DUBUQUE – For the first time this season, the 11th-ranked Rams left the court on the short end of a five-set volleyball battle with 21st-ranked Loras Wednesday night on the road.  

Cornell (4-1) rallied late in the third and fourth sets to take this match the distance. The valiant comeback stalled in the fifth against a strong Duhawks squad (5-1) from the Americans Rivers Conference.

Set scores went 29-27, 25-19, 22-25, 25-27 and 15-8 in this donnybrook that was tied 29 times.

Down 2-0 in sets, the Rams charged back from a 17-11 deficit in the third. They rallied from a 23-21 deficit in the fourth with Rory Light (SO/Mount Vernon, Iowa) converting the set-clinching spike.

Loras jumped ahead 7-3 in the fifth and held off the Rams the rest of the way.

Cornell's talented freshman Ilah Perez-Johnson (FR/Pleasant Valley, Iowa) led all players with 18 kills on 64 attempts. She also turned in 16 digs, two blocks and was 37-of-38 in serve reception.   

Allison Eikenberry (SR/Neola, Iowa) recorded 17 kills and Light 12 on .321 hitting. Sydney Meeker (SR/Mount Vernon, Iowa) gave the Rams a season-high 31 digs. Freshman Summer Brand (FR/Mount Vernon, Iowa) contributed 15 digs and was a perfect 14-of-14 from the service line.

Setter Danielle Amonica (SR/Las Vegas, Nevada) posted 45 assists, nine digs and seven kills. Lindsey Frazier (JR/Ely, Iowa) served two aces and Light had three blocks.   

The Duhawks hit .234 for the match, the Rams .173.