FAIRFAX, Va. (March 25, 2023)
 
In Short…
No. 9 Loyola (18-4) dropped a narrow decision against Princeton (10-10) in Saturday's neutral-site match, with the Tigers pulling out a four-set victory: 28-30, 25-16, 25-23, 31-29. Parker Van Buren and Cole Schlothauer each tallied 15 kills to lead the Ramblers. Matt Oakley registered a team-high 14 digs while Dan Mangun recorded 47 assists.
 
How it Happened
Loyola claimed the opening set after it overcame a late four-point deficit as Princeton led 20-16. The Ramblers tied it 20-20 on three consecutive blocks and grabbed the lead on a Van Buren ace, before the teams went back and forth to set the tone for the rest of the match. A kill from Jack Yentz tied the score at 28-28 as the Ramblers held on by posting the final three points of the set. Loyola hit a match-best .435 in the first stanza.
 
After grabbing the first point, Loyola would not lead again in the second set after Princeton stormed out to a 13-3 lead on four consecutive aces. The closest Loyola could get the rest of the frame was eight as the match became even at one set, apiece.
 
In Set 3, the Ramblers led early after a kill by Jimmy Meinhart made it 7-6 in Loyola's favor. But, Princeton would use another run to move ahead 16-10. After trailing by three at 20-17, Loyola fought back to even the score at 20-20 and eventually claimed the lead on an ace served up by Yentz. However, the Ramblers let the set slip away as the Tigers closed on three straight points to squeak by in the final moments.
 
The fourth set ended in heartbreaking fashion for Loyola, as the Ramblers led 23-20 but couldn't close the door. After taking a 4-2 lead, Loyola never trailed until Princeton tied it 24-24 and then took a 25-24 lead. The Ramblers would stave off six match point opportunities for Princeton until the Tigers eventually pulled out the final point. Van Buren posted seven kills in the fourth set, along with five each by Schlothauer and Yentz.
 
Princeton's Ben Harrington put down a match-high 18 kills and recorded five aces.
 
Inside the Numbers

• Loyola hit .259 overall compared to a .212 mark from Princeton
• Loyola held the net advantage with 15.0 total team blocks, marking three straight matches with 13.0 or more
• Yentz tied his career high by posting nine kills for the second time this season, while also producing a career-best seven blocks
• Nicodemus Meyer tied a career high with eight blocks, along with Van Buren with five

Up Next
Loyola will close out the weekend with tomorrow's 2 p.m. CT match against George Mason.