Boxscore (PDF)

CHICAGO (April 18, 2018)
 
In Short
Second-seeded Loyola University Chicago (23-6) received 16 kills from Collin Mahan and dominated play at the net, totaling 15 blocks, to rally for a 22-25, 25-19, 25-15, 25-22 victory over No. 3 seed Ball State (18-12) tonight at Gentile Arena in a Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association semifinal round contest. With the win, the Ramblers advance to the MIVA championship match for the first time since 2015, where they will face top-seeded Ohio State.
 
How It Happened
A Parker Swartz kill opened up a 3-0 Ball State spurt early in the first set to give the Cardinals a 9-6 lead they would never relinquish en route to a 25-22 victory. Loyola closed within a single point on seven occasions from that point forward, but Ball State had an answer each time. After a Matt Walsh service error cut the Ramblers' deficit to 23-22, a kill from Ben Chinnici and a Jake Romano service ace finished off the BSU win.
 
Loyola hit a scorching .407 in set two as it rolled to a 25-19 victory that tied the match at a set apiece. A 4-0 run gave the Ramblers control of the match, turning a one-point deficit into an 11-8 lead. Paul Narup almost single-handedly accounted for the turnaround, tallying the final three points of that run on a pair of kills and an ace. Ball State closed within two on a couple of occasions, but Mahan delivered a kill and then an ace top push the advantage to 15-11 and Loyola never looked back.
 
A 7-1 run at the outset of the third set provided all the cushion the Ramblers would need as they snagged a 2-1 lead in the match with a 25-15 decision. Fueling that Loyola spurt were a pair of blocks and a kill from Jeff Jendryk and a kill and two blocks from Mahan.
 
Mahan and Jendryk provided most of the damage in set four, combining for eight of Loyola's 14 kills and six total blocks as Loyola outlasted Ball State for a 25-22 victory in a back-and-forth battle. The Ramblers led by as many as three points, but the Cardinals would claw their way back and led for the final time at 19-18 on a kill from Mitch Weiler. Loyola finally took the lead for good, at 23-22, on a Garrett Zolg kill and Mahan followed with another stop before a BSU ball handling error closed out the match.
 
A Look At The Numbers

• Mahan added six digs and five blocks, to go with 16 kills and a .424 (16-2-33) hitting percentage, to lead the Loyola attack, which hit at a .323 efficiency on the night.
• Ricky Gevis pitched in 12 kills, while Jendryk finished with nine kills and seven blocks.
• Ryan Jamison added eight kills and a career-best 17 digs, and Avery Aylsworth also posted a personal best with 17 digs.
• Ben Chinnici led Ball State with 15 kills. 
• Loyola has won 16 straight matches at Gentile Arena since a setback versus Long Beach State on January 13.

 
Up Next
Loyola visits No. 1 seed Ohio State on Saturday, April 21 at 7 p.m. Eastern in the MIVA Championship.