Ramblers Sweep the Bearcats During Conference Roadtrip

Loyola men’s volleyball completed their first sweep of conference play against McKendree University Feb. 6. Third-year middle blocker Aiden Klein led the Ramblers with 12 kills, and graduate outside hitter Josh Schellinger followed with 11. 

The first set started with kills by Klein and Schellinger before redshirt second-year setter and opposite hitter Alex Smits Van Oyen missed his serve. A service error by Bearcat redshirt second-year outside hitter Sam Hoskin was followed by an attack error from McKendree fourth-year opposite hitter Bryce Wetjen, putting the Ramblers in an early 4-1 lead. 

Bearcat graduate outside hitter Tyler Tripp and Schellinger traded kills before four service errors. Third-year opposite hitter Aleksandar Sosa, Klein, Wetjen and Tripp all missed their serves. Third-year outside hitter Daniel Fabikovic and Bearcat fourth-year middle blocker Rolen Lively swapped points before an attack error by Sosa was canceled out by a kill by Fabikovic. 

A service error by first-year middle blocker Oskar Berg Mikkelsen was met by a kill from Fabikovic and an attack error by Bearcat redshirt second-year middle blocker Will Klimek, strengthening the 11-7 Rambler lead. 

A kill by Klimek was negated by a Hoskin missed serve. Tripp, Klein and Schellinger recorded attack errors before Klein tallied a kill. Third-year opposite hitter Lukas Anderson, Sosa and Tripp all missed their serves before Hoskin and Schellinger traded kills — Hoskin boasting two points over Schellinger’s one. 

Fabikovic recovered from his attack error with a kill the next play, followed by Klein and Hoskin trading kills. Loyola’s next run lasted five points — kills by Klein, Fabikovic and Sosa, and two attack errors by Hoskin. 

The Bearcats’ drought was ended with a service error by Smits Van Oyen. Schellinger and Tripp traded kills, and a kill by Sosa secured the 25-18 victory for Loyola. 

The second set started with a service ace by Berg Mikkelsen and swapped kills between Smits Van Oyen and Tripp. A missed serve by Wetjen was met with a kill by Klein, but it was followed by attack errors from Schellinger and Sosa. 

Tripp’s missed serve was met with a kill by Hoskin and a Lively service error. Hoskin and Schellinger traded kills before an attack error by Klimen put the Ramblers in the lead 8-5. A missed serve by Sosa was followed by an attack error by Berg Mikkelsen before kills by Schellinger and Sosa extended the Ramblers’ lead. 

A service error by Schellinger was refuted by a Sosa kill, but Tripp responded with back-to-back kills and an attack error. Fabikovic, Wetjen, Klein and Hoskin all tallied kills before an attack error by Wetjen. Kills by Schellinger and Sosa were negated by service errors by Sosa and Anderson before Tripp recorded an attack error and a kill. 

Missed serves were swapped between Bearcat redshirt second-year outside hitter Boone Felts, first-year outside hitter Ayden DesLauriers and Wetjen. Tripp recorded another attack error followed by a kill and service error. Fabikovic redeemed his missed serve with a kill before Wetjen, Schellinger and Hoskin tallied kills of their own. 

An attack error by Sosa was met with a kill by Schellinger, which scored the 25-21 second set victory for the Ramblers. 

The third set started with swapped kills between Fabikovic, Tripp and Klein before Bearcat third-year setter Nate Flayter hit a bad set. A kill by Tripp and an attack error by Klein brought the score to an even three. Klein tallied another kill and service error before Sosa and Klimek traded kills. 

Flayter missed his serve, but Schellinger’s attack error evened the score at six. Kills by Sosa and Klein brought the Ramblers to the lead before kills by Tripp and Sosa. Two attack errors by Wetjen and an error by Hoskin strengthened the Ramblers’ 12-7 lead. 

Smits Van Oyen and Wetjen traded service errors, and Lively tallied an attack error before Klein, Tripp and Sosa swapped kills. A service ace by Anderson was met with a kill by Hoski before Hoskin and Schellinger swapped points, but the Ramblers maintained their 17-10 lead. 

Schellinger and Hoskin traded kills yet again before a Flayter service error and a Sosa attack error. Hoskin redeemed his missed serve with a kill, and a run of kills helped Loyola keep the lead — two by Klein, one by Sosa and two by Lively. 

A service error by Klein was negated with a kill by Schellinger, and the match victory was secured with an attack error by Wetjen, and a 25-16 third set win for the Ramblers.

Head coach Shane Davis complimented a mature performance and spoke on the connection of the team tonight. 

“We served tough, stayed disciplined defensively, and we executed in the big moments to finish strong,” Davis said. “Getting our first conference win on the road against a team like McKendree team says a lot about the way this group competed and connected tonight.”

The Ramblers return to Gentile Arena for another conference matchup against Lewis University Feb. 12. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the match can be streamed on Marquee Sports Network.