Feb. 14, 2014
Box Score
PHOENIX - Senior Joe Smalzer ripped a match-high 20 kills as top-ranked Loyola earned a 3-0 win over Grand Canyon tonight in the first of two matches in Phoenix. Loyola improves to 10-1 (3-0 MIVA) while the Antelopes drop to 6-6 (0-3).
Grand Canyon scored three of the first four points but Loyola pulled ahead 6-5 after two Grand Canyon errors. Kills from Smalzer, Thomas Jaeschke and Owen McAndrews pushed the lead to three (10-7) before the Antelopes stormed back to even things at 11-all. The visitors edged out to an 18-14 lead on another McAndrews kill but Loyola had an answer for each Grand Canyon rally, with Jaeschke closing out a 25-20 victory in the opening set. Loyola's offense was solid, as the Ramblers hit .400 (15-1-35) with just one error in the frame.
Kills from Jaeschke and Nick Olson helped the Ramblers to a 4-1 lead in the second set but the home team would rally. An 8-2 run gave GCU a 9-6 lead and a Keith Smith ace later gave the hosts a 13-8 advantage at the midway point. A Smalzer ace pulled the Ramblers within two (15-13) but the Lopes still led 23-18 after a Loyola error. Two kills from Smalzer made it 23-20 before a Ben Ponnet kill got the hosts to set point. Loyola made one last charge, with two Smalzer kills making it a 24-22 game and prompting a Grand Canyon timeout. Olson and Peter Hutz teamed up for a block and Smalzer ripped another kill to send the set to extra points and another Olson/Hutz block gave LU set point at 25-24. The teams traded points to 27-26 before Smalzer closed it out with yet another kill, giving the Ramblers a 28-26 win and a 2-0 lead in the match.
Kills from Smalzer and Jaeschke helped Loyola inch out to a 10-7 lead in the third set and the Ramblers extended the margin to four (18-14) after a block from Olson and Cody Caldwell. Back-to-back Smalzer kills made it a 22-15 lead, as the finish line came into sight, and despite a mini-run from Grand Canyon that saw the home team get as close as three, Caldwell found the floor on match point to give the Ramblers a 25-22 win that clinched the match.
Smalzer was outstanding, slamming his match-high 20 kills while hitting at a .310 clip. Jaeschke also reached double figures, finishing with 10 kills, while Peter Jasaitis had 10 digs to lead Loyola's defensive effort.
The two teams wrap up their weekend series tomorrow night at 7 p.m.
