SAN DIEGO, Calif. – No. 7 Loyola Chicago defeated No. 15 UC San Diego, 3-2 (23-25, 25-18, 22-25, 25-22, 15-11), after a five-set thriller on Saturday, Feb. 1, in front of another heavy Loyola presence in the crowd. Parker Van Buren, Daniel Fabikovic and Jake Read each recorded double-digit kills, 17, 14 and 12, respectively.  

"I'm incredibly proud of the way our guys battled tonight," said head coach Shane Davis. "We showed a lot of resilience and composure, especially in those tight sets. We responded under pressure and relied on each other; it was a complete team effort and coming home 8-0 is a pretty good feeling."  

How It Happened
Set One:  Junior middle blocker Brad Bell ignited Loyola's offense with an early kill, followed by an ace, setting the tone for a tight battle. The Ramblers maintained a slight edge until UCSD tied it, 8-8. Van Buren recorded his 100th kill of the season, while a back-row blast from Fabikovic nudged Loyola ahead,13-12. The set featured six lead changes and 20 ties. The Tritons surged ahead, 18-16, after an unsuccessful Ramblers challenge, but Van Buren responded with a powerful kill and Jackson Reed served an ace to even the score yet again. Read's clutch kills kept Loyola in contention, but UCSD edged out the first set, 25-23. 

Set Two: Loyola rebounded quickly, with Read's kill to start the set. Despite early service errors, kills from Fabikovic and Van Buren helped the Ramblers gain momentum. Nicodemus Meyer's kill extended the lead to 7-5, and an explosive Van Buren spike pushed it to, 10-7. Then a pivotal ace from Fabikovic followed by a dominant block by Van Buren and Meyer created a cushion for Loyola, 15-11. The Ramblers front-line defense, led by Bell and Van Buren, stifled the Triton's attack, and a triple block sealed the set for Loyola, 25-18, evening the match. 

Set Three: A successful challenge put Loyola on the board, but UCSD started strong with a 5-3 lead. Meyer's solo block and Bell's powerful kills kept Loyola close in range. Lukas Anderson's 3-0 service run shifted momentum, while Bell dominated offensively with a perfect four kills on four swings. Fabikovic added six kills on .545 hitting in the third set, but UCSD's consistent lead held, and the Tritons secured the set, 25-22. 

Set Four: In a decisive fourth set, Read's aggressive swings kept Loyola competitive early, and his 10th kill marked a season-high milestone. Loyola regained the lead at 10-9, capped by a crucial block from McElligott and Bell during a 4-0 scoring run. A huge dig from Reed forced a UCSD error, giving Loyola a 19-18 advantage. Van Buren served an ace to push the lead even further to 21-19, and Meyer's kill brought Loyola to set point before McElligott's ace forced a fifth and final frame. 

Set Five: With Loyola's undefeated season on the line, Van Buren's kill opened the final set, and key blocks from Meyer and McElligott gave Loyola a 5-4 edge. McElligott's second ace of the match and Read's 12th kill extended the lead to 7-4, forcing a UCSD timeout. Van Buren continued to dominate with his 14th kill, and Fabikovic's fast-paced attack forced another Tritons timeout. Sophomore Aidan Klein subbed in for an injured Bell and made an immediate impact with a crucial block. With Klein at the service line, Van Buren's fierce kill sealed the match, 15-11, for Loyola and improved to 8-0 on the season. 

Inside the Box Score 

• Overall, the match featured 15 lead changes and 43 tied scores 
• Highflyer Van Buren had a team-high 17 kills on .314 hitting, and Bell added eight kills on .571 hitting. 
• The Ramblers who hit double-digit kills combined for 43 points.  
• Loyola remains the only undefeated team in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association.  

Up Next 
The 'Blers are back home on Thursday, Feb. 6 to host McKendree at 7 p.m. before heading to Columbus, Ohio to take on No. 13 Ohio State on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 6 p.m.