Loyola Rallies For 3-2 Win Over No. 6 Lewis
CHICAGO – No. 6 Lewis men’s
volleyball was a set away from sweeping the season series from
Loyola for the first time since 2008. However the Flyers will have
to wait another year to accomplish that goal as Loyola rebounded
for a 3-2 (24-26, 25-27, 25-19, 25-20, 15-12) victory over the
Flyers at Gentile Arena on Tuesday (March 27).
The Flyers jumped out to a 15-10 lead in the opening set forcing
Loyola to use their second time out. The break worked as the
Ramblers reeled off five straight points to knot the score at 15.
Neither team could take a lead of more than one until junior
Jay Petty (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North)
pounded down an errant Loyola overpass off a serve from his brother
freshman Greg Petty (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove
North). Loyola turned away a pair of Lewis set points until it was
Jay Petty once again slamming down an errant Loyola
overpass for point 26.
A Lewis block gave the Flyers a 6-5 advantage in set two. A lead
they held all the way until 24-24 when Loyola turned away a second
straight Lewis set point on a Cody Caldwell kill. Lewis eventually
won the set 27-25. Sophomore setter BJ Boldog (Palatine,
Ill./Palatine) snuck down a second touch attack for a kill on point
26. Senior Matt Gallik (Evergreen Park, Ill./Brother
Rice) and Jay Petty then combined for a block on point
27.
The Ramblers hit .481 in the third set and .385 in the fourth set
to force a deciding fifth frame.
Things looked good for the Flyers in the fifth after Lewis took a
7-4 lead. Loyola, however, responded with a 6-1 push to take a 10-8
advantage and force Lewis to use their final timeout. A Loyola
service error followed by a Loyola attack error tied it at 10. The
score was tied at 12 when the Ramblers scored the match’s
final three points to win 15-12.
The fifth set featured nine ties and five lead changes.
“When you’re up 2-0 you need to finish it,”
Lewis head coach Dan Friend said. “We didn’t
do that tonight.”
Jay Petty led Lewis with 17 kills. He also had nine
digs and four service aces. Junior Ian Karbiener
(Orlando, Fla./Olympia) had 11 kills for the Flyers.
Loyola improves to 16-10 (7-3 Midwestern Intercollegiate
Volleyball Association). Lewis falls to 19-5 and 5-2 in the
MIVA.
The Flyers continue MIVA play on Saturday with a crucial road
contest at Ohio State. First serve is set for 7 p.m. ET.
