LEBANON, Ill. – The No. 11 Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team lost in straight sets (24-26, 18-25, 21-25) to No. 18 McKendree Saturday night on the road. The loss snapped Loyola's seven-match win streak as the regular season inches to a close.

"McKendree played really well. They served really aggressively and put our guys in some uncomfortable situations," said Loyola head coach John Hawks. "We fought - and I'm proud of the guys for their effort. We dug a lot of balls and gave ourselves some opportunities, but we just didn't have it tonight."

How it Happened
Loyola Chicago (15-9, 9-4 MIVA) fell behind McKendree (14-8, 8-5 MIVA), 13-9, after a 6-2 Bearcat stretch in the first set. The Ramblers came within two points twice – at 14-12 and 17-15 – to hang around the home squad. The Maroon and Gold used a 4-1 run to make the score 22-20, Bearcats. The run included back-to-back combination blocks from Jimmy Meinhart, Miller Trubey, Nicodemus Meyer, and Jake Read. Loyola Chicago ended the set on a 4-1 run to tie the frame, 24-24, in dramatic fashion. However, the Bearcats ended the action with two kills to win the opener.

The Ramblers tied the second set, 6-6, after Parker Van Buren, Meinhart, and Read's trio block but McKendree responded with a 6-1 run, taking a 12-7 edge over LUC. The 'Blers shrank the deficit to five points twice (17-12 and 22-17) after two 3-0 runs but the Bearcats used a 3-1 run to end the set in their favor, 25-18.

McKendree had a 5-3 lead in final set before a set error and Dan Mangun's kill from Colton Brooks tied the frame, 5-5. The Bearcats responded with a 7-2 stretch to take a 13-8 lead. Later, a Bearcat's service error, two kills, and Lukas Anderson's ace aided in a 4-1 LUC run to cut the deficit to 18-17, McKendree. But the Bearcats exploded on a 6-2 sprint following Loyola's encroachment. Bryce Robbins gave Loyola a chance with a kill and an ace at McKendree's set point (24-21), but the affair ended after Loyola's error on the serve.

Notes

• The loss snapped Loyola's seven-match win streak, which included three wins over ranked foes.
• The Ramblers hit .218 in the loss while the Bearcats hit .279.
• Loyola led in the block department, 13-8, and in digs, 43-39.
• Meyer tied his season-high in blocks with seven, a match-high.
•  JJ Sowa had a match-high 12 digs.

Up Next
Loyola Chicago ends the regular season with a three-match homestand, starting with a pair of matches against first year MIVA member, Queens, next weekend. The two-match series starts Thursday (March 28) at 7 p.m. and will end Saturday (March 30) at 2 p.m. inside Gentile Arena.