Match Stats
- No. 10 Loyola 3, McKendree 0 (25-15, 29-27, 25-20)
- Loyola moves to 12-8 (7-4 MIVA); McKendree falls to 7-15 (2-8 MIVA)
- Chicago, Ill.
- Attendance: 430
- Box Score
No. 10 Loyola men’s volleyball extended its home win streak against unranked teams to 41 matches with a 3-0 sweep of McKendree on Saturday. The Ramblers won 25-15, 29-27, 25-20 behind 16 Ben Plaisted kills to snap a two-match losing streak. Loyola outblocked the Bearcats 12.5 to 6 and outhit them .253 to .131.
Plaisted, a junior opposite, was the lone Rambler with double-digit kills, while senior outside hitter Cole Murray turned in eight, while hitting at a .438 clip. Sophomore outside Collin Mahan and junior middle blocker Jeff Jendryk put up five stuffs apiece to lead Loyola’s defensive effort at the net. Plaisted also served up a match-high four aces.
Senior opposite Maalik Walker and junior outside Nolan Rueter paced the McKendree offensive attack, posting 11 and 10 kills respectively. Redshirt junior middle blocker Brendan Schmidt put up five blocks, while a trio of players, including Rueter, pulled up seven digs to lead the way.
Loyola led Set 1 from start to finish as Plaisted downed six kills and added three aces in a 25-15 win.
The Ramblers were forced to overcome a 17-12 deficit in Set 2, but rallied late for the 29-27 victory. A 9-2 run put Loyola on top, but McKendree would not go away, knotting the score at 24 and trading points until a kill and an error stole away the stanza.
Another quick start put Loyola up 8-4 in Set 3 and the Ramblers held the Bearcats at bay down the stretch to seal the 25-20 win.
PRESS RELEASES
Courtesy: Loyola Athletics
Ben Plaisted recorded 16 kills, one shy of his season high, to lead No. 10 Loyola University Chicago to a 25-15, 29-27, 25-20 victory over McKendree (7-16, 2-8 MIVA) this afternoon at Gentile Arena. With the win, the Ramblers improved to 12-8 overall and 7-4 in Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association action. Loyola has now won 41 consecutive home matches versus unranked teams.
How It Happened
Plaisted got the Ramblers started in the first set, registering four the team’s first five points thanks to three service aces and a kill as part of a match-opening 5-1 spurt. The junior opposite would add three more kills as Loyola opened up an 11-4 lead and never looked back en route to a 25-15 victory. Plaisted finished the opening set with six kills on seven swings, to go with three aces.
Loyola didn’t have an answer for the Bearcats’ Maalik Walker in the second set as he tallied six kills, three aces and two blocks. McKendree jumped out to a 14-9 lead and led 17-12 before the Ramblers mounted a final rally. A Plaisted kill, followed by another from Cole Murray, capped a 9-2 run that gave Loyola a 22-20 advantage. McKendree would charge back and even the score at 24 and then the teams would exchange points until a kill from Murray and a Bearcats error finished off a 29-27 Loyola victory.
The Ramblers raced out of the starting blocks to an 8-4 lead in set three thanks in part to five McKendree errors. After the Bearcats trimmed their deficit to 12-10, Loyola recorded three unanswered points, the last coming when Jeff Jendryk and Dane Leclair combined on a block, to provide some breathing room and a much more comfortable 15-10 edge. The Bearcats were able to get within 18-15, but the Ramblers answered right back with four straight points to pull away and earn a 25-20 win to sweep the match.
Inside The Box Score
– Plaisted added six digs, four assists and three blocks to go with his match-high 16 kills. He has now tallied 10 or more kills in 10 straight outings.
– Leclair contributed 17 assists, eight digs and three blocks off the bench.
– Murray pitched in eight kills, while Jendryk added six kills and five digs.
– Maalik Walker led McKendree with 11 kills.
– Loyola and McKendree have met seven times and the Ramblers have yet to drop a set to the Bearcats, going 21-0.
Up Next
Loyola hosts Saint Francis (Pa.) on Friday, March 24 at 7 p.m.
Courtesy: McKendree Athletics
The McKendree University men’s volleyball team fell on the road to No. 10 Loyola University Chicago Sunday evening in a Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association road match up. The Bearcats fell by scores of 25-15, 29-27 and 25-20.
The loss drops McKendree to 7-16 overall and 2-8 in MIVA play. The Bearcats return to action Mar. 24 against Ball State University as McKendree enters its final home stand of the season.
Senior opposite Maalik Walker (Shorewood, IL/Minooka) put down a team high 11 kills to go with four digs and three blocks. Junior outside hitter Nolan Rueter (Burlington, WI/Burlington) finished with ten kills and seven digs. Senior middle hitter Wyatt Patterson (Flossmoor, IL/Homewood-Flossmoor) and junior outside hitter Dustin Borenstein (Highland Park, IL/Highland Park) put down five kills each with Borenstein adding four digs.
Junior setter Pasquale Fiduccia (Hanover Park, IL/Glenbard North) handed out 28 assists to pair with seven digs. Junior middle blocker Brendan Schmidt (O’Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt West) put down two kills and tallied five blocks and sophomore libero Zach Thompson (Defiance, MO/Francis Howell) put up seven digs from the back row for the Bearcats.
The Ramblers jumped out to an 11-4 lead in the opening set before a trio of kills from Walker and Borenstein along with a pair from Rueter moved the set to 18-13. A 6-0 run from Loyola forced set point and a pair of kills from McKendree were not enough as the Ramblers snatched set one.
Walker took care of business early in set two using a kill followed by three straight aces to the Bearcats on top 11-6. Rueter put down two kills followed by a kill from Walker and a block from Schmidt as the set shifted to 17-12 in favor of McKendree. Loyola countered with a 9-2 run to bolt ahead 21-19, but the Bearcats bounced back with a 6-2 run to reclaim the lead at 24-23. The Ramblers would tie the set 24 and 25 before forcing set point at 27-26. Patterson put down a kill to tie things at 27, but Loyola scored the final two points to take a 2-0 lead.
The Ramblers used a 4-0 run to start set three with an 8-4 lead before a trio of kills from McKendree trimmed the lead to 12-10. A 3-0 run bounced the lead to five at 15-10, but the Bearcats attempted the comeback as Patterson put down two kills to pull within three at 18-15. A 4-0 run from Loyola put a choke hold on the set at 22-15 as the Ramblers closed out set three to earn the decision.
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