In Short
The Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team suffered a tough 3-0 loss to Barton tonight at the Recreation Athletic Complex in Fairfax, Va. The Ramblers move to 3-7 this season and will begin MIVA play next weekend. Despite the loss, Kyle Piekarski posted a career-high 13 kills.
 
How It Happened
Barton maintained the lead in nearly the entire first set, taking an 7-3 head start. The Bulldogs forced a Loyola timeout after picking up the momentum, 9-4. A big block from Luke Denton and Anton Frank helped diminish the five-point lead to four, but Barton went on a 3-0 run to seel the deal. Loyola was unable to come back from Barton's 15-8 lead, and they ended up taking the set, 25-15.

Loyola fired back in the second with back-to-back kills from Piekarski and an ace from Denton. Another kill from Cole Schlothauer put the Ramblers up 7-3. The Ramblers improved immensely, claiming their largest lead of the entire match, 18-10. Loyola hung on even when Barton went on consecutive 3-0 runs to close the gap, 18-13 and then 21-17. The Bulldogs made a comeback and sent the match into overtime, where it tied numerous times. Denton locked in a kill with a 31-31 tie, but the Bulldogs took the set, 33-31.

The third set was almost a mirror image of the second, as Loyola went on a 3-0 run to take a 9-5 lead on kills from Schlothauer and Frank. Despite maintaining a lead most of the third set, Barton came back to tie it 12-12. Piekarski's back-to-back kills helped the Ramblers take a 16-14 lead, but the match was forced into overtime again as the Bulldogs fought back. Barton won the set, 35-33.
 
 
A Look At The Numbers
- Piekarski recorded a career-high 13 kills and a season-high five blocks.
- Taylan Cook tallied a career-high six digs.
- Henry Payne registered a career-high four digs.
- Cowen posted 40 assists.
- Schlothauer notched double-digit kills (13) for the ninth time this season.
 
Up Next
The Ramblers begin MIVA play next Saturday, Feb. 8, hosting Purdue Fort Wayne at 7 p.m.