The VCU women’s volleyball team made a statement in the Atlantic 10 Tournament before coming up just short in the championship match at the Siegel Center on Sunday.

Fourth-seeded VCU upset top-seeded Dayton 3-0 (27-25, 25-17, 26-24) on Saturday to reach the A-10 championship for the first time since the 2020 season. Senior Kalina Pylinska led the charge with 13 kills and three aces, including key points to rally VCU from two set points in the opening frame. Senior opposite Julia Rienks added 16 kills and six digs, while sophomore middle Letizia Galli hit .500 with seven kills and a solo block. Graduate setter Elif Ozsoy contributed 40 assists, and junior middle Nina Boledovicova had five kills and five blocks. Dayton, the A-10’s top-rated defense, fell to 23-7 (18-0 Atlantic 10), missing the championship match for the first time since 2013. 

VCU’s thrilling run ended the next day in a five-set A-10 title match against second-seeded Loyola Chicago, 3-2 (25-27, 27-25, 25-27, 25-21, 15-12). Seniors Alicja Jaryszek and Elif Ozsoy turned in career performances. Jaryszek led the Rams with 21 kills on 49 swings, her third 20-kill match of the season, while Rienks added 17 kills, six digs, four blocks and an ace for 20 points. Pylinska recorded a double-double with 15 kills and 12 digs along with four aces, and graduate libero Haruka Sugimoto finished with 21 digs to improve her season total to 424. 

For Loyola Chicago, Kaitlyn Burke had 20 kills, and tournament MVP Ann Marie Remmes added 17 kills with a .593 hitting percentage. VCU finished with 11 aces to eight for the Ramblers but struggled slightly in efficiency, hitting .287 with 21 attack errors. The championship match featured 46 ties and 23 lead changes. 

Rienks and Jaryszek earned Atlantic 10 All- Tournament honors, with Rienks moving into fifth all-time in program history with 463 kills and Pylinska ranking fourth all-time in service aces per set (0.52) with her four aces in the final.