CHICAGO – Loyola University Chicago opened its season with a statement 3-1 win over No. 8 Penn State on Friday, Jan. 10 in front of a rowdy home crowd inside Gentile Arena with head coach Shane Davis back at the helm.
"Ever since walking into the front door on day one it felt like home. It's been an honor to be able to come back and to lead this team. It's super special. I owe so much to Loyola and the experience that I've had and will have in the future," said Davis.
On tonight's performance, Davis added: "Penn State was doing a really good job on their passing and they had a really good rhythm in system. I think they hit .600 in that second set, so they were clicking on all cylinders, but we were bringing it on the service line. We were a step slow with our communication and moves really even defensively. We just needed to reset ourselves after that second set, amp up our serving a little bit, and then start making some plays on defense. We saw some good moves from blockers and some one-handed digs that were great momentum points for us."
How It Happened
Set One: The Ramblers came out firing in the opening set, hitting an impressive .522 as a team while limiting the Nittany Lions to a .333 hitting percentage. Leading the attack with timely kills was Daniel Fabikovic and Parker Van Buren, who had four apiece. Then Loyola capitalized on a series of Penn State errors to pull away mid-set. The Ramblers' aggressive serving (.840) and clean passing in the first set disrupted the Nittany Lions' rhythm, allowing the Maroon and Gold to control the tempo and comfortably secure the first set, 25-17.
Set Two: The second set saw Penn State bounce back with a more efficient offense, hitting .600 as a team. The Nittany Lions gained some momentum with Will Kuhns and Miller Trubey adding four kills each, but Loyola managed to keep it close with contributions from Fabikovic, who had three kills and an ace, and Nicodemus Meyer, who posted three kills and one block assist in the second set. However, Penn State's improved blocking and an increase in service pressure allowed them to edge out the Ramblers, 22-25, and even the match at one set apiece.
Set Three: Loyola bounced back in the third set, utilizing a balanced attack and strong defense to stifle Penn State's offensive efforts. Fabikovic continued to come in clutch with three kills in key rallies, while Van Buren and Jake Read added valuable points at the net. The Ramblers held the Nittany Lions to a .136 hitting percentage in the third set, taking advantage of unforced errors to maintain a steady lead. Despite a late surge by Penn State, Loyola closed the set, 25-20, to go up 2-1.
Set Four: The fourth and final set was a tightly contested battle that saw seven ties and five lead changes. Both teams traded scoring runs early, but Loyola's defense, anchored by Meyer and Read, kept Penn State at bay late in the set. The Ramblers had a strong closing run and took the last set 25-21 to seal the upset victory, 3-1.
Inside the Box Score
- The Ramblers were led by a balanced offensive effort, highlighted by Fabikovic's 14 kills on .385 hitting, Van Buren's 12 kills, and Meyer's highly efficient nine kills on .750 hitting.
- The Ramblers out-hit the Nittany Lions .267 to .258, overcoming a strong challenge from their top 10 opponents.
- Junior setter Ryan McElligott finished the night with 38 assists, including 13 in the final set.
- Loyola's home opener drew a crowd of 1,031 fans.
Up Next
The Ramblers are back in action tomorrow night against Maryville at 7 p.m. inside Gentile Arena.
