Jan. 3, 2014
Postgame Comments | Box Score | Highlights
CHICAGO - Loyola backed up its win last night over defending national champion UC Irvine with another dazzling performance tonight, using a match-high 18 kills from Thomas Jaeschke to earn a 3-0 (28-26, 25-23, 25-22) sweep of the 2013 NCAA runner-up, No. 3 BYU, at Gentile Arena. The Ramblers move to 2-0 on the young season while the Cougars sit at 0-1 after the season-opening defeat.
The opening set was close throughout with both teams running their offenses efficiently. Consecutive kills from Taylor Sander gave BYU a 16-13 lead and the Cougars pushed it out to four (18-14) moments later on a block. Loyola was able to rally, using a Jaeschke kill and two from Cody Caldwell to get back within a point and the home team pulled even at 20 on a block by Peter Hutz and Nicholas Olson. The teams traded points all the to 26-all before Caldwell fired back-to-back aces to give the Ramblers the opening set, 28-26. Loyola slammed 19 kills at a .471 efficiency (19-3-34) in the frame but had to overcome nine service errors.
BYU scored three of the first four points of the second set but Loyola settled in and took its first lead, 9-8, on a Caldwell kill. The Ramblers were able to play from the lead for most of the set and opened up a 14-11 advantage on a Hutz kill. The hosts still led by three (21-18) before BYU came back. Kills from Sander and Kiril Meretev helped the Cougars forge a 21-21 tie and the teams traded points again to 24-23 before a Cougar error closed out a 25-23 LU win that gave the Ramblers a 2-0 lead in the match.
The visitors opened the third set with renewed energy and raced out to a 7-2 lead on a block. Loyola was able to stem the tide but struggled to make a dent in the deficit until Joseph Smalzer came alive, recording a kill and then firing consecutive aces to tie the set at 14-all. BYU scored four of the next five points to regain the lead but Loyola hung tough, eventually drawing even again at 20 after two Jaeschke kills and a Cougar error. Two Smalzer kills put LU in front (22-21) and the nation's leader in aces last season was able to come up big from the service line yet again, rocketing a pair of aces to account for the final two points of the match.
Loyola enjoyed a 47-35 advantage in kills and outhit its visitors .290-.256 for the match.
Jaeschke was terrific, finishing with 18 kills while operating at a .484 clip (18-3-31), to lead the Ramblers. Smalzer finished with 10 kills and four aces, all in the final set, while Caldwell and Owen McAndrews pitched in with six kills apiece.
Loyola wraps up its season-opening, three-match homestand tomorrow night when it battles No. 11 USC. First serve from Gentile Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m.
