CHICAGO – No. 7 Loyola Chicago defended its home court in a straight set sweep over Purdue Fort Wayne on Thursday, Feb. 20 inside Gentile Arena. The Ramblers were led defensively by redshirt freshman Will Hatch who made his first ever start in the Maroon and Gold, and contributed five blocks, seven kills and two digs.  

"After the McKendree match, we talked about our ability to respond the next week in practice, and I thought we had a great practice in terms of our mentality, effort and execution. Like with every team, there's injuries and people get sick, and I think Will did an awesome job this week and tonight, stepping up in a void that we had," said head coach Shane Davis.  

How It Happened  
Set One: Loyola established control early, with redshirt senior outside hitter Parker Van Buren leading the charge on seven kills. The Ramblers capitalized on offensive errors by the Mastodons while maintaining high efficiency on the attack, finishing the first frame hitting .462 as a team. Despite four lead changes, Loyola's blocking presence at the net and improvement at the service line helped close out the set, 25-19. 

Set Two: The second set was the closest of the match, seeing 15 tied scores and two lead changes. Loyola maintained its offensive prowess, hitting .385 in the frame, and junior setter Ryan McElligott added 13 assists to keep the squad going. A strong serving run late in the set by sophomores Daniel Fabikovic, Jake Read and Hatch helped the Ramblers secure the set, 25-23. 

Set Three: In the third and final frame, the Ramblers were hitting at a .435 clip and held the Mastodons to just .067. While Purdue Fort Wayne struggled with its consistency, Loyola did not let up, putting 13 kills on the board, four block assists and one service ace. An opponent attacking error clinched the match for Loyola on a comfortable, 25-17, cushion.

Inside the Box Score 

• Hatch finished the night with seven kills on perfect 1.0 hitting and added five blocks, setting season and career highs in both categories.  
• Van Buren led the match with 15 kills on .357 hitting while contributing six digs and four blocks.  
• Tonight's victory marks Loyola's sixth sweep of the season and third in conference play.  
• The Ramblers hit .427 holding the Mastodons to a .198 hitting percentage. 

Up Next 
Loyola stays home to host another MIVA rival in Quincy on Saturday, Feb. 20 at 5 p.m.