CHICAGO (Jan. 25) – The Trojans continued their Midwest trip on Saturday evening and suffered a 3-0 loss (10-25, 19-25, 22-25) while facing No. 8 ranked Loyola in a non-conference match in the Windy City.
With the loss, the University of Mount Olive men's volleyball program drops to 2-2 overall after facing a pair of nationally ranked programs this weekend. The two sides met for the first time in over six years while the Ramblers hold a 3-0 record all-time in the series. Meanwhile, Loyola improves to 6-0 this season while playing all its matches at home.
Junior
Kory Grant paced the Trojans with 10 kills on a. 280 hitting percentage while playing all three sets. Senior
Tate Sandvig contributed eight kills and two digs, while fellow senior
Blake Hosic registered four kills, one block, and six digs. Senior
Holden Maryott finished with three kills and two blocks against the Ramblers. Junior
Jackson Lahey directed the offense with 27 assists, two kills, two blocks, and five digs.
The Trojans held an early 3-0 lead in the first set following kills from Sandvig and Grant. Loyola countered by scoring 11 of the next 12 points with four aces to take an 11-4 advantage. Sandvig halted the run with another kill before the Rambler offense raced ahead by a 22-8 margin. The Trojans tallied two of the following three points before Loyola sealed the set, 25-10.
In the second set, Mount Olive fell into an early deficit before a 5-1 rally put the Trojan ahead by a score of 6-5. The sides exchanged the next 12 points as UMO remained ahead 12-11 behind multiple kills from Sandvig and Maryott. The Ramblers responded with an 8-3 run to hold a 19-15 advantage before Mount Olive trimmed the deficit with consecutive points, 19-17. Loyola scored six of the final eight points to take the set, 25-19.
The Trojans jumped out to an 8-4 edge in the third after capitalizing on a trio of errors by the Ramblers. Loyola answered with a 6-1 rally to take the lead before the contest was tied five times at the midway point of the set. The Ramblers managed to pull ahead by a 23-18 margin, but UMO closed the gap with a 4-1 run. Loyola ultimately secured the sweep with a kill on the next point, 25-22.
The Trojans will host their home opener on Friday, Jan. 31, when they face Edward Waters in Kornegay Arena at 7 p.m.
