In Short…
Loyola registers its most blocks in a three-set match in almost exactly two years on its way to a 3-0 sweep over No. 15 Ball State. The Ramblers had four players tally six blocks, including Paul Narup, who eclipsed 300 for his career.

Coach Hulse's Thoughts
"It was a really hard fought win on the road in a tough environment," head coach Mark Hulse said. "We got back on track offensively, but just really competed hard together."
 
How It Happened
Loyola hit .566 in the opening set with an 85 percent sideout margin. Collin Mahan was responsible for two kills, a block and an ace in the match's early stages that gave Loyola a 10-6 lead. The efficient attacking continued with back-to-back kills from Kyle Piekarski and Dane Leclair to make it 16-10, and another Mahan kill later on to extend the lead to 18-12. Leclair would finish the opening frame with five of Loyola's 12 kills, including his fifth that put a halt to a late 3-1 BSU run. Up 24-19, Will Tischler ripped a kill right up the middle to put the visitors up one set to zero.
 
Two separate 3-0 runs from the Cardinals served as the difference in the back-and-forth second set. In a 14-10 hole, Loyola rattled off four straight points behind a block and a kill from Leclair to tie the set right before the media timeout. Ball State re-established a two-point lead and held it to the 20-18 mark, but Loyola exploded on a 4-0 run that claimed a two-point lead of its own. Two blocks and two kills got it done in that stretch, with Paul Narup having his hands in both stoppers. The two Top-15 teams traded points the rest of the way, allowing Loyola to win the middle stanza, 25-22.
 
Up two sets to none and looking to get out of Muncie, Ind. with a sweep, the Ramblers jumped out to a 5-1 lead that gave them the early upper hand. Ball State didn't let it get out of control from there though, as they fought back and tied the set at both 6-6 and 8-8. With Loyola holding a slim 10-9 lead, two straight Cardinal errors sparked a 5-2 LUC run that ended with back-to-back-to-back Rambler blocks - a sequence ran the team total to 14.5 and set a new season-high. Leclair factored into two of the rejections, while Piekarski and Tischler stuffed a Ben Chinnici attempt to give Loyola a 15-11 lead. The mini-rout was on from there, as another 3-0 run established an 18-12 lead that gave the Maroon and Gold a comfortable lead to cruise to a 25-21 win. Leclair capped off the night with kills in Loyola's final three points to secure the team's eighth straight-sets win of the season.
 
A Look at the Numbers
-Loyola's 14.5 team blocks is the most in a match since the 2018 MIVA semifinals against BSU. It's the most the team has registered in a three-set contest since March 24, 2017.
-Paul Narup became the eighth Rambler ever to compile 300 blocks in a career with his six-stop performance on Thursday.
-One of Narup's stoppers was a solo block, his 15^th of the season to set a new single-season career high.
-Loyola's five attack errors is the fewest its committed this season, and the fewest since committing the same number on Feb. 5, 2016 at Lindenwood.
 
Up Next
Loyola plays its final road match of the regular season on Saturday (March 23) at No. 13 Purdue Fort Wayne. First serve is set for 4 p.m. CT.