Box Score

LEBANON - The top-ranked Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team continued its winning ways on Saturday as the Ramblers swept McKendree in the first conference game of the season. Freshmen Ben Plaisted and Jeff Jendryk recorded eight and seven kills, respectively, to lead the Ramblers past the newest member of the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association.

The Ramblers scored 10 of the first 14 points to begin the first set, including a 5-0 run behind two service aces and one kill from Caldwell, as well as kills by Plaisted and Nicholas Olson. The teams traded points back-and-forth until Loyola scored four unanswered points, two kills from Jendryk, one from Caldwell and a Thomas Jaeschke service ace, to increase the lead to 16-8. The Ramblers maintained the steady lead behind kills from Jendryk, Olson and Jaeschke before a Jaeschke service ace ended the set, 25-15, giving Loyola the 1-0 lead.

The second set began with the teams battling back-and-forth until Loyola put together a 4-0 run behind two Bearcat errors, a block by Jendryk and Jaeschke and a Caldwell service ace. The Ramblers continued to pull away after back-to-back kills from Jendryk and Olson made the score 11-5. After trading points a handful of times, Loyola scored six unanswered points to increase the lead to 19-8. Jaeschke started the run with back-to-back points, a kill and a service ace, while a block from Olson and Caldwell and a Plaisted kill capped it off. Plaisted then led the Ramblers on a 5-1 run to close the set, firing back-to-back kills and a service ace, to end the second at 25-11.

After trading points back-and-forth to begin the third set, the Ramblers jumped out to a 10-6 lead. Owen McAndrews led the surge, recording a kill and two blocks in the 6-0 run, while Jaeschke, Jendryk and Peter Hutz also contributed. Shortly after, the Ramblers put together another string of six straight points behind two kills from Plaisted, two Jaeschke service aces and a McAndrews Block to increase the lead to 18-8. The Bearcats chipped away at the lead, scoring seven of the next ten points, but Loyola responded with a pair of kills from Trevor Novotny and a kill by Jaeschke to win the set, 25-17.

Next up for the Ramblers is a Thursday night showdown at IPFW on Feb. 12 before they begin a six-game homestand against Ball State on Feb. 14.