CHICAGO – No. 7 Loyola Chicago overpowered Quincy, 3-1, on Saturday, Feb. 22 to stay undefeated at home and claim its fifth Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) win of the season. The Ramblers improved to 13-1 overall and 5-1 in league play.
"There was some complacency on our end in the third set, and Quincy was doing a great job and playing with some playing with confidence, and you could see that just from a spectator standpoint, but Deem [
Nicodemus Meyer] was our voice in set four and made some plays for us, and demanded more out of his teammates, and that was the turnaround for us," said head coach
Shane Davis.
How It Happened
Set One: In a fiery first set from the Ramblers,
Jake Read opened scoring for Loyola. With the score tied, 4-4,
Parker Van Buren added back-to-back kills to get the Ramblers rolling. Loyola pulled away fast, and a big block from Van Buren and
Nicodemus Meyer put the 'Blers up, 20-11. Left-handed setter
Ryan McElligott hit a dump set to clinch the first frame, 25-16.
Set Two: Set two was just as decisive for Loyola, who maintained its lead throughout the entire set. Van Buren and Read each contributed an ace and combined for six kills. A triple block by McElligott, Meyer and
Daniel Fabikovic extended Loyola's lead even further to 17-10. The Hawks added seven more points before the Ramblers closed out the second set, 25-17.
Set Three: The third frame was a back-and-forth battle that saw five lead changes and 10 tied scores. With the Hawks leading at 9-5, the Ramblers called a timeout and after the break, they closed the gap, 9-10. Van Buren added another service ace to tie the set, 10-10, before Meyer ripped a kill that tied the score once again. Quincy inched closer and closer to set point and a Loyola service ace gave the Hawks the third set, 25-21, to force a fourth.
Set Four: In another point for point set, the Ramblers struggled to maintain offensive momentum and gave up a number of points due to errors on their side of the net. A huge solo block from Meyer put Loyola ahead, 9-6, and clutch kills by Van Buren, Read and rookie
Will Hatch lit the fire for the Ramblers. A superb blocking presence at the net, anchored by Meyer, Hatch and McElligott, pushed the 'Blers ahead. Loyola pulled away, 19-11, after Van Buren clocked a kill through an attempted triple block by Quincy. Another big block by Van Buren and Hatch put the Ramblers at match point, but a late surge from the Hawks forced a Loyola timeout. After the break, Fabikovic clinched the match for the Maroon and Gold, 25-19.
Inside the Box Score
- Van Buren led the match by a mile with 20 kills on .581 hitting while adding three service aces, six digs and three block assists.
- Hatch had another standout performance, contributing five block assists, four kills and a perfect service percentage in just the second match of his career.
- The Ramblers' protected their home court with 13 blocks, anchored by Meyer who matched his season-high seven total blocks, including three solos.
- Loyola hit .340 as a team and held Quincy to .179.
Up Next
The Ramblers are back at home to host No. 13 Lewis on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. inside Gentile Arena.
