LONG BEACH, Calif. -- In one of the first four regional semifinals of the 12-team expansion era, No. 9 Loyola Chicago bested Saint Francis (Pa.) in straight sets to move on in the NCAA National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Championship. The Ramblers won their first NCAA Tournament match since the 2015 National Championship.
Grad student outside Josh Schellinger and junior opposite Aleksandar Sosa paced Loyola's offense with 13 and 15 kills, respectively, while hitting at least .400. Junior middle Aidan Klein anchored the defense with the match-high six blocks.
Coach Quote: Shane Davis
"I'm incredibly proud of our guys that we were able to pull it off, especially after those first two sets. Saint Francis played really well tonight and we struggled to slow them down in those first couple sets. I think that's the best we've seen them play, probably all year. That's what we want, a great match where both teams are playing well and at their best.
It was great to get that match tonight in the pyramid, we're looking forward to having one underneath our belt and competing against Long Beach tomorrow night."
How It Happened
SET 1 | Saint Francis had an early lead in the opening set, which saw eight lead changes and 21 tied scores. Klein recorded his 27th ace of the season to knot it up early then senior middle Brad Bell had a solo stuff for an 8-7 Loyola lead. Schellinger exploded for seven kills in the stanza while hitting .333. Both sides traded points and staved off five total set points before Sosa sealed the first frame, 30-28, with an ace.
SET 2 | The Red Flash took the first point to open the second set too. There were 13 tied scores and three lead changes in another nail-biting stanza. Loyola's largest lead was four points, at 14-10 and 17-13, before Saint Francis closed the gap and leveled the score at 18 all. After a successful challenge, the Red Flash were at set point and forced a Ramblers' timeout. Senior setter Ryan McElligott and Klein combined for a block to keep the set going then Bell served an ace for Loyola's set point. A Sosa spike secured the frame 29-27.
SET 3 | The Ramblers woke up in the third and final frame, taking their largest lead of the match at 15-9. There was only one lead change and one tied score throughout the set. Sosa led the way with four kills, and McElligott and senior libero JJ Sowa each added three digs. Schellinger put Loyola at match point and Sosa once again clinched it, advancing the Ramblers with a 25-20 victory.
Inside the Box Score
- It marked the first NCAA Tournament appearance for starters Sosa and Schellinger.
- Three Ramblers met double-digit kills: Sosa (15), Schellinger (13) and junior outside Daniel Fabikovic (10).
- Junior Lukas Anderson had the match-high two service aces.
- McElligott aided Loyola's offense with the match-high 35 assists.
Up Next
Loyola battles No. 2 Long Beach for a spot in the NCAA Tournament semifinals on Saturday, May 2 at 6 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. CT. The Beach
