 "Photo: Loyola Athletic Department/Steve Woltmann")
 "Photo: Loyola Athletic Department/Steve Woltmann")
After rallying to crush top-ranked Penn State 3-2 on Saturday in a packed and roaring Alumni Gym, Loyola’s undefeated men’s volleyball team jumped to no. 12 in the AVCA Division I-II rankings for the first time in history.
The Penn State victory was the last of three straight wins over ranked schools last week. The Ramblers beat Milwaukee School of Engineering 3-0 on Tuesday and defeated Saint Francis University 3-0 on Friday.
Standouts from the games were junior setter Mike Hutz, and sophomore outside hitter Mike Bunting, as well as seniors Mario Jez and George Kamberos, who were fresh off the bench after recovering from injuries.
Head Coach Shane Davis credits the team’s success to players’ concentration and hard work.
“This year is special compared to [the] last few years. It’s a different culture and different focus. The captains and assistant coaches [Matt Martin and Derek Jensen] have been doing a phenomenal job preparing the team for these matches, and it’s just a different demeanor out there on the court,” he said.
While Coach Davis said his ultimate goal for the season is to win conference, he emphasized that the team is focused on winning one game at a time.
“We’re just going to worry about what’s happening on our side of the net and just try to get better as a team going into our next matches,” he said.
Junior Kyle Exline, team captain and setter, also emphasized the importance of staying focused.
“We’re taking it one game at a time, one baby step at a time,” said Exline. “Our goal is to continue to get better every single day. Every time we touch a volleyball is a chance to get better. We just want to keep the hard-work going.”
The support of fans, especially students, is also key to the team’s success. Loyola nearly broke attendance records on Saturday night, and coaches and players hope that students will continue to pack the Alumni Gym for home games.
“When our back is against the wall, [fans] give us the strength to persevere,” said captain Kris Berzins, who was just named the Division I-II Volleyball Player of the Week. “We’ve never really had that kind of support before, and it made all the difference on Saturday.”
Players say they plan to continue the tradition of “theme nights” for fans. Through a Facebook event, students attending last weekend’s games were encouraged to wear any jersey to the Saint Francis game and black for a “blackout” for the Penn State game on Saturday.
Although captains wouldn’t reveal the themes for the next two home games on Feb. 12 and 13 against New Jersey Science and Technology and Ohio State, they did promise to keep the theme “G-rated.”
For more information on games and players, visit the Loyola athletics Web site or join the Loyola men’s volleyball group on Facebook.
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