CHICAGO – The No. 13 Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team earned a top-20 win Saturday night after taking down No. 16 George Mason in four sets (25-20, 25-18, 20-25, 25-19). With the non-conference slate in the books and MIVA play
commencing next week, the win marked Loyola's fourth straight after beating LIU last night.

Loyola accumulated 14 blocks through the set, its most in a single match since last spring, while Nicodemus Meyer was responsible for seven of them - a season-high. 

"It was awesome to go 2-0 this weekend," said Loyola head coach John Hawks. "Having George Mason in the gym was fun for us – they challenged us in a different way than how we were challenged last night."

How it Happened
Loyola Chicago (5-5) took a commanding lead in the opening set thanks to a 5-0 run. The run, aided by kills from Parker Van Buren, Nicodemus Meyer, and Daniel Fabikovic, gave Loyola an 8-2 edge. Gorge Mason (3-5) inched closer to the Maroon and Gold after two Loyola errors made the score 12-11, LUC. But the 'Blers' 3-0 run, capped by Van Buren's ace, widened the gap to 16-12. Van Buren's fifth kill gave Loyola set point at 24-19 before he posted another from Ryan McElligott to end the frame.

Despite the Patriots having a 6-4 lead in the second set, the Ramblers used a 4-0 run, capped by an ace via McElligott, put the 'Blers in front, 10-8. Later, four kills from Van Buren and one from Jake Read assisted Loyola's staggering 7-1 run late in the set, giving the home team set point, 24-17. McElligott set Fabikovic on the set-winner as Loyola led the match by two sets to none.

The Patriots wouldn't go away quietly though and won the third set after hitting .433 and racking up 16 kills, both match-highs for GMU. George Mason used its third block to hold a 17-13 lead. The Ramblers did go on a 4-1 run at 23-16, making the score 24-10, GMU. But a Patriots' kill extended the match to four sets.

It was a closely contested fourth frame as the two teams battled to a 14-14 deadlock. That's when two Fabikovic kills, two aces by Read, and a pair of GMU errors gave Loyola adrenaline and a 20-14 precedence in crunch time. The Maroon and Gold ended the set on a 5-1 run to win the set and match.

Notes

• Loyola hit .358 with 54 kills, its third most in a single match this season. The Ramblers' defense forced GMU to hit .257.
• The Patriots were limited to four block assists through the match to tie for its season-low.
• Loyola's 30 digs were just five shy from a season-high.
• Van Buren's match-high 17 kills and Fabikovic's 12 led the squad.
• McElligott logged a match-high 39 assists and Matt Oakley's 11 digs were a season-high.    

Up Next
The Ramblers turn their attention to MIVA play this Thursday (Feb. 1) as the squad travels to Ball State. First serve is set for 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+. Last season, the Ramblers shared the regular season MIVA title with Ball State and Ohio State.