Boxscore (PDF) 

CHICAGO (January 25, 2018)
 
In Short
Three players totaled double-digit kills to lead a balanced attack and lead No. 7 Loyola University Chicago (5-2) to a 25-23, 25-23, 18-25, 25-17 victory over No. 15 UC Santa Barbara tonight at Gentile Arena. The win is the Ramblers' third over a nationally ranked foe already this season and extends their winning streak to three matches.
 
How It Happened
Loyola rallied from a 22-18 deficit, scoring seven of the final eight points of set one for an improbable 25-23 victory. A Keenan Sanders kill put the Gauchos on top, 23-20, but a kill from Devin Joslyn ignited a set-closing 5-0 run that was punctuated with a block from Collin Mahan, Garrett Zolg and Jeff Jendryk.
 
UC Santa Barbara claimed a two-point lead (20-18) late in set two on a Brandon Hopper kill, but much like set one, Loyola showed its resolve, wrapping up the action on a 7-3 run for a 25-23 victory and a two-set lead in the match. With the teams locked in a stalemate at 21, Jendryk hammered home a kill and Ricky Gevis followed with a service ace to put the Ramblers ahead to stay.
 
The Gauchos put together their best effort of the match in set three, hitting .265 (15-6-34) to collect a 25-18 victory and stay alive in the contest. A UCSB hitting error allowed Loyola to knot the score at 17, but the Gauchos then ripped off eight of the next nine points, sealing the win on a Corey Chavers kill.
 
Set four was a nip-and-tuck affair most of the way until Loyola pulled away late for a 25-17 decision. After UCSB pulled within a single tally, at 15-14, Jendryk delivered back-to-back kills, followed by another from Joslyn, as part of a decisive 5-0 run that provided the Ramblers with some breathing room on their way to their fourth win at Gentile Arena this year.
 
A Look At The Numbers

• Jendryk finished with 10 kills, four digs and four blocks, while hitting .500 (10-1-18), as he posted his second straight double-digit-kills performance.
• Gevis, who has been slowly working his way back into form after surgery last season, put together his best match of the year, going for 10 kills, four digs, two blocks, and a pair of aces.
• Mahan chipped in 10 kills to extend his streak with double-digit stops to eight matches dating back to last year.
• Zolg fell one dig shy of reaching his third double-double of the year, handing out 37 assists to go with his nine digs, while Avery Aylsworth delivered a career-high 15 digs.
• Chavers led UC Santa Barbara with 18 kills.

Up Next
Loyola puts its three-match winning streak on the line when it hosts No. 9 CSUN Saturday afternoon (Jan. 27) at 2 p.m.