BROOKLYN, N.Y. (January 21, 2023)
 
In Short…
Loyola (5-0) claimed its fifth straight win to open the season with Saturday's triumph at LIU (3-3). The 11th-ranked Ramblers defeated the Sharks in four sets, 24-26, 25-21, 25-20, 25-20, behind 16 kills and three aces from Parker Van Buren (Cross Plains, Wis.) and career-high 13 kills by Colton Brooks (Pleasanton, Calif). Loyola is off to its best start since beginning the 2021 season with eight consecutive wins.
 
How it Happened
Loyola fended off a scrappy LIU squad in the second match of a back-to-back in the host Sharks' home opener.

The Ramblers led 19-16 in the opening set, before the Sharks rallied for a 24-23 lead forcing a Loyola timeout. A serving error out of the break tied the score but the Sharks recorded the next two points to nab the 1-0 match lead.
 
The Ramblers leveled the match by claiming the second stanza, overcoming a two-point deficit midway through the set to pull ahead by as much as seven. A kill by Van Buren followed by a block from Jack Yentz (Sun Prairie, Wis.) and Jimmy Meinhart (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) sparked the momentum, as another ace by Van Buren put the Ramblers ahead 23-16 before a Brooks kill ended the set.
 
Again, Loyola was forced to play from behind in the third set as LIU raced out to a 10-7 advantage. However, the Ramblers were able to even the score at 14 and eventually grabbed the 18-17 lead on a Sharks ball-handling error that came after a huge score-tying block from Meinhart. Loyola closed the set on a 7-3 run keyed by a Meinhart ace and Nicodemus Meyer block to take the 2-1 match lead.
 
The fourth and final set was all Loyola at the start after the Maroon & Gold jumped out to a 7-1 lead. But, the Sharks didn't go away and rallied from a 17-11 deficit, pulling back within two points at 22-20 before the Ramblers were able to close out the victory.
 
Inside the Numbers

• Van Buren recorded a season-high 16 kills (.382) with five digs, three aces and three block assists
• Brooks (13 kills) finished with a .458 hitting percentage on his career night, along with three block assists, pair of digs and an ace
• Setter Dan Mangun (Joliet, Ill.) recorded his first double-double with a season-high 37 assists, 10 digs, five kills and three block assists
• Meyer (.571) and Meinhart each logged five kills while Yentz tallied four kills and six digs
• Meinhart recorded a team-best four aces
• Meyer posted a team-high seven block assists at the net
• Loyola hit .365 overall as a team including a match-best .400 in the third set
• LIU recorded a .245 team hitting percentage led by Luke Chandler's 17 kills
• The Ramblers had nine aces and 11.5 team blocks

Up Next
Loyola returns to Gentile Arena next weekend for back-to-back non-conference matches against Maryville (Fri.) and St. Francis Brooklyn (Sat.).