The offense keeps on rolling for No. 8/8 Loyola.
Setter Ryan McElligott guided Loyola to a .457 attack percentage as the team defeated No. 17 Ohio State 21-25, 25-19, 26-24, 25-22 on Thursday in Chicago.
Loyola did not commit more than three attack errors in any game en route to the team’s third consecutive conference win. In addition, the Ramblers had a match-low one error and a .560 attack percentage in the final game.
All six of Loyola’s starters hit more than .300 against the Buckeyes.
Pin-hitter Parker Van Buren finished with a match-high 19 kills on a .486 attack percentage, including a game-high six kills in the fourth game. Van Buren with the fourth game tied at 22-22 also had a kill and then a block as part of a 3-0 run to close out the match.
This was the second consecutive match that Van Buren helped start a late-match run.
Van Buren in the third game had a kill to jumpstart a 7-1 run as the Ramblers overcame a 23-19 deficit and fought off two game-points before winning in overtime.
Outside attacker Daniel Fabikovic added 17 kills and hit .414 with five kills coming in the last game. Middle attacker Nicodemus Meyer contributed eight kills and zero errors on a match-best .727 attack percentage.
Meyer also had a match-high six blocks, including the match-winning block. The Ramblers finished the match with 11 blocks – eight more blocks than the Buckeyes.
Freshman outside attacker Stanislaw Chacinski in the loss led Ohio State with 18 kills on a .387 attack percentage.
Loyola with this victory remains in sole possession of second place in the MIVA and one-match behind first-place No. 10/9 McKendree.