Feb. 24, 2004

Box Score

CHICAGO - A strong rivalry exists between the Lewis University and Loyola men's volleyball teams and the Ramblers gained the upper hand in the latest edition of the ongoing grudge matches. In the first meeting since Lewis (8-7, 4-3 Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association) swept Loyola in the 2003 MIVA Tournament Championship match, the Ramblers (8-6, 4-2 MIVA) handled the Flyers 30-22, 29-31, 30-19, 30-23.

Loyola had its way on offense as the team combined to hit .461 in the match. Known for strong play by its middles, Loyola got its biggest lift from outside hitter Mike Alesch. A senior, Alesch pounded 24 kills, hit .432 and had seven digs to lead the Ramblers.

Lewis' Jeff Soler countered Alesch's play with a solid evening as well, but the his supporting cast had a better evening than did Soler's. Soler posted 18 kills and five digs and hit .405. However, Soler had a difficult night passing as the junior outside had six receiving errors.

Freshman Jon Bergmann came on in relief of fellow freshman Jared Dayton and added 10 kills and a .389 hitting percentage in three games.

James Elsea played three games as well and had five kills on nine attempts.

But, it was the juggernaut Rambler offense that proved too much for the Flyers. James Grunst had 14 kills and a team-high six blocks, while Shawn Schroeder and Scott Greene tallied 13 kills each.

The loss drops Lewis into a tie for fifth in the MIVA as the team draws near the midpoint of its conference schedule. With nine MIVA matches remaining on the schedule, the Flyers still have plenty of time to rebound and work back to the upper tier of the league.

The Flyers will take two weeks off from conference play as they prepare for their annual West Coast trip during spring break. Lewis plays USC, UCLA, and NAIA power Cal Baptist in its three matches during the first week of March. The team returns to MIVA action March 9 when it travels to conference-leading Ball State.