CHICAGO – The No. 13 Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team swept Purdue Fort Wayne for the second time this season (25-23, 25-15, 25-21) Thursday night inside Gentile Arena.
Daniel Fabikovic led the way with 18 kills, just one shy of tying his career-high, in the straight set win. The freshman hit an astounding .519 through the match as well.
"I've said before - I think any conference win is a really good win. I'm really impressed with our guy's ability to affect what the other team is doing," said Loyola head coach
John Hawks after the win. "We had some slip ups, but again, I'm really proud of their effort,"
How it Happened
As the first set got underway, Loyola (10-8, 5-3 MIVA) found itself in a dogfight with the Mastodons (9-8, 3-5 MIVA). The Ramblers used a quick 2-0 run – thanks to back-to-back Fabikovic kills – to own a 16-14 edge after the media timeout.
Jack Yentz's kill from Mangun put Loyola up, 20-18, but Purdue Fort Wayne went on a 3-0 run to reclaim the advantage, forcing Loyola to use a timeout. After the break, two kills from
Parker Van Buren, plus one from Fabikovic, helped LUC reclaim the lead. Later, Van Buren's kill from Fabikovic gave the Ramblers set point at 24-23 before
Cole Schobel's ace ended the first frame in the Maroon and Gold's favor. Â
There was a wider gap between the two teams in the second set with Loyola holding a 13-6 lead after going on a 12-3 run. Through the stretch, the Mastodons called two timeouts, but nothing could slow Loyola's .346 hitting percentage. LUC doubled its lead over PFW after a 4-1 Loyola run before Loyola Chicago reached set point after Fabikovic registered his 11
th kill of the night. Yentz ended the set with a kill from Mangun on the ensuing rally at 25-15. Â
With momentum and control of the match, the Ramblers led the third set, 16-10, after Van Buren's ace capped a 5-2 Rambler run. Mangun drew an ace to give Loyola a 20-13 edge before the Mastodons made things interesting with a 4-1 run of their own. With Loyola at set point after Fabikovic posted his 18
th kill, PFW scored three-straight points, making the score 24-21, but Van Buren ended the affair with a kill, sealing the sweep. Â
Notes
- Loyola ended the night hitting .341 while limiting PFW to .169.
- The Ramblers racked up 41 kills through the evening.
- Fabikovic had a match-high 18 kills on 27 swings for a .519 hitting percentage.
- Mangun had a match-high 34 assists plus eight digs.
- JJ Sowa posted a match-high nine digs.
- Van Buren's two aces were a match-high.
- Nicodemus Meyer led at the net with six blocks, another match-high.
Up Next
The 'Blers return to action this Saturday (March 2) as they face No. 7 Ohio State in Columbus. First serve on ESPN+ is set for 3 p.m. CT.
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