FORT WAYNE, Ind. (March 19, 2022) – After two non-conference games, the Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team put their focus back to the MIVA as they took on the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons for the second half of conference play. Following this four-set thriller, the Ramblers are leaving with their seventh MIVA win, taking down the Mastodons in four sets (28-26, 25-23, 25-20, 25-19). 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Loyola grabbed the first point of the set, and it helped them to grab an early lead over the Mastodons. However, Purdue Fort Wayne stayed in this fight. They battled back in the first set to grab a lead late in the set. For a moment, it looked as though they would get the win. However, Loyola made their move to come back in this game, even taking the set to extra points. But at the end, it was the Mastodons who ended up on top as they defeated Loyola 28-26 in the first. 
 
Again, the Ramblers started the game on a service run from Garrett Zolg, giving them the much-needed advantage to start this set. Although the Mastodons came back and close the gap, it wasn't enough to come back in this set as Loyola came out with the 25-23 win. 
 
The momentum was on Loyola's side of the court from that point on. The Ramblers took early leads in both the third and fourth sets without letting the Mastodons claw their way back into either of these games. The Maroon and Gold ended up winning these two sets 25-20 and 25-21, respectively, in these last two, giving them an overall 3-1 over Purdue Fort Wayne.  
 
LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS

• Parker Van Buren was the biggest offensive weapon for the Ramblers yet again. He ended the game with 21 kills with a .381 hitting percentage to lead all players on the court. 
• Cole Schlothauer had a phenomenal defensive game. He ended the game with a match-high 15 digs while also adding on another four blocks. He also contributed 10 digs to get a double-double in this match.
• Zolg was key to all parts of Loyola's game today. He finished with 41 assists while adding on 13 digs to give him another double-double. Along with that, Zolg secured two aces and four blocks. 
• The middle blockers performed by their namesake. Andrew Lyons and Ben Montplaisir had six blocks each to shut down the Mastodon offense. 

UP NEXT
The Ramblers will be back in Gentile Arena on Thursday, March 24, as they host the McKendree University Bearcats for a MIVA contest. The Bearcats are the only loss the Ramblers have in the MIVA so far this season. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. with a live stream available on ESPN+. Live stats will also be accessible for this game.