ramblers risingFEBRUARY 2016

inside:2016 softball preview

winter sports updates

loyola alumnus named new golf coach

a resurgent loyola squad in battle for top mvc spot

Take a look at the east end of Gentile Arena next time you’re inside and you’ll find its latest decoration: the 2015 NCAA Men’s Volleyball National Championship banner, which was unveiled prior to the Ramblers’ match against Charleston in January. The banner looks over Gentile next to its neighbor, the 2014 version.

gentile's latest adornment

all smilesSophomore Tyson Smith (25)

greets senior Jeff White (23) with a big smile after a Loyola victory last

month. The Ramblers got the second half of conference play started on

the right foot with a 104-96 double-overtime thriller over Indiana State.

Loyola hosts Illinois State in a crucial contest tonight at 7 pm.

swoopes' troopsThe Rambler bench and head coach

Sheryl Swoopes (kneeling) showcase the intensity and enthusiasm that has been a staple of Loyola’s 6-3 start to conference play. The Ramblers begin the second half at home this weekend

with games against Southern Illinois and Evansville.

Rambler Report • February 2016 • Page 8

Women’s BasketBall Update

The confidence Loyola gained after upsetting then-No. 16 DePaul before Christmas has not diminished for the Ramblers, who have rattled off eight wins in their last 11 games and find themselves in a battle for the top spot in the Missouri Valley at the halfway point of the conference season.

The biggest wins in conference play for the Ramblers have been an overtime road triumph at Southern Illinois and a thrilling victory last weekend against Northern Iowa, which currently is tied for first place in the Valley. Picked to finish eighth in the preseason conference poll, the Ramblers have already doubled their conference win total from a season ago.

Loyola continues to be led by the two Taylors – Manuel and Johnson – who are combining to average nearly 29 points and 12.5 rebounds per contest. Already with a pair of Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week honors to her credit this season, Johnson leads the team with 85 assists, 50 steals, and a tidy 1.4 assists/turnover ratio.

new faces filling key rolesOne of the keys to the turnaround this season has been the contributions the Ramblers are getting from its newcomers, namely Nieka Wheeler, Dakota Vann, and Grace Goodhart. Wheeler is averaging 9.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game and has teamed with Manuel to form a formidable front court.

Vann has started all 20 games and has been a steady contributor on both ends of the floor, while Goodhart has recently found her shot to provide a much-needed outside threat.

mvc standingsSchool Conference OverallDrake 7-2 14-6

Missouri State 7-2 14-7Northern Iowa 7-2 12-8

Loyola 6-3 10-10Southern Illinois 6-3 13-8Indiana State 5-4 9-11Illinois State 3-6 5-15Wichita State 2-7 5-15

Bradley 1-8 5-15Evansville 1-8 2-18

January results (6-3)Jan. 3 – @ Bradley, W 67-54Jan. 8 – @ Evansville, W 63-49Jan. 10 – @ Southern Illinois, W 69-68 (OT)Jan. 15 – vs. Wichita State, W 60-55Jan. 17 – vs. Missouri State, L 62-73Jan. 22 – @ Indiana State, L 48-62Jan. 24 – @ Illinois State, W 57-41Jan. 29 – vs. Northern Iowa, W 64-60Jan. 31 – vs. Drake, L 65-81

upcoming scheduleFeb. 5 – vs. Southern Illinois, 7 pmFeb. 7 – vs. Evansville, 2 pmFeb. 12 – @ Missouri State, 7 pmFeb. 14 – @ Wichita State, 2 pmFeb. 19 – vs. Illinois State, 7 pmFeb. 21 – vs. Indiana State, 2 pmFeb. 26 – @ Drake, 7 pmFeb. 28 – @ Northern Iowa, 2 pmMar. 5 – vs. Bradley, 3 pm

loyola shaking up mvc standingsramblers begin second half of valley play right in the mix

Junior Taylor Johnson

Junior Nieka Wheeler

Rambler Report • February 2016 • Page 8

Women’s BasketBall Update men’s BasketBall Update

Rambler Report • February 2016 • Page 9

In a month that started slow for the Ramblers, Loyola ended January with a bang in a thrilling 104-96 double-overtime victory against Indiana State last weekend. It was the first time since the 1996-97 season that Loyola hung more than 100 points on an opponent – a span of 571 games – and helps keep Loyola’s hopes alive of earning a bye in the conference tournament next month.

Senior Montel James poured in a career-high 28 points and tied his career-best with 14 rebounds in the game, his third double-double of the conference season. Behind James’ 18 makes from the free throw line, a single-game school record, the Ramblers knocked in 34 of its 40 attempts as a team from the charity stripe, its most since a win over Fairfield in 2006.

The Ramblers also snapped Northern Iowa’s 14-game home conference winning streak in January, its first win in six tries in Cedar Falls. Loyola turned in a stifling defensive effort and held the Panthers to 41 points, their lowest scoring output in the 10-year history of the McLeod Center.

mvc standingsSchool Conference Overall

Wichita State 10-0 16-5Evansville 7-3 18-5

Southern Illinois 7-3 18-5Indiana State 7-4 13-10Illinois State 6-4 12-11

Missouri State 6-5 10-13Northern Iowa 4-6 12-11

Loyola 3-7 10-12Drake 1-10 6-17

Bradley 1-10 3-21

moser shuffles starting lineupIn an effort to break out of a five-game slump, head coach Porter Moser shuffled the starting lineup beginning with the Northern Iowa win as sophomores Tyson Smith, Julius Rajala and Ben Richardson replaced Montel James, Milton Doyle and Devon Turk. The move has produced three wins in five tries and resulted in Loyola scoring the most bench points in school history when 69 points came from non-starters in the Ramblers’ win over Indiana State.

Doyle joins turk in 1000-point clubJunior Milton Doyle’s 14 points last weekend pushed him over the 1,000 career points mark, the 42nd player in school history to hit the milestone. Doyle joins teammate Devon Turk, who also topped 1,000 points earlier in the season. Turk’s 1,071 career points currently has the senior in the 33rd position on the Loyola leaderboard, five points behind Earl Brown (1996-00).

January results (3-6)Jan. 2 – @ Indiana State, L 58-73Jan. 6 – @ Illinois State, L 52-54Jan. 9 – vs. Missouri State, L 54-56Jan. 13 – vs. Bradley, L 53-54Jan. 16 – @ Northern Iowa, W 51-41Jan. 19 – @ Evansville, L 66-74Jan. 23 – vs. Drake, W 68-63Jan. 27 – @ Wichita State, L 54-80Jan. 30 – vs. Indiana State, W 104-96 (2OT)

upcoming scheduleFeb. 3 – vs. Illinois State, 7 pmFeb. 6 – @ Southern Illinois, 7 pmFeb. 10 – @ Bradley, 7 pmFeb. 14 – vs. Evansville, 3 pmFeb. 17 – vs. Northern Iowa, 7 pmFeb. 21 – @ Missouri State, 3 pmFeb. 24 – vs. Wichita State, 8 pmFeb. 27 – @ Drake, 1 pm

ramblers make history in 2ot winloyola looks to build on momentum after winning three of last five

Senior Montel James

Junior Milton Doyle

softBall previeW

Rambler Report • February 2016 • Page 10

healthier, more experienced ramblers look to defy expectationsThe 2015 Loyola softball season was characterized by a few key injuries and a lot of youth, and head coach Jeff Tylka enters his second season with a healthier and more experienced roster. Junior infielder Alyssa Mannucci, who was third on the team in hitting as a freshman, was limited to just four games last year and first baseman Brie Pasquale’s productivity was hampered by a shoulder injury.

The injuries opened the door for three freshmen - Brooke Wyderski, Jamie O’Brien, and Ashley Parenti - to gain valuable experience in their first year at Loyola. The trio was in the starting lineup together in all but two games and posted three of the top five batting averages over the course of the season. Wyderski started all 50 games at shortstop and set Loyola freshman records with 12 home runs and 37 RBI, while hitting a team-best .302.

Senior Ashley Rogers and sophomore Madison Hope made all 50 starts in the circle last year and look to improve on their combined 4.70 ERA from last season. The duo will be pushed by freshman pitchers Kiley Jones, who was named co-Miss Softball in Indiana last year, and Keenan Dolezal, a three-time all-state selection in Illinois.

Loyola was selected ninth in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll. Wichita State returns three First-Team All-MVC selections from a season ago and was selected as the narrow favorite. The Ramblers non-conference travels will take them to Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and Rosemont, where Loyola co-hosts the Total Control Invitational with UIC.

2016 scheduleFeb. 12-14 - Kennesaw State Classic, Kennesaw, GAFeb. 19-21 - Total Control Invitational, Rosemont, ILFeb. 27-28 - Tiger Invitational, Nashville, TNMar. 4-8 - Campbell Invitational, Buies Creek, NCMar. 11-12 - RDU DoubleTree Challenge, Raleigh, NCMar. 19-20 - @ Southern IllinoisMar. 25-26 - @ Wichita StateMar. 30 - vs. Northern Illinois (DH)Apr. 2-3 - vs. Missouri StateApr. 6 - @ UICApr. 9-10 - vs. DrakeApr. 12 - @ DePaulApr. 16-17 - @ Northern IowaApr. 20 - @ Indiana State (DH)Apr. 23-24 - vs. Illinois StateApr. 26 - vs. Indiana StateApr. 27 - @ NorthwesternApr. 30-May 1 - @ BradleyMay 7-8 - vs. Evansville

mvc preseason pollSchool Points 2015 Record

Wichita State (3) 84 34-23Missouri State (4) 76 30-25Northern Iowa (1) 74 22-28

Drake 72 32-21Illinois State 70 25-31

Indiana State (1) 55 27-30Southern Illinois 55 21-26

Bradley 32 22-32Loyola 21 15-35

Evansville 11 10-45

Sophomore Brooke Wyderski

Senior Ashley Rogers

track & field Update

Rambler Report • February 2016 • Page 11

archibald highlights ramblers indoor seasonSenior Peter Archibald is off to an impressive start to the indoor track and field season and remains undefeated thus far in his individual events. Archibald picked up his third consecutive title last weekend at the Indiana Relays with a winning time of 1:51.24 in the 800m, currently second in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Archibald has also collected titles this season in the 600m with a personal-best time of 1:18.95, good for fourth in school history, and the 1000m when he clocked the second-fastest time in school history with a 2:23.92.

On the women’s side, a quartet of Ramblers has sparkled in the 3,000m event. Senior Hannah Magnuson took home the event title at the Illini Classic and is joined by three other teammates currently in the top 20 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Sophomore Emma Hatch ranks fifth in the conference with her 9:49.01 time at the Gladstein Invitational with senior Sydney Stuenkel directly behind with a 9:49.09 mark. Magnuson is currently 11th, while sophomore Lindsey Brewis sits in the 15th spot.

all-americans honored at basketball gameFormer Loyola track and field athletes Sam Penzenstadler and Alison Szykowny were recognized during last month’s basketball game against Missouri State, as each were named United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCA) All-Americans during the 2015 season.

Sam Penzenstadler, a three-time All-American, earned his most recent honor at the 2015 NCAA Indoor Championships, placing 16th in the mile to capture Second-Team honors. Penzenstadler also earned a pair of First-Team honors during the 2014 season,

including a third-place finish in the 1,500m at the outdoor championship.

Penzenstadler is an eight-time conference champion, racking up five titles in the Horizon League and three in the Missouri Valley Conference. The recent graduate also holds two conference records, as he recorded both the fastest mile time and the fastest 1,500m time in the history of the Valley.

Penzenstadler is also a three-time Drake Relays champion, having captured both individual and relay titles at the prestigious meet. In 2013, he won the 1,500m race to become Loyola’s first individual Drake Relays champion since 1964. After winning the event again in 2014, he joined teammates Jake Mazanke, Peter Archibald and Ryan Van Portfliet last season to win the 4x800m relay, bringing home the program’s first relay title at the meet in 52 years.

During the outdoor season, Alison Szykowny became the program’s third female All-American and just the fourth in school history after she placed 24th in the discus at the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships. The Palos Heights, Ill., native became the first-ever Rambler to qualify for the national meet in the throwing events after notching a sixth-place finish at the NCAA West Preliminary Round.

Szykowny is a two-time conference champion in the discus, with her most recent title coming at the 2015 MVC Outdoor Championships. The recent graduate holds five school records, four of which were set last season. At the Redbird Invitational last May, Szykowny broke the school record in all three events that she competed in, notching a first-place finish in the discus and runner-up finishes in both the hammer throw and shot put.

Senior Peter Archibald

men’s volleyBall Update

No. 4 ramblers settling into 2016 seasonThere was no easing into the season for first-year head coach Mark Hulse and the 2016 men’s volleyball team. Not only were they faced with the challenge of replacing Thomas Jaeschke and Cody Caldwell in the rotation, they were asked to do it against four of the top teams in the country to begin the year.

After dropping its first two matches against UCSB and BYU, Loyola rebounded with a gritty 3-2 victory over UC-Irvine and an impressive 3-0 sweep of Penn State. The Ramblers have now won five straight as they head

into MIVA conference play this weekend.

Senior Trevor Novotny and sophomore Ricky Gevis have picked up the slack thus far, with 2.52 and 3.41 kills per set respectively. The pair were impressive against UC-Irvine, with Gevis recording a career-high 15 kills on 23 swings, while Novotny added his own

career-highs in kills (14) and digs (7). Newcomers Cole Murray and Collin Mahan have also contributed, hitting a combined .390 to begin the season. As a team, the Ramblers are hitting .321, while holding their opponents to a .195 hitting percentage.

The middle, manned by senior Nick Olson and reigning AVCA National Newcomer of the Year Jeff Jendryk, has been predictably solid. Jendryk currently leads the MIVA with 1.22 blocks per set and was named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Week after the Ramblers swept Penn State and St. Francis (PA).

Wexter added as assistant coachHead coach Mark Hulse has added former Carthage College standout Connor Wexter to his coaching staff. Wexter was a four-year starter for the Red Men, racking up AVCA All-America honors each season, including three First-Team selections. Wexter is the program’s all-time leader in career assists and spent two years as an

assistant coach at his alma mater after graduation.

“Connor came highly recommended, and he has the potential to be an incredible coach in our game,” said Hulse. “We’re excited to get him in the gym with our setters and for the fresh perspective he’ll bring to the program.”

January results (5-2)Jan. 3 – vs. UC Santa Barbara, L 1-3Jan. 8 – @ BYU, L 1-3Jan. 9 – @ UC Irvine, W 3-2Jan. 14 – vs. Penn State, W 3-0Jan. 16 – vs. St. Francis (PA), W 3-0Jan. 22 – vs. Erskine, W 3-0Jan. 23 – vs. Charleston, W 3-0

upcoming scheduleFeb. 5 – @ Lindenwood, 7 pmFeb. 6 – @ Quincy, 7 pmFeb. 12 – vs. Ohio State, 7 pmFeb. 13 – vs. McKendree, 7 pmFeb. 19 – @ Ball State, 6:30 pmFeb. 20 – @ IPFW, 2 pmFeb. 23 – @ Lewis, 7 pmFeb. 27 – @ McKendree, 7 pm

avca national pollRank School Points Overall

1 UCLA (20) 300 10-02 Long Beach State 277 7-23 BYU 262 6-24 Loyola 226 5-25 Hawaii 213 8-16 Stanford 205 7-17 Ohio State 175 7-28 Penn State 149 5-29 Pepperdine 136 5-210 UCSB 127 8-3

Rambler Report • February 2016 • Page 12

Senior Trevor Novotny

Rambler Report • February 2016 • Page 13

ramBlers Headed aBroad Men's Soccer Plans Service Learning Trip to PeruCommunity service has been a hallmark of the men’s soccer program under third-year head coach Neil Jones. In recent years, the team has been involved locally at Misericordia, the Chicago Canine Rescue Foundation, and the Cycle for Survival program.

Next month, the men’s soccer program will take that mindset globally when the team heads to Lima, Peru where it has partnered with the Universidad Antonio Ruiz de Montoya. Student-athletes were enrolled in a course this semester designed to immerse them in the history and culture of Peru, with the trip in March serving as the capstone experience of the course.

The team will be participating in a number of service activities throughout the week, mainly focusing on the Martin Luther King Association at El Agustino, where former gang members are working to rejoin their communities and workforce thanks in large part to rehabilitation efforts using the sport of soccer.

“We have designed this trip to embody the hallmarks of a Jesuit education and the mission of Loyola,” said Jones. “This experience provides us with the opportunity to educate our student-athletes in mind, body, and spirit, while instilling a sense of social justice and global awareness.”

The team continues to look for support! Visit luc.edu/giving and select the “Loyola Men’s Soccer Peru Trip” under the Giving Priorities dropdown to make your gift today and help send the team to Peru!

national champs italy-bound for experiential learning tripDue to their commitment of training and competing at a championship level throughout the year, men’s volleyball student-athletes can find it hard to take advantage of some of the growth opportunities and learning experiences available to most university students. However, the two-time defending NCAA national champions will have a chance to do just that this summer.

The program has developed a week-long trip to Italy designed to be an experiential learning experience through cultural immersion and competition. The student-athletes will immerse themselves in the rich cultural heritage of Italy with visits to Rome, Florence, Milan and Lake Como, while also competing in friendly matches against international and professional-level competition.

The team has set a $15,000 fundraising goal and received a big boost after selling 50/50 raffle tickets at the men’s basketball game against Drake in January. Lauren Pittman, a current Loyola student, held the winning ticket and decided to donate a generous portion of her winnings back to the program’s fundraising efforts!

The team is still raising money for their trip and any gift – no matter the size – goes a long way in helping send the champs to Italy! Visit www.luc.edu/giving and select the “Men’s Volleyball Italy Trip” under the Giving Priorities dropdown to make your gift today.

hoops named director of golfAthletic Director Steve Watson has announced former Rambler Erik Hoops as the Director of Golf, where he will oversee both the men’s and the women’s programs.

“I’m excited to welcome Erik Hoops back to Loyola,” said Watson. “Erik’s background as a student-athlete here, combined with the knowledge and experience he brings, makes him a perfect choice to serve as our Director of Golf and lead our golf programs moving forward as we continue to strive to be at the top of the Missouri Valley Conference.”

Hoops returns to Rogers Park after serving as the head men’s golf coach at St. Bonaventure since July of 2014. Following a stint as an operations assistant at the PGA Championship in Kiawah Island, S.C., Hoops entered the coaching ranks at the University of Toledo in 2013, serving as an assistant coach under Jamie Broce.

A four-year letterwinner on the Loyola men’s golf team, Hoops enjoyed a highly successful career during his time as a Rambler, posting a career 77.0 stroke average and recording 12 top-ten finishes. The Perrysburg, Ohio native wrapped up his first stay in Rogers Park in impressive fashion, helping lead Loyola to its first ever Horizon League Championship and NCAA Regional berth in 2012. Hoops also served as team captain during his senior season and was a member of Loyola’s Student-Athlete Advisor Committee (SAAC).

“I am so excited to be a Rambler again,” commented Hoops. “Ever since I started coaching, I always envisioned getting an opportunity to return to the program as a coach. I have had ideas on how to grow this program that began even as a player. I know we can take this program to the level we need to be at to be a great MVC team year after year.”

Both of Loyola’s golf programs will begin their spring seasons in February. The women will kick things off in Simi Valley, Calif., Feb. 8-9, at the Matador Invitational, while the men will be back in action one week later, Feb. 15-16, at the Carlton Oaks Invitational in Santee, Calif.

Rambler Report • February 2016 • Page 14

Golf Update

Coach Erik Hoops

truax selected for ncaa pathway program Loyola Deputy Athletic Director Jermaine Truax was chosen by the NCAA leadership and development team for the 2016 NCAA Pathway Program. Truax is one of 23 senior-level athletics administrators picked for the program, which is a unique, year-long, experiential learning opportunity for administrators committed to becoming directors of athletics.

“It is an incredible honor to be selected, and I am thankful that I have the opportunity to partake in the Pathway Program,” said Truax. “This program is top-notch and I am especially excited to be joining an elite group of administrators across the country, who will add tremendous value to this experience. The results of the Pathways Program speak for themselves and I cannot wait to get started.”

“I think this is a wonderful opportunity for Jermaine to be a part of an elite program such as this,” said Director of Athletics Steve Watson. “He has worked very hard to get to this point as a deputy athletic director and taking part in the Pathway Program will be very rewarding and helpful to him as his career in athletics administration progresses.”

For participants, the program provides an unprecedented opportunity to gain insight into every facet of an athletics department, preparing them to become well-rounded leaders who are equipped with the tools an effective athletics director needs. Each program participant is mentored by a current NCAA athletics director and a current university chancellor or president who have committed to helping the pathway participants grow during the program and after completing it.

Since its inception in 1997, the program has produced more than 100 alumni, with nearly 25% going on to become directors of athletics and more than 60% continuing to advance their careers through promotions.

barnes, mercer added to administrative staffLoyola Athletics Director Steve Watson has recently filled a pair of positions on the administrative staff with the hiring of Chloe Barnes as Academic Advisor and Marcus Mercer as the department’s Director of Marketing.

Barnes comes to Loyola after a stint at Texas Tech as the Director of Student-Athlete Affairs, where she directed the Red Raider Life Skills program and created the Fearless Champions Career Advancement Series designed to prepare student-athletes for life post-graduation. Recently appointed by her peers as the Chair-Elect of the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics, Barnes spent two years as a graduate assistant at Ball State, where she was also a member of the women’s basketball team as an undergraduate.

“Chloe’s background is a perfect fit for our student-athletes, coaches and staff,” said Deputy Athletics Director Jermaine Truax. “As we strive to provide excellent academic support services and develop our student-athletes holistically, I am confident Chloe can help take us to a new level.”

Mercer, with a wealth of experience at Ohio State, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt, will oversee the marketing efforts and fan experience for all 15 Loyola sports. Mercer is a graduate and four-year member of the baseball team at Capital University and also holds a Master of Sport Administration degree from Belmont University.

“Marcus’ experience speaks for itself,” said Watson. “He will be a terrific addition to our external operations team as we continue to look for ways to improve our fan experience and generate revenue.”

Rambler Report • February 2016 • Page 15

ramBlinGs

Jermaine Truax