Final Stats

CHICAGO - The No. 2 Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team began a two-game series against Grand Canyon with a 25-19, 25-19, 25-18 sweep of the Lopes on Wednesday night. Thomas Jaeschke led Loyola with a match-high 12 kills, while Jeff Jendryk added nine to go along with five blocks.

Loyola jumped out to an early lead to begin the first set behind kills from Jendryk, Jaeschke and Trevor Novotny before a Novotny service ace increased the Rambler lead to 8-3. The two teams traded points before the Ramblers scored three unanswered, a pair of Grand Canyon errors and a block from Jendryk and Jaeschke, to take an 18-14 lead. Grand Canyon was able to pull within one point, but the Ramblers rallied to score four of the next five points, a Novotny kill followed by a kill and service ace by Ben Plaisted, to take a 23-19 lead. Jaeschke closed out the set with back-to-back kills to give Loyola the 25-19 first-set victory and a 1-0 lead overall.

The Ramblers scored four of the first six points to begin the second set behind kills from Jendryk, Plaisted, Jaeschke and Novotny, and maintained a steady lead until back-to-back points, a Jendryk kill and a Jaeschke service ace, increased the lead to 10-6. The teams battled back-and-forth until Jaeschke scored back-to-back points, a kill and a service ace, and Jendryk fired a kill to give Loyola a 20-15 lead. After kills from Novotny and Nicholas Olson, Jaeschke and Jendryk ended the set with back-to-back kills.

The third set began with the teams trading points until the Ramblers scored three unanswered, two Jaeschke kills and a block from Jendryk and Peter Hutz, to take an 8-5 lead. Loyola ran up the score to 16-8 before the Lopes scored four straight points to cut the lead and force a Rambler timeout. The Ramblers rallied out of the timeout, scoring four of the next five points, to increase the lead to 20-13. Loyola closed out the set with kills from Hutz, Novotny and Jendryk, as well as a Jendryk block, to win it 25-18 and claim the three-set victory.

The Ramblers improve to 15-1 (6-1 MIVA) while the Lopes drop to 12-10 (4-7 MIVA). The two teams will square off again tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m. CT inside Gentile Arena.