Game Notes (PDF)
Friday: Live Video | Live Stats
Saturday: Live Video | Live Stats
 
CHICAGO (March 7, 2019) – The ninth-ranked Loyola Ramblers take a break from conference play and head out to Arizona for a back-to-back with the Grand Canyon Lopes, set for March 8-9. The Spring Break clash marks the first time the two programs have squared off since 2017, and just the third and fourth time ever they'll face off as non-conference opponents.
 
Last Time Out: Loyola had its seven-match winning streak come to a close in a four-set loss to No. 10 Lewis, marking the Ramblers' first conference defeat in 2019. Senior Collin Mahan was able to reach 1,000 kills, tallying 19 total to lead all participating players. Paul Narup also notched double-digit kills by posting 11, tying his season high. The performance marked his third match of 10-plus kills, one shy of his single-season career high of four set back in 2017.
 
A Look at the Lopes: Grand Canyon enters the weekend with a 7-11 record, 0-6 in conference play. The Lopes lead the MPSF in opponent attack percentage at a .239 clip, having held their opponents under .100 six times this season. Christian Janke leads the Lopes' offensive efforts with 3.23 kills per set. Janke also leads the team in hitting percentage among pin hitters at .255 in his 18 matches played (226-104-479). Defensively, GCU ranks second in the conference (12^th nationally) with 2.34 blocks per set. Alex Shmelev has been a big reason for GCU's defensive success at the net. The Barnaul, Russia, native paces the team with 72 of the team's 164 total stoppers.
 
Series Stuff: 2018 was the first year the Ramblers and Lopes did not square off since their first meeting back in 2009. Loyola holds a 17-2 all-time edge over its former MIVA-foe, including a 16-0 start to the head-to-head series. In that stretch, the Ramblers won seven straight contests in straight-sets from 2012-15. The Lopes got their two wins in the head-to-head series during their last two seasons in the MIVA, capturing a match in Phoenix in 2016 and one at Gentile in 2017. The Maroon and Gold carry an 8-1 road record against GCU.
 
Up Next: Loyola gets its second shot at the Lewis Flyers on March 15, this time in their gym down in Romeoville, Ill. The Ramblers have defeated the Flyers in the Neil Carey Center three of the last four outings. First serve for round two with the Flyers is set for 7 p.m.
 
#OnwardLU