LEADING OFF 
No. 8 Loyola Chicago brings conference play to Gentile Arena as the Ramblers host the No. 14 Lewis Flyers on Thursday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. Loyola closes out the week with its final nonconference match of the regular season against Rockhurst on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 1 p.m.  

QUICK HITS 

• Men's volleyball went 1-1 in its opening week of Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) play, falling 3-1 at then-No. 18 Lindenwood (Feb. 4) before responding with a sweep at then-No. 13 McKendree (Feb. 6).  
• Junior middle blocker Aidan Klein recorded back-to-back matches with double-digit kills, hitting above .550 in each, while also leading the team in blocks in both matches. Klein paces the league with a .531 average hitting clip.  
• Redshirt sophomore setter Alex Smits Van Oyen ranks first in the MIVA and second in the NCAA with 11.1 assists per set, while senior libero JJ Sowa leads the league in digs (2.43/set), placing him eighth in the country.  
• Junior opposite Aleksandar Sosa is No. 1 in the MIVA and No. 4 in the NCAA with 4.26 kills per set. 
• Head coach Shane Davis is in his 14th year at Loyola, sporting a 295-96 (.754) career record. Last season, the Ramblers alum led his team to a 25-4 ledger, their fourth MIVA Tournament title and fourth NCAA Tournament berth.   
• 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of Loyola's men's volleyball program, which is home to two of the university's three NCAA national championship titles.      

SCOUTING REPORT 
Lewis is currently 6-5 overall and 0-2 in conference play, coming to Chicago on the heels of back-to-back 3-0 losses to McKendree (Feb. 4) and Lindenwood (Feb. 6). Senior opposite Oguzhan Oguz leads the Flyers offensively, averaging 3.57 kills/set on .307 hitting. At the net, middle Shawn Baggs paces the MIVA with 1.43 blocks/set, good for second in the NCAA.  

The Hawks are off to a 4-7 start, with three of the four victories coming in straight sets. Senior outside Shay Spadaro leads the team with 2.72 kills/set while sophomore setter Tyler Zippay averages a team-high 7.94 assists/set. Defensively, grad student middle Wesley Yusk puts up .97 blocks/set and Spadaro digs 1.64 balls/set.  

SERIES HISTORY 
In a series that dates back to Loyola's inaugural season, the Ramblers lead the back-and-forth record 37-36 with the Flyers. Most recently, the pair met in the 2025 MIVA Tournament Semifinals at Gentile Arena where Loyola swept Lewis to advance to the championship. Last season, the Ramblers and Hawks met for the first time ever in a 3-1 win at home for Loyola.  

FOLLOW THE ACTION 
Watch Thursday's match on Marquee Sports Network. Both matches are available to stream on ESPN+. Follow men's volleyball on Instagram and X @RamblersMVB for in-game updates.