CHICAGO (December 16, 2020) – The Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team has been picked to finish in second place in the 2021 Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) Preseason Poll of the league's head coaches. Loyola received 43 points and was slotted behind preseason favorite Lewis, which picked up six of a possible eight first-place votes.
 
Ball State collected a pair of first-place votes and was picked third, with Purdue Fort Wayne, McKendree, Lindenwood, Ohio State and Quincy rounding out the poll.
 
A pair of Ramblers were also named to the Preseason All-MIVA Team – redshirt sophomore outside hitter Cole Schlothauer (Mechanicsville, Va./Lee-Davis) and senior setter Garrett Zolg (Huntington Beach Beach, Calif./Mater Dei). 
 
Last year, Schlothauer made an immediate impact in his first season of eligibility, capturing First Team All-MIVA, MIVA Newcomer of the Year and American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Honorable Mention All-America accolades. The 6-foot-5 outside hitter totaled 254 kills (3.79 per set), 110 digs (1.64 per set) and 22 service aces (0.33 per set) in 2020 and became the second freshman in program history, and first since its inaugural year in 1996, to lead the team in total kills.
 
Meanwhile, Zolg missed the abbreviated 2020 season due to injuries, but has been one of the top setters in the country throughout his career. A two-time AVCA Honorable Mention All-America pick, he also has picked up First Team All-MIVA honors twice and was the 2018 MIVA Freshman of the Year. During his sophomore campaign in 2019, Zolg ranked second in NCAA Division I-II in assists per set (10.87).
 
Loyola, which has finished in the top 10 in six of the last eight season-ending AVCA Division I-II Top 15 Polls, will open the 2021 season in late January. The Ramblers, who went 7-11 last season, have won 20 or matches six times in the last eight years.
 
The 2021 MIVA preseason poll and Preseason All-MIVA teams follow.
 
2021 MIVA Preseason Poll
1. Lewis (6 first-place votes)– 62 points
2. Loyola – 43
3. Ball State (2)– 40
4. Purdue Fort Wayne – 38
5. McKendree – 35
6. Lindenwood – 32
7. Ohio State – 30
8. Quincy – 8
 
2021 Preseason All-MIVA Team
Kaleb Jenness, Ball State
Ryan Coenen, Lewis
Kevin Kauling, Lewis
Tyler Mitchem, Lewis
TJ Murray, Lewis
Diego Negron, Lindenwood
Cole Schlothauer, Loyola
Garrett Zolg, Loyola
Wyatt Dimke, McKendree
Martin Lallemand, Ohio State
Pelegrin Vargas, Purdue Fort Wayne
Noam Hannoun, Quincy