HONOLULU – Opening the 2024 campaign in a hostile road environment, the No. 10 Loyola University Chicago men's Volleyball team fell in straight sets (23-25, 19-25, 20-25) to the 2023 national runners-up, No. 3 Hawai'i, Wednesday night in Honolulu. Parker Van Buren had a team-high nine kills while Matt Oakley had a team-best 10 digs in the Ramblers' season-opener at SimpliFi Arena.

"Really proud of the way we fought tonight," said Loyola University Chicago volleyball head coach John Hawks. "Despite the final score, we saw a lot of good against a really good team in Hawai'i. We'll work on some things tomorrow and be ready for Friday."

How it Happened
The top-10 battle began with intense back-and-forth volleyball. The Maroon and Gold raced out to a 9-7 advantage in the first set after Van Buren sparked a four-point swing with his kill from Ryan McElligott.  The Rainbow Warriors swung back with a run of their own, but Loyola hung on to its edge, 16-14, after a Hawai'i attack error.

Later, with the two teams locked at 21-21, two quick points from the home side have UH a 23-21 lead. Nicodemus Meyer laid down LUC's 13^th kill from McElligott, but the Rainbow Warriors responded and claimed the first set, 23-25, after a service error.

With their highest hitting percentage set of the night, Hawai'i took a 11-6 lead in the second before building its advantage to 19-11 after a 4-0 run. Towards set point, the 'Blers shrunk UH's lead to 23-19 after Van Buren's kill from Cole Schobel, but the Rainbow Warriors claimed their last two points in succession to win the second frame.

A 9-2 run in the third and final set helped Loyola Chicago earn a 10-5 lead before a 5-0 run propelled the in front, 15-7. With Loyola in command, it looked as if the Ramblers may be able to force a fourth set. However, UH ended the frame on a 14-3 run as Hawai'i pocketed the season-opener.  

Notes

• Loyola Chicago ended the match with 52.0 points while UH had 51.5.
• The two teams posted 38 kills each.
• The Ramblers garnered 10 blocks while Hawai'i had seven.
• Van Buren led the Ramblers with nine kills on 32 swings. He added four block assists and one solo.
• Freshman Daniel Fabikovic had eight kills on 32 swings in his first collegiate match. He also picked up 10 digs, the second-most on the team.
• Oakley led the fensive effort with 10 digs.
• As a setter, Schobel logged five kills on six swings for a team-high .667 hitting percentage.
• McElligott posted a team-best 18 assists.

Up Next
The two teams will meet again Friday (Jan. 5) to close the series. First serve is set for 11 p.m. CT and will air live on Spectrum Sports and ESPN+.