CHICAGO – The No. 12 Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team won its fourth-straight match after beating No. 15 Princeton in four sets (25-18, 22-25, 25-17, 25-21) Monday inside gentile Arena. The Ramblers racked up a staggering 20 blocks, a season-high, while Dan Mangun posted a double-double with 39 assists and 14 digs, tying his career-high.

"It's always good to mix in a non-conference opponent in the middle of season," said Loyola head coach John Hawks after the win. "We're happy Princeton came out - they gave us a run from the service line. Those guys were bringing it, and that's a good test for us going forward. I liked how our guys responded and then we blocked 20 balls tonight. Blocking five balls a set certainly makes things a little bit easier through the match."

How it Happened
The Ramblers (12-8, 6-3 MIVA) trailed Princeton (8-9, 2-3 EIVA), 8-7, early in the first set before exploding on an 8-1 run to claim a 15-9 lead. The Tigers stalled the run after a kill, but with Parker Van Buren at the helm serving, Loyola Chicago posted another 4-0 run – which was capped by Daniel Fabikovic's kill from Mangun - to take a 19-10 advantage. Princeton came alive towards the end of the frame and used a 6-2 run to come within five points (23-18) of the 'Blers. The Ramblers, however, ended the set at 25-18 after a service error and Fabikovic's kill from Jimmy Meinhart.

The Tigers leveled the match at 1-1 after winning the second set, 25-22. Loyola Chicago trailed by just one point at 22-21, but Princeton ended the set on a 3-1 run to win the frame.

Loyola found itself in a 10-10 knot with Princeton midway through the third set but Meinhart's kill sparked a quick 3-0 run to push the Maroon and Gold in front, 13-10. Then, a 6-0 run, which included kills from Nicodemus Meyer and Jake Read, ballooned LUC's edge to 20-13. The Ramblers reached set point at 24-16 thanks to Read's kill from Mangun before Princeton's attack error ended the set in Loyola's favor.

With momentum, Loyola Chicago went for the knockout blow in the fourth set. But Princeton hung tight, forcing the Ramblers to stay on their feet. A 4-2 run from the Tigers gave them a 7-4 lead early, but the Ramblers erased the deficit with a 6-1 run to take a 19-17 lead. Princeton nearly came back after two quick points made it a one-point affair at 22-21, but Loyola posted three straight kills to end the set and match.      

Notes

• The Ramblers ended the night hitting .380 while holding the Tigers to .273.
• Loyola's 20 blocks mark a season-high. The most the program has posted in a single match was 32 versus Quincy on Feb. 8, 1997 (standard scoring era).
• Mangun's double-double (39 assists and 14 digs) is the second Loyola has seen this season. His 14 digs tie his career-high.
• Three Ramblers logged double digit kills in the win: Van Buren (16), Read (15) and Fabikovic (10).
• Meinhart exploded for nine blocks, breaking his career-high.
• Fabikovic and Mangun also posted career-highs in blocks with eight and seven, respectively.

Up Next
Loyola's three-match homestand continues Thursday (March 14) with a 7 p.m. first serve versus Quincy. The action inside Gentile will stream live on ESPN+.