April 17, 2008

Loyola-IPFW Game Notes in PDF Format

#5 IPFW (12-14, 5-7 MIVA) at #4 Loyola (16-13, 7-5 MIVA)
April 18, 2008 - 7:00 p.m.
Alumni Gym

Tonight's Match
Fourth-seeded Loyola kicks off MIVA Tournament action tonight when it hosts the No. 5 seed IPFW Mastodons, the defending NCAA runner-up, at Alumni Gym. With Shane Davis at the helm, the Ramblers are 3-0 in the MIVA quarterfinals. The Ramblers finished the regular season with a close 3-2 victory over St. Francis (Pa.) last weekend. The Mastodons closed out the regular-season on a three-match losing skid as they dropped their last three contests to No. 9 Ohio State (3-2), St. Francis (Pa.) (3-2) and top-ranked Penn State (3-0).

Loyola - IPFW: The Series
The Ramblers and the Mastodons meet for the third time in MIVA Tournament action and IPFW holds a 3-0 advantage. In regular-season play, the Mastodons lead 17-12 in the all-time series. The Ramblers are looking for revenge as the Mastodons brought their 2007 season to an end when they defeated the Ramblers 3-0, in the MIVA Semifinals. This season, Loyola took both regular-season contests from IPFW by scores of 3-2 and 3-0, respectively.

Head Coach Shane Davis
In his fifth season as the men's volleyball head coach, Shane Davis has guided the Ramblers to a 105-35 (.750) overall mark. The Denver, Iowa native recorded his 100th career victory on February 23 as Loyola defeated UC San Diego, 3-1, at the Lewis Invitational. Davis has twice been named MIVA Coach of the Year (2005 and 2006). The former Loyola standout led the Ramblers' all-time winningest team to a 26-3 (.897) record en route to capturing its first outright MIVA regular-season title in 2005.

About The Mastodons
IPFW enters Alumni Gym tonight holding a 12-14 overall record and is 5-7 in Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association action. The Mastodons are looking to snap a three-match losing streak, as they have fallen victim to No. 9 Ohio State, 3-2, St. Francis (Pa.), 3-2 and top-ranked Penn State, 3-0.

The Mastodons are led by senior outside hitter, C.J. Macias who averages 3.93 kills and 1.37 digs per game. Brock Ullrich, a senior outside hitter, leads IPFW in digs per game with 1.52 and registers 2.23 kills per game.

IPFW is coached by the legendary Arnie Ball, who is in his 28th year in Fort Wayne. Ball is one of only four collegiate coaches to win more than 400 career matches.

Helping Hands
Mike Hutz leads the MIVA in assists per game with 12.63. The Whitefish Bay, Wis., native recorded a career-high 69 helpers in the Ramblers' 3-2 victory over then-No. 15 IPFW on February 29.

Leaders of the Pack
Ian Anderson and Mike Hutz lead the MIVA in points per game and assists per game, respectively. Anderson sits atop the MIVA in points per game (4.81), while Hutz ranks first among setters with 12.63 assists per game.

Start Me Up
Loyola has put together a 15-5 (.750) record when it wins game one. In fact, with Shane Davis at the helm, the Ramblers are 87-10 (.897) when winning the first game.

Aces Wild
Senior opposite hitter Ian Anderson has notched a team-high 35 aces in 29 matches thus far. The Wauwatosa, Wis., native has almost doubled his 2007 season total of 18 and is averaging 0.35 service aces per game, which is good for fifth in the conference.

Nick At Nite
Over the last five matches, Nick Lamoureux is hitting .329 (45-17-85) and is averaging 9.0 kills and 2.2 blocks over that span. On March 28, the Wheaton, Ill., native slammed a career-high 23 kills in a five-game loss to then-No. 11 George Mason. Lamoureux has knocked down 10 or more kills in 15 of the Ramblers' 29 matches this season and has led the team in blocks on 16 occasions. The middle blocker leads the Ramblers with a .392 hitting percentage.

Awesome Anderson
Ian Anderson has been on a tear, racking up double-figure kills in 23 of the Ramblers' 29 matches this season. The senior outside hitter has led the Ramblers in kills in nine of their last 15 outings. In fact, the Wauwatosa, Wis., native has topped the 20-kill plateau half a dozen times, including a career-best, 33-kill performance at Hawai'i on March 7.

Double-Double Vision
Five different Ramblers (Kris Berzins, Mike Hutz, Ian Anderson, Joe Guntli and George Kamberos) have notched at least one double-double this season.

Hutz tallied his team-leading seventh double-double of the season when he registered 59 assists and 11 digs in a 3-2 victory over St. Francis (Pa.). Berzins also notched a double-double in that match, as he recorded 19 kills and a career-high 13 digs for his fourth double-double of the year.

By George, I Think He's Got It
Outside hitter George Kamberos tied a Loyola single-match record on Saturday, March 15 when he notched eight service aces in the Ramblers 3-0 victory over MIVA foe Mercyhurst. His eight aces ties a record that was set by former Rambler Ryan Martin in 2006.

National Statistics Leaders
Two Ramblers are ranked among the April 14th NCAA Division I-II National Statistics Leaders. Ian Anderson is ranked 17th in both points per game (4.81) and kills per game (4.14). Redshirt freshman setter Mike Hutz ranks fifth in assists per game with 12.63.