Men’s volleyball swept Purdue Fort Wayne Feb. 20, bouncing back from a rough loss to McKendree University.
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Men’s volleyball swept Purdue Fort Wayne Feb. 20, bouncing back from a rough loss to McKendree University.
The No. 11 Loyola men’s volleyball team kicked off a three-game homestand Feb. 20, hosting the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons. After a tough loss on the road to No. 23 McKendree University, the Ramblers bounced back strong, relying on consistent serving, according to head coach Shane Davis.
Redshirt fourth-year outside hitter Parker Van Buren led all players with 15 kills as Loyola secured its sixth sweep of the season, holding Purdue Fort Wayne to a .198 hitting percentage while maintaining dominance in MIVA play, standing atop the conference at 5-1.
Loyola’s offensive firepower was a highlight throughout the match, with redshirt first-year middle blocker Will Hatch dominating in his debut, hitting 100% over all three sets.
Loyola started strong in the opening frame, with Van Buren striking first to put the Ramblers ahead. Early exchanges between the teams saw second-year outside hitter Daniel Fabikovic face off against Purdue Fort Wayne’s second-year outside hitter Logan Muir.
Momentum quickly shifted in Loyola’s favor when fourth-year middle blocker Nicodemus Meyer and Van Buren combined for a block assist, giving the Ramblers a 5-4 edge. Despite errors from both sides, a crucial putback kill from Van Buren pushed Loyola ahead 6-4.
Fabikovic continued the momentum by securing a kill to make it 6-5, before a block assist by second-year middle blocker Casey Lyons and Muir tied the set at six.
At 15-11, third-year setter Ryan McElligott committed a service error, giving Purdue Fort Wayne a chance to rally. Fourth-year Mastodons outside hitter Axel Melendez Watts capitalized, recording six kills.
A timeout by the Mastodons at 22-18 — following a Van Buren kill — wasn’t enough to swing the momentum. Second-year outside hitter Jake Read landed a kill while a block assist by Van Buren and Meyer pushed Loyola to set point. A missed dig by Purdue Fort Wayne’s Casey Lyons sealed the opening set with Van Buren’s kill closing it out at 25-19.
The second set proved the most competitive, featuring 15 ties and two lead changes. Loyola hit .385 in the frame, with McElligott tallying 13 assists to keep the attack steady.
Davis reflected on the team’s improved serving — a key focus after the previous five-set loss to McKendree, which snapped the Ramblers’ 11-game winning streak.
“We had a great practice focusing on serving this week,” Davis said. “At McKendree, we missed 31 serves and got aced 11 times. For us tonight, we wanted to be better in that aspect. It’s about having the memory of a goldfish — just moving on. It was great to see what they did in practice translate into the match.”
Purdue Fort Wayne responded aggressively in the second set. Melendez Watts notched a kill, and second-year setter Andrej Polomac followed with an ace to tie the score at seven. Read and Muir exchanged service aces before Fabikovic’s kill was met by another from Muir, tying it at 12. A service ace from third-year middle blocker Haven Warnackel put the Mastodons up 14-13, prompting a Loyola timeout.
Both teams traded leads late in the set, with McElligott delivering an ace but following it with a service error. Loyola then went on a 3-0 run, with Fabikovic, Van Buren and Read contributing before Meyer and Van Buren combined for a critical block assist, forcing a Mastodon timeout.
The set remained tight, with Purdue Fort Wayne tying it at 23 after a block assist by Melendez Watts and Lyons. Fabikovic delivered back-to-back kills to close out the set 25-23 for the Ramblers.
In the third set, Loyola improved its hitting percentage to.435 while holding Purdue Fort Wayne to just .067. The Mastodons had trouble staying consistent, even with a late surge from Muir, who finished the third set with four kills.
The Ramblers scored one service ace, four block assists, and thirteen kills. With a strong block on match point, Loyola won 25–17 and completed the sweep, capping the match. With the triumph, Loyola has now won three straight conference games and six on the season.
Hatch’s debut was a standout, according to Davis, delivering five blocks and seven kills while maintaining perfect hitting.
“Knowing that my team is behind me, supporting me every swing, every block — it feels great on the court,” Hatch said.
The Ramblers will continue their homestand Thursday, Feb. 27, against Lewis University at 7 p.m., with coverage on ESPN+.
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