March 28, 2007

CHICAGO - The No. 14 Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team begins its regular-season-ending, four-match homestand against Rutgers-Newark on Friday and No. 7 Ohio State on Saturday. Both matches begin at 7 p.m. in Alumni Gym.

Loyola (18-6, 6-4 MIVA Shondell/Dunlap) sits in third place in the MIVA Shondell/Dunlap Division, 1.5 matches ahead of IPFW. The Ramblers are 12-2 in non-conference matches, 6-0 in Alumni Gym. LU is 8-2 at home overall.

Middle blocker James Grunst is ranked third in the country with a .540 hitting percentage on the attack and is second on the team with 2.43 kills and 0.80 blocks per game. Opposite hitter Ian Anderson is 10th in the nation and leads Loyola with 4.57 kills per game. Senior setter Brian Guntli has set up the Rambler attack with 1,137 assists this season (12.63 apg) and 4,981 in his career. Guntli needs 356 assists to tie current head coach Shane Davis for the school record with at least five matches remaining. Libero Zach Bailey patrols the back row with a team-high 2.55 digs per game.

Loyola leads the all-time series with Rutgers-Newark, 6-2. The Ramblers are 35-10 all-time against EIVA programs, including a 3-0 win against New Jersey Tech on March 3 in Romeoville, Ill.

Rutgers-Newark outside hitter Eric Honsberger earned second-team All-Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association honors last season and leads the Scarlet Raiders in kills per game (5.52 kpg). Honsberger is also second on the team in digs (1.47 dpg) and blocks (0.77 bpg). Derek Wolfe averages a team-high 1.57 digs per game while Jon Keller leads the way at the net with 1.13 blocks per game. Setter Mark Hulse sets up the Scarlet Knight attack with 10.12 assists-per-game.

The Ramblers trail 12-17 in the all-time series against the Buckeyes. Before falling to Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio last Friday, Loyola had won the previous three meetings and four of the last five, including all three meetings during 2006. Sophomore outside hitter Joe Guntli hit for a match-high-tying 12 kills last Friday but Loyola hit a season-low .116 on the attack in a 3-0 loss (30-17, 30-21, 31-29) in St. John Arena.

Loyola was out-hit .116 to .425 by Ohio State in the match and fell to 2-5 against ranked opponents this season. Joe Guntli tied for match-high honors with 12 kills on 26 swings (12-7-26) and Nathan Gustus finished second on the team with eight kills on 12 attempts along with a team-high six digs.

Ohio State (17-1, 6-0 MIVA Shondell/Dunlap) has topped the MIVA Shondell/Dunlap Division for a majority of the season. Ohio State is hitting .382 on the attack and is averaging 16.43 kills and 14.93 assists per game. Dan Meske leads Ohio State with 3.72 kills per game while Layne Dreven is hitting a team-high .611 on the attack. Setter Daniel Mathews is averaging 13.80 assists per game for the Buckeyes. Defensively, libero Conor Martin leads the way with 1.72 digs per game. At the net, John Albertson is the team leader in blocks per game at 1.37 blocks per game.