LEBANON, Ill. – McKendree's men's volleyball ends a six game home stand with a loss to the Loyola Chicago Ramblers in three-sets. The final set scores were 18-25, 21-25, 16-25.
In the first set, the Ramblers picked up the lead early at 4-1 after earning back-to-back points broken up by a service error by Loyola. The Bearcats would challenge the Ramblers in many attempts to take the lead, bring the score to within one point, but could not find the momentum to go on a run and take full control of the set. With the score at 16-18, Loyola went on a run of five points to take a commanding lead at 16-23. McKendree would pull together two more points, but the Ramblers ended the set with a kill from opposite Aleksander Sosa.
The second set started similarly to the first, with Loyola starting up three points, at 1-4, after scoring back-to-back points, being broken up by a kill from graduate outside hitter
Tyler Tripp. The Ramblers and the Bearcats traded points back and forth the entirety of the set, with neither team allowing the other to go on any runs. McKendree brought the score within one point five different times early in the set, but never was able to tie or take the lead. Loyola led the way from start to finish, ended the set with a kill from ? Josh Schellinger.
Down two sets to none, the Bearcats came into the third set fighting. After five ties early in the set, the Ramblers went on a four-point run, which was a result of three attack errors by McKendree, taking the lead at 7-12. A service error by Loyola would end that run and give the serve back to the Bearcats, but a service error by McKendree would put the ball right back into the hands of the Ramblers and kick-start another run of three points by Loyola. With the Ramblers up seven points late in the set, the Bearcats could not seem to put a string of points together and claw their way back into the set. Loyola ended the set and match with a block by Schellinger and Oskar Berg Mikkelsen.
Tripp led the way offensively with 11 kills, followed by redshirt senior outside hitter
Sam Hoskin with 10. Junior setter
Nate Flayter ran the Bearcats' offense, collecting 21 assists.
Defensively, graduate libero
Yadiel Diaz and Flayter led the back court, each with seven digs. Senior opposite
Bryce Wetjen and Hoksin followed, each with five. At the net, redshirt sophomore middle blocker Will Kilmek, senior middle blocker
Rolen Lively, and Wetjen each tallied two blocks.
UP NEXT: McKendree will be on the road next week as they travel to take on #9 Ball State on Thursday at 6 PM, followed by a match at Purdue Fort Wayne on Friday at 5 PM.
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