(Chicago, Ill., March 19) – 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.