Game Notes

Live Video vs. UC Santa Barbara | Live Stats vs. UC Santa Barbara

Live Video vs. CSUN | Live Stats vs. CSUN 

CHICAGO (January 24, 2018) - Loyola brings a two-match winning streak into Thursday night's meeting with No. 15 UC Santa Barbara, which is making its second-ever trip to Gentile Arena. The Ramblers have prevailed in six of their last seven home nonconference outings and are coming off a three-set sweep of No. 14 Saint Francis (Pa.) last Saturday. Loyola has posted a 2-2 record against nationally ranked teams this season and when all is said and done, six of the Ramblers' first eight matches will have been versus teams ranked in the AVCA Division I-II Poll. 
 
Scouting UC Santa Barbara
UC Santa Barbara moved into the AVCA Division I-II Poll this week, checking in at No. 15 after posting a four-set victory at No. 10 Pepperdine last weekend. The Gauchos also own a win over No. 8 Stanford this season and are 1-0 on the road in 2018.
 
Junior outside hitter Corey Chavers leads the UCSB offense with 4.00 kills per set and is hitting .270 (60-22-141). This is the third meeting between the Ramblers and Gauchos and Loyola is still seeking its first win over UCSB. When the teams last met, in the 2016 season opener at Gentile Arena in Chicago, Ricky Gevis tallied 12 kills and Jeff Jendryk added 10 in a four-set loss to the Gauchos.
 
Scouting CSUN
The Matadors had a five-match winning streak snapped with a 3-1 loss to Concordia Irvine last Friday in Northridge. CSUN, ranked ninth in this week's AVCA Poll, is 4-0 away from home and prevailed in its only true road match this season, at Stanford. 
 
Junior outside hitter Dimitar Kalchev, who had 16 kills against Concordia Irvine on January 19, leads the Matadors with 55 total kills and is hitting .333 (55-15-120) this season. Loyola and CSUN are meeting for the seventh time in a series that dates back to 2008. The Matadors own a 4-2 advantage in the series but when the teams last hooked up, in Long Beach last season, Cole Murray ripped 14 kills and Collin Mahan and Ben Plaisted added 10 apiece, to power Loyola to a five-set victory.
 
Up Next
Loyola hosts USC on February 3.