Jan. 14, 2016
Final Stats
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | #10 Penn State
| 26 | 22 | 26 | 0 | | #6 Loyola | 28 | 25 | 28 | 3 |
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| Penn State Statistical Leaders | | - Kills: C. Nugent - 12 - -.061 (12-14-33) | | - Blocks: M. Callaway -2.5 | | - Digs: S. Sauter - 6 | | - Aces: Two Tied - 2 |
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| Stat Comparison | PSU | LU | | Kills | 40 | 44 | | Hitting Pct. | .172 | .329 | Assists
| 38 | 42 | | Ace | 42 | 3 | | Digs | 21 | 22 | Blocks
| 11.5 | 11.5 |
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Chicago, Ill. - Despite a late rally in the third set, No. 10 Penn State men's volleyball (1-2) dropped a non-conference match 3-0 (26-28, 22-25, 26-28) to No. 6 Loyola (2-2) in its first road game of the season at Gentile Arena in Chicago, Ill.
Chris Nugent was the lone Nittany Lion recording double digit kills on the night (12), followed by Redshirt Junior Spencer Sauter and Matt Callaway who tallied nine kills each.
Callaway finished with a team high .615 hitting percentage, while also adding 2.5 blocks. Sauter and Royce Clemens led the defensive effort with six and five digs, respectively, while Taylor Hammond chipped in a team high 34 assist.
Trailing by three early in set one, 9-6, Penn State used a 7-4 stretch to tie the frame, 13-13. Penn State would extend the streak with a kill from Matt Callaway, but Loyola would tie things back up at 14-14 off a kill by LU's Cole Murray.
The Ramblers would answer point for point with the Nittany Lions, tying the game at 15-15 and 16-16 before knotting things up once again at 23-23 late in the first set. Loyola would knot the game on an attack error by Penn State forcing Coach Pavlik to call a timeout to talk to his team and capping a 7-4 run for the Ramblers who had trailed Penn State by as much as four before going on the run.
The Nittany Lions came out of the timeout scoring the next point to take the lead. Loyola would continue to match the Lions point-for-point until two straight attacking errors by Penn State gave the Ramblers the first set 28-26.
Penn State would stay close in the second set, tying the game up 10 times before finding themselves tied for the eleventh and final time of the second set at 17 apiece. Two-straight points by Loyola would see Penn State take a timeout for the first time in the second set. The Nittany Lions wouldn't get closer than within two as Loyola finished the set on a 8-5 run to take the 2-0 set lead over PSU.
Trailing by three in set three, 8-5, Penn State used a 3-0 run to tie the frame, 8-8. The two teams would trade points over the next 14 points before ending in a 15-15 tie once again. Penn State answered with a 6-1 streak to bolster the lead to four, 21-17. A PSU service error, followed by a PSU timeout, and an attack error and service error led to a kill from Loyola to pull Loyola within one, 22-21.
Tied at 22-22 in set three, each team would answer the other ending in a 26-26 game. A Loyola kill by Nicholas Olson and a kill by LU's Cole Murray wrapped up action from Chicago as Penn State's surge was cut short with the No. 6 Ramblers taking the game 3-0.
Penn State returns to action Saturday night, visiting No. 9 Lewis. The Nittany Lions and the Flyers are set to square off at 8 p.m. ET in Neil Carey Arena.
