Men’s Volleyball Triumph Over Quincy University in Four Sets

The No. 12 Loyola men’s volleyball team looked to extend its five-game win streak as they took on in-state rival the Quincy University Hawks March 14 in Gentile Arena, grabbing a four-set victory (25-18, 25-17, 19-25, 25-14).

The Ramblers opened the match with a put-down kill over the middle from fourth-year middle blocker Jimmy Meinhart. Redshirt third-year Parker Van Buren followed with an error on the next play. The Hawks and the Ramblers traded service errors to levy the score at 5-2.

First-year outside hitter Daniel Fabikovic registered a kill for Loyola. Then, a block assist from fourth-year Hawk middle blocker Roman Deryckere and third-year Quincy opposite hitter Raje Alleyne followed a kill from second-year outside hitter Zackary Zdrojeski, bringing the Hawks within one.

Both teams made service faults before another kill from Fabikovic, blocking assists from redshirt third-year setter Dan Mangun and third-year middle blocker Nicodemus Meyer. 

Fabikovic rallied an ace in the next play, and first-year outside hitter Jake Read added a kill. The Hawks rebounded with four straight points before Loyola rallied three as Mangun set up a kill for Read. Fabikovic over the middle with two more kills to put Loyola ahead 15-11 into the half-set break.

A Meinhart and Van Buren block assist followed a service error by Read. Fabikovic got a kill before Van Buren recorded a kill-then-attack error. With a service error and two kills by Meyer and Fabikovic, Loyola sent the Hawks into a timeout down 21-15. 

Alleyne registered a kill before Van Buren struck another. After two kills, Loyola reached match point at 24-18. Then, Mangun set up Fabikovic in position for his seventh kill in the first set, grabbing the opening set for Loyola 25-18.

Read opened the second set with his fifth kill of the night. Alleyne answered with a kill before two service faults and a bad attacking play from Quincy gave Loyola a 3-2 lead in the opening exchange. 

Three kills followed for the Ramblers before a Fabikovic kill made up for a Van Buren service error. Zdrojeski finished with a kill after two offensive errors from the Hawks to put Loyola ahead 8-5.

Two kills from Alleyne and graduate Quincy opposite hitter Keegan Carey were exchanged with kills from Van Buren and Read, bringing the set to a slim 10-8 in favor of the Ramblers. 

Loyola went on a 3-0 run with a kill from Fabikovic and two Quincy errors. Alleyne put up an ace, kill and service fault to give the Hawks some momentum going into the half-set break, trailing 15-11.

Two straight kills by the Hawks gave Quincy 13 points in the set. Second-year Hawks middle blocker Logan Gieseke traded a kill with Van Buren, sending Quincy into a timeout down 19-14.

First-year opposite hitter Lukas Anderson subbed in and grabbed an ace to give the Ramblers a six-point advantage. The Hawks responded with two kills before Fabikovic grabbed another and an attack error by Quincy brought the score to 22-17.

The Ramblers ended the second set with a 3-0 run after a ball-handling error from the Hawks and a kill from redshirt third-year opposite hitter Josh Gottlieb and Read, taking a two-set lead at 25-17.

Quincy opened the third with some momentum after a kill from Alleyne, followed by an ace from third-year outside hitter AJ Goedheer. Van Buren answered with two kills and Alleyne with one to make the set 3-2. 

The Hawks found their first steady run of the night, breaking free on a 4-0 run sequence. With the set tied at eight as two kills by Alleyne, a three-player block assist and a Rambler attack error put Loyola down 11-6, leading to their first timeout of the night.

Van Buren scored a kill from the break followed by another by Goedheer. He recorded two more kills as Zdrojeski and Alleyne made three kills in three straight plays, increasing the Hawks’ lead to 16-10.

After this sequence, momentum began to switch as Read smashed three kills after an ace by Van Buren. The Hawks took a timeout, ahead by 18-15.

Van Buren made another point for the Ramblers, and both sides exchanged a service error. Quincy grabbed back-to-back kills, and Loyola settled for a timeout, down 22-17.

A block assist from Gieseke and a service fault on the Hawks’ side gave each team a point. Quincy grabbed set point with a kill from Zdrojeski, and an attack error from Meyer gave the Hawks the set three victory 25-19. 

Loyola head coach John Hawks said in the third set, Quincy began playing with nothing to lose.

“When that happens, we start trying to do too m

Fuch instead of just doing what we’re doing,” Hawks said. “When you try to force things, they don’t necessarily happen.” 

Read opened the fourth set with his 11th kill. First-year setter Cole Schobel registered an ace and service fault. Read grabbed another kill and a service error before Alleyne and Van Buren exchanged kills to open 5-2. 

The set continued point-for-point until the Ramblers jumped on a 4-0 run after two Quincy errors and a kill by Fabikovic, setting up a block assist from Read and redshirt third-year middle blocker Ben Montplasir. The Hawks took a timeout down 13-8.

Schobel extended the Loyola run with an ace before a service fault traded possessions. Van Buren and Read grabbed two more kills to put Loyola ahead 17-9.

Quincy called a timeout after Van Buren and Schobel put them down 21-13. The Ramblers reached match point after Gottlieb’s kill, as nothing more came from the Hawks’ side. Schobel ended the night with his third kill, and Loyola triumphed over Quincy in the fourth set 25-14.

On March 21, Loyola will travel across the state to play rival Quincy again at 7 p.m. Broadcast information has yet to be announced.

Featured image by Megan Dunn | The Phoenix