(LEBANON, Ill., Feb. 9) — The McKendree University men's volleyball team dropped a Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association contest to No. 10 Loyola University-Chicago Thursday night inside the Harry M. Statham Sports Center. The Bearcats fell by scores of 25-23, 25-16, and 25-22.

The loss dips McKendree to 5-9 overall and 1-3 in the MIVA this season.

Senior opposite Maalik Walker (Shorewood, IL/Minooka) put down 13 kills to lead the way for the Bearcats. Junior outside hitter Nolan Rueter (Burlington, WI/Burlington) also reached double figures with 10 kills and six digs. Senior middle blocker went 7-12 from the field and sophomore outside hitter Will Frank (Moro, IL/Edwardsville) recorded six kills on eight swings off the bench to go with three digs. Junior setter Pasquale Fiduccia (Hanover Park, IL/Glenbard North) dished out a match high 37 assists adding three kills and two blocks, while sophomore libero Zach Thompson (Defiance, MO/Francis Howell) stuck a match high eight digs.

Loyola used a 5-0 run to take a 6-3 lead to open the match. McKendree rallied to tie the set at 10 after senior middle blocker Michael Polizzi (St. Louis, MO/DeSmet Jesuit) sparked a 5-1 run with a kill. The Ramblers bounced back taking four of the next six points, but the Bearcats collected four straight after back-to-back blocks from Fiduccia and Polizzi to go in front 18-15. Loyola cut the lead to one at 20-19 and closed the set on a 6-2 run to take a 1-0 lead.

Walker connected on a pair of swings to give the Bearcats a 6-5 lead to start set two. The Ramblers countered with a 4-1 run to go up 9-7 before the score moved to 11-10 in favor of Loyola despite two more kills from Walker. The Ramblers then rattled off eight of the next 10 points to take a seven-point lead at 19-12 before cruising to a nine-point win in set two.

Frank, Rueter, and Walker each scored kills to give McKendree a 5-2 lead to start the third set. Frank and Walker put down one more apiece as the score shifted to 10-7. The Ramblers worked back into the set as they trimmed the lead to one at 13-12, but Frank tallied another kill followed by a block and a kill from Walker to push the lead back to three at 16-13. Loyola responded with a 4-0 run to take a one-point lead, but the Bearcats countered with a kill from Walker and a block from Frank to reclaim the lead at 19-18. The Ramblers would score three of the next four points to take a 23-21 lead before scoring the final two points of the set to close the match.