CHICAGO (Nov. 19, 2021) – After an exciting Signing Day for Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball, Coach Mark Hulse is ready to announce the five players who signed their National Letters of Intent to play for the team beginning in the fall of 2022. 
 
"The high school graduating Class of 2022 is uniquely talented, hard-working and athletic," Hulse said. "Most of these guys came to the game a bit late, but have bought in, worked hard at their craft, and now excel on the court. We are excited to get them into the gym next year and work toward winning championships."
 
The first recruit to be introduced is Brad Bell. The middle blocker comes from Salem, Wisconsin, where he played volleyball at Westosha Central High School under Coach Drew Cox. He received all-conference honors all three years he has played. He also helped his high school team to a second-place finish at the state tournament. For club, he played for the Milwaukee Volleyball Club under Coach Jake Nowak. During that time, he led his team to a first-place finish at the Indianapolis qualifier, a second-place finish at the St. Louis qualifier, and a fifth-place finish at Nationals. He also earned all-tournament team honors for his performance at Nationals. He chose to come to Loyola over Grand Canyon, Pepperdine and Princeton.
 
"Brad is a big-time prospect in the middle, and he will bring some size and offense to the gym," Hulse said. "He is relatively new to the game, but he's gritty and works hard." 
 
Up next for the Class of 2026 is Ryan McElligot. The setter from Mundelein, Illinois, has played the last three seasons at Mundelein High School under Coach George Dressen. During his time there, he received First Team All-Conference honors for the North Suburban Conference and was also named captain and MVP of his team for the past three seasons. He also plays club volleyball for Adversity Volleyball Club under Coach Bobby Walsh. He was also named captain of this team. McElligott chose to come to Loyola over Lewis and Stanford.
 
"Ryan brings some size and physicality to the setter position," Hulse said. "He leads and competes at a high level, especially from the service line."
 
Also joining the team in Fall 2022 is Bryce Robbins. He comes from Phoenix, Arizona, where he played as an outside hitter for Sandra Day O'Connor High School. He helped his team to a second-place finish in the state tournament. He also received First Team All-Region honors. For club, he played for AZ Fear under Coach Troy Dueling. During his time with the Fear, Robbins was named the MVP at USA Nationals and was also added to the All-Tournament team. He also won the National Championship for the USA division with the AZ Fear. He earned a spot of the USA High Performance team in Arizona, where he competed with other selected athletes across the state. Robbins chose Loyola over UC San Diego, Pepperdine and UC Irvine. 
 
"Bryce brings elite athleticism and a sincere love of the game to the program," Hulse said. "His development over the past year has been exceptional, and we look forward to watching him continue to improve and grow as a player."
 
Also joining the Ramblers is JJ Sowa. The libero comes from Orange, California, where he played for Mater Dei High School under coaches Pat Connolly and Jake Nuneviller. During his time at Mater Dei, Sowa helped his team win the Trinity League Championship. For his club team, Sowa played at Pulse Athletics under Coach Glenn Henry. He led his team to a first-place finish at the SoCal Winter Cup and a third-place finish at the SoCal Cup Showcase. Along with that, his team ended their run at Nationals with a fifth-place finish. At the SoCal Cup, Sowa received All-Tournament team honors. He chose to come to Loyola over Grand Canyon, Lewis and UC San Diego.
 
"JJ goes about as hard as any libero you will see, and we know he will bring it every day in the gym," Hulse said. "He defends at a very high level and competes consistently."
 
The final recruit who committed during the early signing period is Miller Trubey. The right side hitter comes from Dallas, Texas, here he played at St. Mark's School of Texas for Coach Darren Teicher. He was named a captain for the senior season after leading his team to the Southern Preparatory Conference Championship this past spring. For club, he plays for StepUp Volleyball under Coach Andrii Diachkov. Trubey chose Loyola over Lewis, Pepperdine, Hawaii, Princeton and Harvard.
 
"Miller has some serious size and potential on the right side," Hulse said. "He works hard at the game and we think he could really grow as a player as he gets to train more consistently with us in the gym."
 
The Ramblers are coming off a 15-6 record from the 2021 spring season. The team made it to the MIVA finals before losing to Lewis in the championship game.