CHICAGO (March 19, 2021)
 
In Short
Junior Luke Denton pounded a career-best 25 kills, the most by a Rambler since March 28, 2017 (Ben Plaisted, 25), and added 11 digs, to lead Loyola University Chicago (11-3, 7-3 MIVA) to a 25-22, 20-25, 25-17, 25-22 victory over No. 8 McKendree (8-3, 7-3 MIVA) tonight at The Alfie Norville Practice Facility. The Ramblers have now won three straight matches after enduring a three-match losing skid just prior to this successful run.
 
How It Happened
Two Cole Schlothauer kills, and a kill and an ace from Garrett Zolg, comprised a 4-0 spurt that allowed Loyola to overcome a one-point deficit and seize a 6-3 lead it would not relinquish in a 25-22 victory in the first set of the night. McKendree got within a pair of tallies (10-8), however, three Bearcats errors were part of a 5-1 run that extended the Ramblers' lead to 15-9 and they would wind up holding off a late charge to claim the opening set.
 
Trailing 15-13 in set two, the Ramblers received a kill from Denton as well as a Ben Montplaisir ace to even the score before McKendree took control of the set by going on a 6-2 run that gave it the lead for good in a 25-20 win that tied the match at a set apiece.
 
Loyola put away the third set with a stretch of six unanswered points that featured four Bearcats errors, a kill from Schlothauer and an ace from Zolg, to open up a 13-7 lead and cruise to a 25-17 decision. The hot-hitting Ramblers posted a .357 (14-4-28) attack percentage for the set.
 
The Ramblers got two kills each from Denton and Montplaisir in a 5-1 spurt to open set four and after the Bearcats trimmed the deficit to 8-7, Jimmy Meinhart had a pair of stops in a stretch of three straight scores that nudged the advantage to 11-7. Loyola would extend its lead to as many as five points and was in possession of a 19-14 edge until McKendree clawed back within 24-22. Denton slammed the door on the visitors' comeback attempt however, crushing his 25^thkill of the evening to finish off Loyola's 25-22 victory.
 
A Look at the Numbers

• Denton recorded his first career double-double, going for 25 points and 11 digs, while Schlothauer also had a big night, delivering 17 kills and eight digs, hitting at a .353 (17-5-34) clip.
• Colton Brooks got into double digits with 12 kills and Zolg accumulated 49 assists, 17 digs and three aces.
• Zach Schnittker and Lucas Galifos went for eight kills each to lead McKendree.

 
Up Next
Loyola will head to Muncie, Ind., for a two-match series against Ball State, March 26-27.