WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
>> Saint Francis men's volleyball will continue their eight-match road stretch to start the 2025 campaign when they'll travel to Chicago, Ill. to face #8 Loyola Chicago and Rockhurst Jan. 17-18.
>> The first match against the eighth-ranked Ramblers will be on the 17th at 8:00 p.m. EST/7:00 p.m. CST. The match on the 18th versus the Hawks at 2:00 p.m. EST/1:00 p.m. CST will be considered a home match for the Red Flash. Both matches will be held at Loyola Chicago's Gentile Arena.
>> The battle with Loyola Chicago will mark the fourth-straight AVCA top 20 opponent that Saint Francis will be facing to open their season.
>> Loyola Chicago links:
Live stats,
ESPN+; Rockhurst:
Live stats
THE WORD ON LOYOLA CHICAGO & ROCKHURST
Loyola Chicago are coming off a 2024 season where they finished 19-11, including 12-4 against the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA). They made it all the way to the MIVA Tournament semifinals before falling in four sets to #11 Ohio State. The Ramblers began 2025 with the hiring of head coach Shane Davs, who won two national championships with the team in 2014 and 2015.
Coming into 2025 as the no. 12 team in the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll, Loyola Chicago secured two four set wins over #8 Penn State and Maryville. Daniel Fabikovic, the 2024 MIVA Freshman of the Year and First Team All-Conference, tallied 36 kills through both matches to lead the Ramblers. The team is also returning AVCA First Team All American and First Team All-MIVA outside hitter Parker Van Buren, and Honorable Mention All American and Second Team All-MIVA middle blocker Nicodemus Meyer.
Rockhurst is in the first year of its volleyball program. The Hawks dropped their first two matches at Lindenwood and #20 McKendree on Jan. 10 and 11. In their first ever matchup against a ranked team in the Bearcats, the startup program made it an intense five set match. Lucas Tran and Max Tkachev led the way with 27 and 26 kills, respectively. Setter Nathan Jacques dished out 83 assists.
Tkachev also leads the Rockhurst defense in digs with 21. Jacques is the blocks leader with 10.
THE LAST TIME WE MET THE RAMBLERS & HAWKS
Friday's match will mark the 18th time that Saint Francis and Loyola Chicago will be facing off between each other. Their last matchup came in 2022 in the same venue where the Ramblers won in three sets.
Saturday's match will be the first duel between the Red Flash and the Hawks.
LAST TIME OUT
Saint Francis started out the season with three losses against #18 UC San Diego on Jan. 8 and the two top-ranked teams in #1 UCLA and #2 Long Beach State on Jan. 10. It is the third straight season that the Red Flash have played against three top 20 opponents in their first three matches.
Michael Mosbacher earned NEC Prime Performer for the week after posting 26 kills, eight digs, two blocks, and two service aces over the course of three matches. The senior registered nine kills (.300 hitting percentage) against the Tritons and Bruins.
Brady Stump is second in kills with 19. The junior outside also recorded seven digs in the UCLA match.
Brayden Kuruzovich made his first two starts with Saint Francis since transferring from Missouri S&T in 2023 in the UC San Diego and UCLA matches. The junior compiled 35 assists in five sets.
Kyle Charles got in for four sets, including his first start in the Long Beach State match, and tallied 24 assists, two kills and a dig.
Cole Dorn got the start at libero in the first two matches and leads the team in digs with nine.
NEXT UP FOR FLASH
Men's volleyball will travel to Princeton, N.J. on Friday, Jan. 24 to take on #19 Princeton at 7:00 p.m. The following day will see the Red Flash go from Princeton to Newark and face off against NJIT at 4:00 p.m.
