CHICAGO – The No. 13 Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team dismantled Queens in straight sets (25-22, 25-15, 25-22) Saturday afternoon inside Gentile Arena. Parker Van Buren led the way, hitting .469 with 16 kills on 32 swings. Dan Mangun added four aces at the helm, boosting the Ramblers' attack.

"I think it's nice that we can respond the way we did," said Loyola head coach John Hawks after the win. "I feel like [Queens] did some different things - they had a personnel change and with that comes different energy on the court. I feel like just we took care of business. Dan [Mangun] served the ball really well and put some pressure on them right away. We had eight aces tonight on 11 errors. So that's a pretty good ratio that I think anybody would take. So, proud of our guys, and heading into Easter with a couple of wins is great."

How it Happened
An early 3-0 run, which was capped by Daniel Fabikovic's ace, helped Loyola create some separation between itself and the Royals at 8-4. Then, kills from Van Buren and Jake read, plus Nicodemus Meyer's ace, sparked another 3-0 spurt to make the score 11-6, LUC. Queens responded with a 5-0 run to tie the first set, 11-11, but Loyola punched back with yet another 3-0 run to regain the lead. Later, Loyola used a 6-1 run to claim set point at 24-20. Van Buren's kill from Mangun ended the frame, 25-22.

LUC started the second set with a 4-0 run, but Queens took a 7-5 lead shortly thereafter. The Ramblers quickly regained the advantage after Meyer's kill ignited a 7-1 run, making the score 14-9, Loyola Chicago. Hitting .462 through the set, Loyola used more runs to take control. After a 5-0 spurt put the 'Blers in front, 21-11, three more kills helped Loyola achieve set point. Van Buren again ended the set with his kill from Mangun, giving LUC a 2-0 edge in the match.

With the Royals hitting .300 and LUC hitting .281 in the third and final set, Queens looked as if it was going to extend the match past three frames. In fact, the Royals owned a 12-9 lead over Loyola midway through the set. But the Maroon and Gold buckled down for a massive 7-1 run, swinging momentum in their favor. Up 16-13, Loyola later used a 4-1 run to take a 21-18 lead before Queens tied the affair after its 3-0 run. LUC, however, ended the action on a 4-1 run to win the set and match.

Notes

• Loyola ended the match hitting .348 while holding Queens to .257.
• LUC had 42 kills and eight aces, outpacing the Royals.
• Jake Read logged 10 kills, finishing in double-digits alongside Van Buren.
• JJ Sowa had a match-best eight digs.
• Mangun posted a match-high 38 assists.

Up Next
Loyola Chicago has a week to prepare for its final regular season match Saturday (April 6) against nationally ranked Lewis. First serve on Senior Day is set for 5 p.m. inside Gentile Arena with the action streaming live on ESPN+.