Men’s Volleyball Sweeps Lewis in Final Regular Season Match

The No. 11 Loyola men’s volleyball team swept No. 17 Lewis University April 6 in Gentile Arena to conclude the regular season. With this victory, the Ramblers took second in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association going into postseason play. 

Before the match started, graduating members of the program were celebrated for their years with the team. Justin Ross, Josh Gottlieb, Matt Oakley, Jack Yentz, Colton Brooks, Jimmy Meinhart and Dan Mangun were honored by head coach John Hawks and their families and friends. 

“It means the world, obviously, to see a lot of family and friends for all the seniors,” Mangun said after the win.

Redshirt third-year outside hitter Parker Van Buren started things strong for the Ramblers, making three kills to propel Loyola into a 3-1 lead. First-year outside hitter Jake Read closed the scoring gap after a service error, but first-year outside hitter Daniel Fabikovic closed the margin to two with a kill. 

Third-year Flyer setter Tyler Morgan made a net violation, giving the Ramblers a point before Lewis first-year middle blocker Shawn Baggs responded with a kill. Fabikovic and third-year middle blocker Nicodemus Meyer kept the Ramblers ahead 7-3 with back-to-back kills.

Fabikovic made a service error to bring the set to 9-5 after two more kills from Meyer. Meyer and Read both blocked a set from the Flyers after a long rally. Van Buren and Fabikovic both recorded kills as the Ramblers capped off a 6-0 run to go ahead 15-9. 

Consecutive blocks by Meyer forced Lewis into a timeout, down 17-9. Out of the break, Meyer and Van Buren kept things going for the Ramblers with a block assist before Meyer recorded a kill. 

Kills were traded between the Flyers and the Ramblers before middle-blocker Meinhart, a fourth-year middle blocker, and Van Buren blocked the Flyers attack. A service error by third-year Flyer outside hitter Max Roquet brought Loyola to set point at 24-16. The set concluded after an attack error from Morgan, giving the Ramblers a 25-16 set victory.

Loyola setter Mangun started out the second set with two aces for a 3-0 start. A kill from Baggs and a block from Morgan and Baggs brought the Flyers within two of the Ramblers. 

Fabikovic slammed another kill before the Flyers made an attack error with an extra hit. A block assist from Meyer and Van Buren kept the set at 7-3 in favor of the Ramblers. 

Van Buren and Roquet traded kills before Roquet recorded an ace and a service error. An attack error from Fabikovic made it 9-7. Meinhart responded quickly with a kill to increase the lead, but Lewis first-year outside hitter Deyan Todorov came back with a kill and Meinhart made an attack error to keep it within one at 10-9. 

After a service error from second-year Flyer opposite hitter Syver Drolsum, Meinhart slammed a kill to make it 12-9. With Read’s service error and a kill from Roquet, the Flyers brought it back to a one-point set. The Ramblers crept ahead after a ball mishandling issue from Lewis before Roquet came back with a kill. Attack errors from Todorov and Roquet signaled the half-set timeout at 15-12. 

Van Buren got things rolling out of the break and made a kill after a rally off his own serve. Van Buren made an ace before the Flyers called another timeout now down by five. 

Point-for-point plays ensued with attack errors coming from both sides. A ball mishandle, kill by Van Buren and an attack error from Drolsum gave the Ramblers a three-point run and forced Lewis into a timeout, down 23-17. 

Fabikovic brought the set win home for the Ramblers with two consecutive kills, ending set two at 25-18. 

Read and Van Buren started the third set hot with back-to-back kills for a 2-0 lead. Lewis tied the set after Drolsum and Todorov made their own kills. Van Buren and Fabikovic made three kills combined to give the Ramblers a 6-2 lead. 

The Flyers closed the gap after attack errors from Van Buren and second-year libero JJ Sowa and a kill from Roquet. The Ramblers responded with a kill by Van Buren and an ace from Meinhart to make it 7-5. 

Attack errors occurred on both sides before a Van Buren kill ended a long rally. Roquet threw over the ball for a kill before another attack error on Lewis. Another series of point-for-point play occurred until the Flyers pulled ahead for the first time after a Rambler net violation at 15-14. 

Out of an official timeout, Van Buren added two more kills and Fabikovic and Meinhart recorded a block assist. Lewis called a timeout, down by one. 

A kill from Baggs tied the set up, but a block from Meinhart and a kill from Fabikovic put the Ramblers ahead 19-17. Van Buren and Roquet traded kills twice before Lewis called another timeout at 22-19 in favor of the Ramblers. 

The Ramblers reached set point after a mis-hit call against Lewis was reviewed and stood. A kill came from Todorov before Van Buren recorded his last kill of the night for the win. The play was reviewed and eventually the call stood, securing the sweep for Loyola with a 25-21 set win. 

Hawks and the team have started to prepare for the MIVA tournament which starts Saturday, April 13 at 6 p.m. against McKendree University in Gentile Arena. 

“Everything we’ve talked about since day one, we learned from our opponents,” Hawks said. “We saw what we could do. Offensively, we are in really good hands.”

Featured image by Megan Dunn | The Phoenix