FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Behind career nights from two freshmen and a total team-effort, the No. 13 Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball swept Purdue Fort Wayne (25-22, 25-17, 25-16) on the road for its first MIVA win of 2024. Jake Read slammed down 16 kills and Daniel Fabikovic targeted nine digs in the triumph.

"Obviously coming here is a road trip for us – it's tough to get road wins so, we're happy with the result," said Loyola head coach John Hawks. "I felt like Jake Read was just exceptional tonight and Fabi (Daniel Fabikovic) reads the game well and has good instincts. He just gets his hands to a lot of balls."

How it Happened
The Ramblers (6-6, 1-1 MIVA) began the match toe-to-toe with the Mastodons (6-4, 0-1 MIVA), battling the home team to a 11-11 stalemate in the first set. With some momentum, Purdue Fort Wayne posted a 5-1 run to claim a 17-15 lead over Loyola Chicago. But, trailing 18-17 and Fabikovic serving, the Maroon and Gold dug in and delivered a 5-0 run of their own to regain control. Fabi's ace capped the run before Read's kill from Cole Schobel gave Loyola set point. Schobel and Read combined again for the set winner, 25-22.
 
PFW again started the second set in front, 6-4, after an early 5-2 run. But the Ramblers turned up the attack and sprinted out on a 13-3 run in response. With Read reaching a staggering seven kills in the second frame alone, Loyola sat back and rode out the rest of the frame comfortably. LUC went eight-for-eight with the Mastodons through the remainder of the set to end it, 25-17.

Hitting an unstoppable .542 in the final set, Loyola Chicago went for the knockout blow. A mid-set 4-0 run, thanks to three PFW errors plus Read's ace, gave Loyola a 13-7 advantage. Later, two Rambler kills and two Mastodon errors made the score 21-13. Another three straight PFW errors ended the set and match, 25-16. Through the set, the Ramblers' defense held the home team to a measly .097 hitting percentage.

Notes

• Loyola ended the night hitting .449 – its third highest percentage of the season thus far.
• The squad racked up 43 kills on 78 swings.
• Read's 16 kills on 25 swings (.600) set a new career-best for the freshman.
• Fabikovic added nine kills and nine digs (career-high), nearly achieving his first double-double.
• Parker Van Buren's 10 kills marked his fourth straight match in double digit kills.
• Schobel assisted on 38 kills and added an ace.
• Jimmy Meinhart's two blocks tied the match-high.

Up Next
The Ramblers are set to face their fourth straight ranked foe Friday (Feb. 9) as the team hosts No. 6 Ohio State inside Gentile Arena. First serve is set for 7 p.m. CT with the match streaming live on ESPN+.