There wasn’t a myriad of action in the MIVA this week, but there was enough for some new storylines in the league as we approach the final month of the season. That begins from the top, where Loyola Chicago took on Lewis as a challenger to first place once again. Had the Flyers won, a chaotic scenario of four two-loss teams would have been at the top, but at least for the moment that craziness is halted in one of the most competitive league title races in the country.
With new story-lines emerging and a new season of sorts in league play commencing, VolleyMob will be giving conference updates. Below is analysis as well as the weekly MIVA table, awards, matches of the week and power rankings:
MIVA TABLE:
| TEAM | CONF. | OVERALL |
| #5 Loyola Chicago | 7-1 | 17-4 |
| #8 Ohio State | 6-2 | 15-4 |
| #12 Ball State | 6-2 | 13-9 |
| #9 Lewis | 5-3 | 14-8 |
| #18 McKendree | 4-5 | 8-10 |
| #14 Fort Wayne | 3-5 | 15-7 |
| Lindenwood | 1-7 | 8-10 |
| Quincy | 0-7 | 12-12 |
WEEKLY HONORS:
- VolleyMob Honorable Mention POTW (Nicolas Szerszen – Ohio State)
- VolleyMob Honorable Mention POTW (Jeff Jendryk – Loyola Chicago)
- MIVA Weekly Awards
MATCHES OF THE WEEK:
- Mar. 22: #14 Fort Wayne at #9 Lewis
- Mar. 22: #12 Ball State at #5 Loyola Chicago
- Mar. 23: Princeton at #18 McKendree
- Mar. 24: #14 Fort Wayne at #5 Loyola Chicago
- Mar. 24: #12 Ball State at #9 Lewis
VOLLEYMOB MIVA POWER RANKINGS:
- Loyola Chicago
- Ohio State
- Ball State
- Lewis
- Fort Wayne
- McKendree
- Lindenwood
- Quincy
FENDING OFF CHALLENGERS
- #5 Loyola Chicago Ramblers
What a week it was for Loyola Chicago, who not just made the Sweet 16 in men’s basketball, but also stiff-armed a league title contender in Lewis. After the first meeting was for first place, the Ramblers repeated the same result in sweep form in the second go around. That prevented a quartet of teams from being in a logjam atop the standings, while also allowing Loyola to pick off one team at a time. They still have one more meeting with Ball State this week and another at Ohio State to come, which will truly determine their finish. They’ll need Jeff Jendryk to keep up his strong play with a week against Fort Wayne and Ball State, especially after they lost to the Cardinals in their first matchup and he posted efficient numbers, but low totals for his standards at seven kills and four blocks (in four sets).
QUIETLY IN THE MIX
- #12 Ball State Cardinals
With Loyola Chicago’s front-runner status, Ohio State being the two-time defending National Champions, Lewis being ranked in the top 10 a majority of the season and a slow start that pushed Ball State out of the rankings early, the Cardinals have been under the radar in the MIVA this year. Yet, they sit just one match back of Loyola Chicago for first in the league and play them this week. Not to mention they already downed the Ramblers once this year. They truly do control their own destiny, but it won’t be easy just this week with road tilts at Loyola and Lewis. Should they come out of that unscathed, there’s a very real possibility that their regular season finale at home against Ohio State could be for the league crown.
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