Loyola men's volleyball team returns to NCAA tournament after sweeping way through MIVA tourney
Head coach Shane Davis, who previously coached the Ramblers from 2004 to 2015, returned in November, and has them playing at that elite level again.
"You know, at the beginning of this season, especially being new to the team this year, and just trying to figure out everybody's personalities and skills and what they're able to add to the team and meshing well as a group and staff, and I think we're really hitting out stride," Davis said.
Loyola is Columbus-bound and dancing into the NCAA tournament with their best foot forward, after winning every set in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association tournament to become MIVA champions.
"It says something about where our mindset was at, and how badly we wanted this that we had three sweeps in the MIVA tournament, which is pretty difficult to do against some really good teams. We feel great, and we're really pumped really hyped. We really do feel we're the best team in the nation going into this NCAA tournament. We wanted to prove that in the MIVAs, and we almost overdid it at times," senior Parker Van Buren said.
"Great momentum and I didn't expect to sweep the teams the way we did, and go through the tournament, but I think it's a testament to the guys and leadership how hard they've been working," Davis said.
It's the Ramblers' first tournament appearance since 2015, when Davis coached the program to back-to-back national titles. This year's team is hoping to cap off the first year of his second stint with another championship.
"We're out for blood. We're ready to go. I would say that we're ready to win, and all the preparation that has led up to this, I would say we're ready to go. I think that he's definitely helped us achieve that next level of going to a national championship and potentially winning," sophomore Jake Read said.
The 4th-seeded Ramblers will take on 5th-seeded Pepperdine at Ohio State in the quarterfinals on Thursday. It's a team they beat in five sets earlier this season.
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