No. 12 Loyola Downed By No. 3 Cal State Northridge, 3-0

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. (March 13, 2010) – The 12th-ranked Loyola University Chicago men’s volleyball team closed its road trip on the west coast with a 3-0 (22-30, 27-30, 22-30) loss to No. 3 Cal State Northridge on Saturday night (March 13). The Ramblers (12-3) drop their third straight match, while the Matadors move to 15-6 with the win.

The teams went back and forth to open the match, with back-to-back errors giving Loyola a 6-4 lead early on in the first set. Multiple kills from George Kamberos and Mike Morice allowed the Ramblers to stay in front by a slight margin until a kill and a block by Jacek Ratajczak tied the score at 12. Three straight points then gave the Matadors a two-point lead at 15-13. Another Morice kill and a service ace from Kris Berzins tied it up at 15, with the teams trading the next several points. Several Loyola errors then helped Northridge rip off an 11-3 run to close the set.

Back-and-forth play ensued to begin the second set, with the Matadors taking three straight points to break a seven-all tie and take a 10-7 lead. The Ramblers then responded with a run of their own, earning four straight points to bring the score back to a tie at 13. The teams exchanged the next few points, but Northridge upped its lead to four at 22-17 after a 7-2 run. A 7-3 run helped Loyola come within one at 26-25, but the Matadors picked up four of the next six to earn the second-set win.

Three kills from Mike Bunting helped Loyola take a quick 3-1 lead in the third, but Northridge ripped off a 9-2 run to take a 10-5 lead. The hosts extended their lead to 10 at 23-13, with the teams exchanging the next several points. Two kills from Domenic Dewaele allowed the Ramblers to go on a 5-1 run, cutting the deficit to seven at 29-22, but a Loyola error gave Northridge the final point of the match.

Loyola returns to action next Saturday, playing host to Juniata on Saturday (March 19) at 7 p.m. CT in Alumni Gym.