LEBANON, Ill. (Feb. 24, 2022) – The Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team was back on the floor in southern Illinois as they took on the Bearcats of McKendree University. After five sets, it was the Bearcats who ended up on top as they defeated the Ramblers 3-2 (25-18, 25-23, 25-17, 25-18, 15-13).
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The match started off in the hands of the Ramblers. They came out with the lead early in the first set. With big plays from Parker Van Buren and Henry Payne, Loyola secured the set with a 25-18 win. 
 
From there, the Ramblers kept fighting. The match got closer as the set went on, but Loyola was able to keep the pressure on and fight off the Bearcats. This resulted in a second set win with a score of 25-23. 
 
Then, the Bearcats clawed their way back into the match. They battled in both the third and fourth sets, dominating the Ramblers from the start. With their tenacity, they were able to get wins in both the third and fourth sets with scores of 25-17 and 25-18, respectively. With those wins, Loyola and McKendree would head to the fifth set. 
 
Once the fifth set came around, the Bearcats kept that same momentum. They had a 4-0 lead over the Ramblers to start, and it kept moving in that direction from there. Even though Loyola fought back, it wasn't enough to earn the win. The Ramblers lost the fifth and final set 15-13.
 
LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS

• As always, Van Buren led the offense. He ended the night with 26 kills while hitting .353 from the right pin. He was also one of the top people in the front row on defense with three blocks. 
• Earning his second double-double of the season was Cole Schlothauer. He finished the match with 11 kills while also securing 10 digs. 
• Also concluding the match with a double-double was Garrett Zolg. He led the match in the back row with 12 digs while also commanding the offensive efforts with 45 assists. This is also his second double-double of the season. 
• The middles hit efficiently during this match while helping on defense. Ben Montplaisir was tied with Van Buren for the most blocks with three while also hitting .800 (4 kills, 0 errors, 5 attempts). Working opposite of him was Jimmy Meinhart, who contributed two blocks as well as a .625 hitting percentage (6 kills, 1 error, 8 attempts).
• The Ramblers recorded way more kills than the Bearcats. Loyola ended the night with 60 kills while the Bearcats only had 45. 

UP NEXT
The Ramblers will be back in action on Saturday, Feb. 26, in Gentile Arena as they host the No. 10 Lewis University Flyers. First serve will be at 7 p.m. The game will be on NBC Sports Chicago+. For those outside of that market, the match will also be on ESPN3. Live stats will also be available.