LEADING OFF
In its first Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Tournament Championship appearance since 2021, Loyola Chicago (24-3, 13-3 MIVA) hosts No. 3-seeded Ohio State on Saturday, April 26 at 6 p.m. inside Gentile Arena. The Ramblers are ranked sixth nationally, per the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) while the Buckeyes are No. 15.
QUICK HITS
- In the MIVA semifinals, Loyola stunned No. 4-seeded Lewis in straight sets on Wednesday, April 23 inside Gentile Arena. The Ramblers bested the Flyers, 25-15, 25-23, 25-23.
- MIVA Player of the Year Parker Van Buren led the match by a mile with 22 kills on .436 hitting and added two service aces. All-conference first teamer Nicodemus Meyer marked a career high three aces while contributing three kills, two block assists and one solo block.
- Sophomore outside hitter Jake Read proved to be the difference maker, recording eight kills on 12 swings with zero errors for a .667 hitting clip. He added seven perfect receptions, six digs, two assists, one block assist and one ace. Junior middle blocker Brad Bell recorded six kills on seven swings to match his season-high .857 hitting.
- Loyola is the league leader in 10 categories: points (17.68/set), hitting percentage (3.65), assists (12.52/set), kills (13.35/set), blocks (2.53/set), service aces (1.81/set), opponent hitting percentage (.224), opponent assists (10.26/set), opponent kills (10.76/set) and opponent service aces (0.93).
- Van Buren was named the MIVA POTY for the second year in a row, becoming just the second player in program history to do so, and the third to claim four All-MIVA First Team roster spots. Meyer, Ryan McElligott and Daniel Fabikovic joined Van Buren on the All-MIVA First Team to mark the first time four Ramblers made the all-conference first team since 2018 and fourth overall in program history.
- McElligott leads the country in assists/set (10.92) and Meyer ranks second in blocks/set (1.24) while Van Buren is fourth in kills/set (4.40) and in points/set (5.20).
- The Ramblers finished with their best conference record (13-3) since 2015 when the team went 14-2 in MIVA play and marked the first 20-win regular season since 2023.
- Head coach Shane Davis remains the winningest coach in program history with a 288-91 ledger and a .760 winning percentage.
SCOUTING REPORT
Ohio State (18-10, 11-5 MIVA) is on the hunt for its third-consecutive MIVA Tournament title, which they clinched the last two seasons as the No. 3 seed. The Buckeyes finished the regular season on a five-game winning streak, collecting conference wins over McKendree (3-2), Ball State (3-1), Lewis (3-1) and Quincy (3-0, 3-1). They hosted No. 6-seed Lindenwood in the tournament quarterfinals, defeating the Lions 3-1, before sweeping No. 2 McKendree in the semifinals.
All-MIVA first teamer Shane Wetzel led the Buckeyes offensively through the first two rounds, combining 26 kills on .226 hitting while adding 18 digs, seven service aces and three block assists. Cole Young, another first-teamer, recorded four block assists and one solo block in the first two post-season matches and contributed nine kills on .227 hitting. All-conference second team honoree Daniel Henwood Rodriguez facilitated Ohio State's offense against Lindenwood and McKendree with 69 assists (9.86/set) and had five block assists.
SERIES HISTORY
In the 2025 regular season, Loyola defeated Ohio State on the road and at home in four sets in both matches. The Buckeyes defeated the Ramblers in the 2024 MIVA Tournament semifinals at Ball State and in the 2018 MIVA Championship in Columbus, Ohio.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Stream the match on Marquee Sports Network and ESPN+. Follow men's volleyball on Instagram and X @RamblersMVB for in-game updates.
