Ramblers Fly Past Hawks in Four-set Win

Loyola men’s volleyball defeated Quincy University in a four-set match Feb. 22, with redshirt fourth-year outside Parker Van Buren leading the Ramblers with 20 kills while second-year middle blocker Relja Milosavljevic carried the Hawks with 11 kills. 

The first set began with a kill by second-year outside Jake Read, which was answered by a block and a kill from the Hawks’ second-year opposite Aleksandar Sosa. A following Quincy service error tied the set at two. 

The Hawks’ third-year outside Ljubisa Novakovic tabbed his first kill, followed by three straight Van Buren kills. A Quincy attack error was met by an ace by second-year outside Daniel Fabikovic and a kill from fourth-year middle blocker Nicodemus Meyer, forcing the Hawks to take a timeout down 9-4. 

The Ramblers maintained momentum with kills from Van Buren and Meyer. On the other side, the Hawks continued to suffer unenforced errors, barely pushing through with kills by Novakovic and Milosavljevic to make it 13-6.

Fabikovic tallied his first two kills of the match, followed by a Van Buren kill. Milosavljevic countered with a kill for the Hawks, but an ace from second-year opposite Lukas Anderson put the Ramblers up 17-9. 

Errors by both teams preceded kills from Van Buren and Sosa. A block from Van Buren and Meyer was followed by a Read kill, and Quincy responded with a kill by Novakovic. 

Despite the Hawks securing two kills from Milosavljevic and Sosa, Van Buren grabbed a kill and an ace before third-year setter Ryan McElligot concluded the set at 25-16 with a kill.

The Ramblers started off the second set on a 3-0 run off a Van Buren ace and Quincy errors. Second-year outside Barnabas Fenyvesi and Milosavljevic tallied a block for the Hawks, but kills from Van Buren and Read put the Ramblers up 5-1. 

A Sosa block was negated by a kill from first-year middle blocker Will Hatch. Quincy kills by Sosa and Fenyvesi combatted kills from Hatch, Fabikovic and Van Buren, before another kill from Fenyvesi and additional errors by both sides made it 10-7.

Hatch and Read grabbed kills for the Ramblers while the Hawks responded with a block from Milosavljevic. A kill from Van Buren and a block by Hatch prompted a Quincy timeout down 14-8. 

Sosa gained momentum — tallying two kills — but the Ramblers hit back with a kill from Fabikovic and a McElligott block. The Hawks grabbed two kills by first-year middle blocker Tomas Badan and Fenyvesi, but errors and a Van Buren kill kept the Ramblers up 21-14. 

An ace by Read and a kill from Fabikovic earned the Ramblers set point, and they won the set 25-17 after a Hawks error.

Van Buren started off the third set with a kill, followed by a responding kill from Milosavljevic. The Hawks extended their lead to 4-2 after Novakovic secured a kill off an overpass and Milosavljevic earned another kill.

After errors by both sides, Meyer and Baden each tabbed a block, with a kill from Sosa prompting a Rambler timeout down 8-4. 

Sosa and Van Buren traded kills, and the Ramblers scored three consecutive points off a Read kill, McElligott block and Van Buren ace to tie it at 10. 

A kill from Sosa was countered by the Ramblers with back-to-back kills by Fabikovic and a kill from Meyer. The Hawks added a Sosa block and a kill from Novakovic before Van Buren captured a kill for the Ramblers, making it 15 apiece. 

Novakovic, Milosavljevic and Fenyvesi secured kills for the Hawks, giving them momentum despite a kill from Fabikovic. Down 20-18, the Ramblers were forced to use a timeout. 

Fenyvesi tallied two consecutive aces. Van Buren and Fabikovic each answered with a kill, but after a kill from Badan and a Loyola service error, the Hawks snatched set three 25-21. 

Novakovic, Sosa and Milosavljevic started off the fourth set, grabbing three kills before a dump from McElligott, followed by Hawk attack errors, tied the set at five. 

McElligott added an ace, which Fenyvesi limited with a kill for the Hawks. Read gained a kill and Meyer secured a block to put the Ramblers up 9-6. 

Sosa and Baden added kills and the Ramblers answered with kills by Van Buren, Read and Hatch. Back-to-back blocks from Hatch, Read and McElligott made it 15-10, before kills from Van Buren and Fabikovic forced the Hawks to take a timeout.

Fabikovic grabbed two more kills and Van Buren added one. Following errors on both sides, Fenyvesi and Badan added kills for the Hawks. Meyer and Read responded with a kill each to secure a 23-15 lead. 

Hatch and Van Buren recorded a block after a Fenyvesi kill, giving the Ramblers match point. Fabikovic closed the set at 25-19 with a kill

Head coach Shane Davis said Meyer’s leadership to rally the team after they lost the third set was crucial to taking the win.

“It was set three and there was some complacency on our end, and Quincy was doing a great job and playing with confidence,” Davis said. “[Meyer] was our voice in set four and made some plays for us and just demanded more out of his teammates, and that was the turnaround for us.” 

The Ramblers will continue conference play — currently sitting at a 5-1 record — against Lewis University at 7 p.m. in Gentile Arena Thursday, Feb. 27. Streaming will be available on ESPN+.