What an incredible time the last week has been and really all year for basketball. Just a quick update as Loyola has quietly taken sole possession of 1st place in the MIVA with a 3-0 win at Lewis last Saturday. Loyola has the first big road victory in the conference and control their own destiny for a #1 seed in the conference tournament with six conference matches remaining but as we know, there is no finish line and there is work to be done.

Some notes...

Jeff Jendryk was the Off The Block National Offensive Player of the Night hitting .684 with 13 kills at Lewis.

After a 3-1 loss at #14 Concordia-Irvine, Loyola won a big road match at #7 Pepperdine where Garrett Zolg was the OTB National Offensive Player of the Night setting the team to a .355 hitting percentage.

In a 3-0 home win against Lewis, Ricky Gevis hit .714 on 16 kills and named the OTBNOPOTN (lol).

This Thursday's home game vs. Ball State will be televised on NBC Sports Chicago Plus and will be a 7pm start. Yes, probably no one will be watching and even I'm not going to this game.

Saturday is the final regular season home game as Loyola hosts Fort Wayne. Game time is 7pm. This is presumably senior night. Current seniors are Jake Selsky, Ricky Gevis, Ryan Jamison, and Jeff Jendryk. Big Kudos to Jamo as he rode the pine the last three years and has become an integral part of the offense. Ricky has had his best season coming off shoulder surgery. Jendryk is Jendryk.

At this point, Loyola should be hosting a MIVA Quarterfinal match on Saturday, April 14.



Anyway, back to basketball.

Thanks for the update vuster....

We still have to play at Ohio State. Maybe we can beat Ball State at home. And Ohio State plays their final game of the regular season at Ball State.

Also, vuster, how is the NCAA Tournament going to work this year with the Big West? I assume they get an auto bid, but does that come out of the two at large?

Ohio State, Ball State, Lewis, Fort Wayne, and Loyola are all contenders. I'd be worried about Fort Wayne stealing a win in the tournament. Ball State is dangerous and has already beaten Loyola and Ohio State at home. Lewis has also beaten Ohio State. Ohio State still has a couple of huge hitters in Szerszen and Hanes and has two years of Championship experience. If not for their libero, they would have won at Loyola.

5 automatic bids and 2 at-large bids this year. The top two seeds get a bye into the semifinals. There will be a play-in game into one of two-play-in games before the semifinals. It reminds me of the Horizon League format.

There goes 1st place. Ohio State won 3-1 and now sits in the driver's seat. If I am accurate, Loyola loses the sets tie-breaker. Loyola has a slightly easier stretch to finish at McKendree (who just beat Lewis), Lindenwood, and Quincy. Ohio State still has to host Lewis, and then travel to Fort Wayne, and Ball State. I think Ball State has a shot to beat Ohio State. For now, Loyola sits in 2nd place.

Okay, time to pack.