What was eventually a victory for #5 Loyola Chicago didn’t feature the smoothest ride, as they were pushed to the five-set limit against an unranked Quincy bunch after struggling to establish a rhythym with any specific lineup.
In their first league match of the season, Loyola Chicago utilized a whopping 14 players against Quincy. Of those 14, half (seven) played in three sets or less while five of the group appeared in all five sets.
Maybe the biggest oddity was that star middle blocker Jeff Jendryk played in just two sets, sitting from set two until finally getting back in later in set five. Jendryk is second on the team in kills and blocks per set, as well as hitting percentage. There were also moments where Collin Mahan – the team leader in kills per set (3.38) who logged 14 on a .346 mark for the match – began sets off the bench and only rotated in.
There were plenty of other switches and changes to go with the headliners. That came as a bit of a head-scratcher, as the Ramblers came into their first MIVA match at 7-2 and ranked fifth in the country, so it’s not as if they’ve had a bunch of issues in the non-conference portion of the schedule. League action can create a new necessity though as it almost starts up a new season of sorts.
It’s possible that head coach Mark Hulse just wanted to test some different lineups to maximize there play, while it is also possible he was unhappy with some of his team’s performance of late and wanted to send a message. Maybe Hulse just wanted to get some of his young guys and backups experience if they need to be called on at a later moment. It might be none of the above and be something else completely.
Of course, now that Loyola Chicago earned the victory, they have tape and teaching grounds for a plethora of players. They also have a better idea of what does and does not work. They take on Lindenwood later today, so it will be interesting to see if they use the same ideal.
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