting .364 with five digs. Anna Wilson dominated up front with five total blocks, while Ayen Nhial and Addie Norman each recorded four. Sydney Lewis finished with a team-best 12 digs and tied her career high with three service aces. Lindsey Large kicked off her collegiate career with a game-best 16 assists and three digs in the win.
For Loyola, Addie Lowe paced the attack with seven kills and notched two total blocks. Morgan Crawford added six kills and five digs, while Madison Monahan and Gabi Verdicchio both produced 10 assists in the loss.
How It Happened
First Set – JMU 25, Loyola Maryland 14
• Tied 10-10 halfway through the set, the Dukes separated after rattling off six unanswered and closed on a 22-8 run overall.
Second Set – JMU 25, Loyola Maryland 20
• In similar fashion, JMU broke away from an 8-8 tie with a 10-2 scoring stretch.
• The Greyhounds responded later in the set with a 6-1 run, however, the Dukes held on with back-to-back kills by Norman and Nhial.
Third Set – JMU 25, Loyola Maryland 23
• Following a timeout trailing 19-17, JMU bounced back with three quick points, highlighted by a service ace by Lewis.
• The tightly contested third set featured 16 ties and five lead changes.
Match Notes
• Head Coach Lauren Steinbrecher is 12-5 in season openers since taking over the program in 2010.
• The Dukes’ .259 hitting percentage is the team’s best since recording a .299 outing in a five-set victory at Old Dominion last season on Nov. 8.
• Louisell has either led or tied for the team lead in kills in 20 consecutive matches dating back to last season.
• The sweep was JMU’s first since topping Old Dominion on Nov. 7 a season ago. Additionally, it was the program’s first season-opening sweep since besting Delaware State on Aug. 30, 2024.
— JMU Athletics —
