CHICAGO (March 30, 2023) – The Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team (19-4, 9-1 MIVA) entertains Lindenwood (9-9, 6-4 MIVA) and Quincy (7-15, 0-10 MIVA) this weekend in the final pair of regular season home matches. On Friday, the 10th-ranked Ramblers will host the Lions for a 7 p.m. CT start time, before welcoming the Hawks Saturday with a 5 p.m. CT first serve.
 
With two wins, Loyola can clinch at least a share of the regular season MIVA title. It would mark the program's first regular season title since the Ramblers were regular season co-champions in 2018 and the league's outright champion in 2014.
 
Loyola currently owns the third-longest active home win streak in the nation with a perfect 12-0 record inside Gentile Arena this season.
 
Loyola in the National Rankings
Kills per set – 4th (12.63)
Blocks per set – 3rd (2.669)
Aces per set – 11th (1.65)
Hitting percentage – 12th (.315)
Opponent hitting percentage – 11th (.223)
 
Individuals in the National Rankings
Points per set
Van Buren – 3rd (4.86)
Schlothauer – 32nd (3.99)
 
Kills per set
Van Buren – 6th (4.10)
Schlothauer – 31st (3.41)
 
Blocks per set
Meyer – 4th (1.298)
Meinhart – 14th (1.012)
 
Assists per set
Mangun – 4th (10.25)
 
Last Time Out
After the final two sets required extended play, ninth-ranked Loyola edged George Mason (9-12) in the fifth Sunday afternoon, 25-23, 18-25, 25-21, 27-29, 17-15. Parker Van Buren led the Ramblers with 20 kills (.333) while Cole Schlothauer added 13 kills and team-high 12 digs. With the victory, Loyola improved to 4-2 in five-set decisions this season. Five of those six contests have been played on the road.
 
Series Stuff
Loyola is a combined 85-7 (.924) in competition against Lindenwood and Quincy.
 
The Ramblers are 28-3 against the Lions with seven consecutive wins after pulling out a five-set victory back on Feb. 10. Lindenwood has never defeated Loyola on the road, with its last win in the series recorded in the 2020 season.
 
Loyola boasts a 57-4 ledger in the all-time series against Quincy, including 27 straight wins and five consecutive 3-0 sweeps. The last Quincy win in the series occurred on April 15, 2011, in a five-set decision.
 
Scouting Lindenwood
Lindenwood, who has already recorded its most wins since 2020, saw a four-match win streak snapped last weekend following a pair of losses to Ohio State (3-1) and Ball State (3-0). The Lions are 3-5 in road matches this season, with victories recorded at Lewis, McKendree and Quincy. Senior libero Kyle Deutschmann leads the MIVA and ranks 13th in the nation with 2.18 digs per set, while senior outside hitter A.J. Lewis ranks ninth in the country and leads the conference in aces per set (0.522). The Lions rank sixth in the MIVA with an overall .251 team hitting percentage.
 
Scouting Quincy
Quincy will look for its first league win Thursday night at Purdue Fort Wayne, before making the trip to Chicago. The Hawks are 7-5 in non-conference play, including their only two road wins on the season which came against Maryville and Missouri S&T in early March. Quincy will look to feed the ball to Raje Alleyne, who ranks third nationally in kills per set (4.21) while leading the MIVA in the category. The sophomore outside hitter registered 12 kills in the first matchup against Loyola this season.

 
Up Next
Loyola will close out the regular season with key road matches at Ball State (Thursday, April 6) and Ohio State (Saturday, April 8).