Honolulu, Hawaii – Loyola Chicago earned its first win of the 2026 season in dramatic fashion, knocking off No. 2 Hawai'i in a four-set thriller on Friday, Jan. 9. The Ramblers piled up 15 blocks on the way to victory, stunning over 6,650 fans at the Stan Sheriff Center. 

Aleksandar Sosa was a menace on the court, pacing Loyola's attack with a match-high 19 kills on .378 hitting and earning himself Player of the Game. Setter Ryan McElligott recorded a double-double behind 40 assists and 11 digs. Libero JJ Sowa also reached double-digit digs (14) and from the front row, Aidan Klein, Daniel Fabikovic and Brad Bell each contributed six blocks. 

Coach Quote: Shane Davis
"I'm incredibly proud of how our guys responded tonight. This team showed toughness, maturity and belief. Aleksandar Sosa was huge for us tonight, he played with confidence and just had fun. This was a total team effort, between Ryan and Jake Read, our middles; it was a big step forward for us early in the season."

How It Happened

SET 1 | The Ramblers set the tone early, trading points through the opening stretch before pulling ahead behind strong play at the net and service line. The front row had six blocks, led by Brad Bell (3), and McElligott served four aces, including the set-winner. Sosa powered the offense with eight kills and Loyola took the first set 25-23. 

SET 2 | Loyola built on a set-one win by securing a 25-22 victory in the second. Neither team led by more than two for most of the frame, which saw 15 tied scores and five lead changes. After the lead changed hands four times, the Ramblers took control at 22-21 and had the advantage through the end. Read stuffed the set-winning block to take a commanding 2-0 lead. 

SET 3 | Hawai'i refused to go quietly and avoided a sweep with a third-set win to make it 2-1. The Rainbow Warriors erased a seven point Ramblers' lead and tied the nail-biting frame at 23-23 before taking it 26-24. 

SET 4 | Determined to close it out, Loyola jumped out early in the fourth set, using its block and serve to disrupt Hawai'i's momentum. Fabikovic led the offense with five kills and helped the Ramblers' defense frustrate the Rainbow Warriors into errors. Hawai'i made a late push, but Loyola answered every run and sealed the match on a block by Bell and Fabikovic. 

Inside the Box Score

• Read was a game-changer, contributing eight kills, eight digs, three blocks (one solo, two assists), two assists and an ace. 
• Klein recorded a career-high six blocks and his best hitting clip to date (.538). 
• McElligott had a career-high five services aces and matched his career-high 11 digs.

Up Next
The Ramblers head to the First Point Collegiate Challenge in Phoenix, Ariz. to face the Stanford Cardinals (Jan. 17) and UCLA Bruins (Jan. 18).