ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – The eighth ranked Lewis University Flyer men's volleyball team had its 12 match home winning streak snapped in a straight sets loss to sixth ranked Loyola Chicago on Saturday night at Neil Carey Arena. The Flyers (14-8, 5-3 MIVA) fall to two games behind the Ramblers (17-4, 7-1) for the top spot in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association standings.

Lewis finished the match with a hitting percentage of .278 (39 kills/12 errors/97 total attacks) and was led by Ryan Coenen (Franklin, WI/Franklin) with 13 kills while Julian Moses (Atlanta, GA/Atlanta International School) added eight and Tyler Mitchem (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) finished with seven. Matt Yoshimoto (Ventura, CA/Adolfo Camarillo) distributed 34 assists and Coenen and Michael Simmons (Aurora, IL/Waubonsie Valley) added eight digs each.

Loyola ended the match with an attack percentage of .432 (49 kills/8 errors/95 total attacks). Jeff Jendryk and Collin Mahan led the way for the Ramblers with 13 kills apiece. Garrett Zolg handed out 43 assists and Avery Aylsworth finished with 10 digs.

Loyola used a 5-2 run midway through the opening to extend its lead to 20-16 after a kill by Jendryk. The Flyers cut the deficit to three on a couple of occasions but were unable to get any closer than that as the Ramblers won the opener 25-21 on a kill by Ricky Gevis. Moses, Coenen and Jake Walenga (Frankfort, IL/Lincoln Way North) combined for 10 of Lewis' 12 kills in the set.

The middle stanza featured 11 ties and two lead changes. The Flyers led 16-14 after a kill from Tyler Mitchem (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) but Loyola scored four of the next five points to retake the lead at 18-17 on an error by TJ Murray (Barrington, IL/Barrington). Lewis fought back to tie the frame at 20 after a service error from Ryan Jamison but the Ramblers closed out the set on a 5-2 run to win 25-22 and take a 2-0 lead in the match. Coenen and Mitchem teamed up for 11 of the team's 14 kills in the stanza.

The teams were tied at nine in set three before Loyola began to pull away with a 6-2 to build its largest lead of the frame after a kill by Zolg. The Flyers began to chip away at the lead getting to within 17-16 after a kill from Walenga but the Ramblers answered with a 5-2 spurt to extend the lead back to four. Lewis rallied late getting to within 24-22 after a kill from Moses but Loyola was able to finish it off on a kill from Mahan to win 25-22.

The Flyers are back at home next Thursday, March 22, to take on Fort Wayne in a 7 p.m. match at Neil Carey Arena. Thursday night's match will be Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night.