MUNCIE, Ind. -- In the 2026 Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) Tournament Championship, No. 2-seeded Loyola Chicago could not overcome top seed Ball State's potent offense in a 3-0 loss (22-25, 20-25, 20-25) on Saturday, April 25 at Worthen Arena. 

The Ramblers finished 20-8 overall after their second straight conference championship appearance. Grad student outside hitter Josh Schellinger finished with the team-high nine kills to lead the Ramblers' attack, and the pin had six digs to anchor the defense. 

Coach Quote: Shane Davis
"First off, credit to Ball State and head coach Mike Iandolo -- they played a really high-level match tonight, and we didn't execute what we're capable of, especially in key moments and lead changes. I'm proud of the way our team competed all season to get to this point and put ourselves in a position to go to the NCAA Tournament. Fabi [Daniel Fabikovic] and AK [Aidan Klein] were instrumental in our conference tournament run and they deserve every bit of the honor. It's time to regroup, stay ready and find out where we land tomorrow; we're hopeful about being selected to represent Loyola on the national stage." 

How It Happened
SET 1 | Loyola couldn't hang on in a back-and-forth first set, losing 25-22 in a game that featured eight lead changes and 17 tied scores. The Cardinals' defense limited the Ramblers' attack to a .250 hitting clip. 

SET 2 | The Ramblers dropped set two 25-20, digging a 2-0 hole. Ball State grabbed the advantage for good at 18-17 in a set that was tied up nine times before the Cardinals took over in the second half of the stanza. MIVA Player of the Year Patrick Rogers boosted Ball State's offense with four aces in the frame. 

SET 3 | Loyola had its largest lead of the match at 13-9 in the third set, but couldn't hang on. Ball State inched closer and took over the lead for good at 18-17. The Ramblers called a timeout after a successful Cardinals' challenge, but couldn't regroup quickly enough and let the third set go, 25-20. 

Inside the Box Score

• Fabikovic and Klein were named to the All-Tournament team, marking the second and first selections of their careers, respectively. 
• Senior setter Ryan McElligott facilitated Loyola's offense with 29 assists. 
• Loyola's defense couldn't find any rhythm, recording zero blocks in the match.

Up Next
The Ramblers await their fate for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and will find out if they're in during tomorrow's Selection Show at 3 p.m. CT.