CHICAGO (April 7, 2022) – As the No. 7 Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team got on the court to face the No. 7 Ball State University Cardinals, both teams knew what was at stake: a chance for the MIVA regular season title and the No. 1 seed heading into the postseason tournament. With such high stakes, this match was nothing short of exciting. The Ramblers took the energy brought by the fans in Gentile and channeled it into their play as they took down the Cardinals in three sets (25-19, 25-18, 28-26). 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
It was an exciting first set in Gentile Arena as these two top-ranked MIVA teams hit the floor. Neither team let up in this fight as they worked towards winning the regular season championship. However, once the set hit the media timeout, the Ramblers ran away with it. Loyola caused Ball state to exhaust both of its timeouts as the Maroon and Gold took the first set 25-18. 
 
From there, the Ramblers did not let up. Loyola pushed Ball State to its limits in this second set. They came out just as strong, registering 17 kills in this set alone to help the Ramblers pass Ball State 25-19 in to go up 2-0 in the match. 
 
Although Ball State took the lead in the beginning of the third set, it ultimately ended in favor of the Ramblers. Loyola went on multiple runs to get itself back in the game, diminishing Ball State's four-point lead. With Loyola's tenacity, the Ramblers came out with the 28-26 win in the third and final set to keep their MIVA regular season championship hopes alive. 
 
LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS

• Parker Van Buren led the team's efforts with 15 kills in these three sets, hitting .448 and registering only two errors. Along with that, he added on two aces. 
• Cole Schlothauer also had an impressive night on offense. He ended the game with 11 kills and three errors, hitting .320 on the game. 
• Garrett Zolg had another great night as the team's sole setter. The redshirt senior finished the night with 31 assists while also grabbing a team-high four aces and nine digs. 
• Jimmy Meinhart had a perfect game in the middle. He went seven-for-seven on offense while also adding on three blocks.  

UP NEXT
The Ramblers will have one more regular season game in Gentile Arena before they host one of the MIVA quarterfinal rounds. Loyola will play this final game and celebrate its three seniors in Andrew Lyons, Henry Payne and Garrett Zolg. First serve for this match will be at 3 p.m. The match will be on NBC Sports Chicago for those within service range and ESPN+ for those outside of the Chicagoland area. Live stats will also be available.