COLUMBUS, Ohio (April 8, 2023) – The Loyola men's volleyball team rounded out its regular season schedule Saturday afternoon, taking on Ohio State in the final MIVA contest of the season. In a tightly contested match, the Buckeyes got the best of the Ramblers in all three sets, 29-27, 28-26, 25-23, to secure the victory.
 
Loyola concluded the season in a three-way tie for the MIVA regular season title, alongside the Buckeyes and Ball State. By virtue of tiebreaker procedures, Loyola secured the No. 2 seed in the upcoming MIVA Championship.
 
How It Happened
In a tightly contested opening set, a service ace by Cooper Evans gave the Ramblers a 22-19 lead in the opening set to prompt a timeout by the Buckeyes. Parker Van Buren connected from the outside to give the Ramblers set point at 24-22, but two unanswered pulled the set even at 24-all. Tied at 27-all, Ohio State picked up a pair of points to steal the opening set by a 29-27 margin.
 
Extra points were once again needed in the second set, as Ohio State eventually built a 2-0 lead in the match with a 28-26 victory. After fighting off a set-point at 23-24, a solo block by Jack Yentz put the Ramblers back in front by a 25-24. The lead was not enough, as the Buckeyes eventually pulled out a 28-26 victory.
 
Van Buren kept the Ramblers alive with a kill, pulling the third set even at 23-all. Loyola's attempt to force a fourth set came up short as two consecutive points by the Buckeyes sealed the 3-0 victory.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Parker Van Buren led the way offensively with 18 kills on the afternoon, twice as many as any other player.
• Loyola dropped the match despite having a higher hitting percentage in the match (.220-.191)
• Nick Martinski saw some of his most extensive action of the season Saturday, finishing with nine kills and seven digs
• Loyola doubled up Ohio State in aces, 6-3, with Dan Mangun serving up three of them.

 Up Next
Loyola, the No. 2 seed in the MIVA Championship, will host No. 7 McKendree in quarterfinal action on Saturday, April 15. First serve inside Gentile Arena is set for 7 p.m.