CHICAGO – In front of a rowdy home crowd at Gentile Arena, No. 10 Loyola Chicago downed No. 15 Lewis in straight sets, 3-0, on Wednesday, April 22 to clinch its spot in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) Championship match. The nail-biting match featured 25 tied scores and 11 lead changes littered with long rallies. 

The Ramblers were led offensively by junior opposite Aleksandar Sosa with the match-high 17 kills on .333 hitting and junior outside Daniel Fabikovic anchored the defense with a career-high 10 digs. 

Coach Quote: Shane Davis
"It's been great having Sosa back. We've had Tyler Howard and Bryce Robbins stepping up and carrying that position for some time. And credit to Ryan [McElligott], our setter, he's got different guys at different times throughout the year, and it's been good to to be able to sustain our success over the year with the different lineups. We've worked hard for this, we deserve this." 

How It Happened 
SET 1 | The first set was neck-and-neck throughout, mirroring the remainder of the match, but Loyola managed to secure it, 25-22. Sosa made his return to the court after sitting out 14 matches due to injury. He led the Ramblers in set one, ripping five kills on .375 hitting.  

SET 2 | Loyola secured the second set 25-20 to gain a 2-0 lead and put the Ramblers on the cusp of a sweep. Klein delivered a decisive spike to level the score 8-8, and the Ramblers didn't look back the rest of the way. Loyola largest lead came in at 24-17 after a 5-1 run. Lewis staved off two set points before Sosa had the final word.  

SET 3 | McElligott set the tone of the third set, opening it with an ace. The Ramblers went on a 5-1 run, but the Flyers caught up quickly and stayed within reach throughout the frame. Lewis knotted the set at 16-16 before fighting for a 21-19 lead. Sosa hit back-to-back kills to even the score, 23-23. He served an ace to clinch the match with a 25-23 third-set victory.  

Inside the Box Score 

• Three Ramblers met double-digit kills: Sosa (17), Josh Schellinger (10) and Fabikovic (10). 
• Senior setter Ryan McElligott facilitated Loyola's offense with the match-high 39 assists. 
• Klein hit a season-high .900. 

Up Next 
Loyola meets the No. 1 seeded-Ball State in Muncie, Ind. for the MIVA Tournament Championship on Saturday, April 25 at 6 p.m. CT.