Three CSUN attackers recorded double-digit kills, but the Matadors fell to Loyola Chicago in a five-set non-conference match on Saturday night at Gentile Arena.

CSUN finishes the non-conference portion of the season with a 15-5 record, while the Ramblers are 17-2. The Matadors are now 1-1 in five-set matches, having defeated No. 15 Lewis earlier.

Jaylen Phillips led with 17 kills (18.8%). He added 5 digs, 4 blocks, and 2 aces. Lorenzo Bertozzi finished with 11 kills (14.8%), and Hank Kauffman came off the bench to add 10 kills (10.7%) plus 6 digs. Setter Donovan Constable was one assist shy of a double-double with 33 assists and 9 digs. Libero Chris Karnezis led the defense with 11 digs.Stiliyan Delibosov had a strong match, finishing with 9 points - 7 blocks 🔥 and 2 aces!, playing a strong defensive game.

CSUN hit 33.3% in the second set, but only 16.5% in the others, to finish with 18.5% (48-25-124). Loyola was better - 22.9% (56-26-131) and dominated at the block (20 to 15). The two teams combined for 59 service errors.

▶️ Set 1 (LUC 25-22): Loyola with better hitting percentage - 31.0% vs 16.0%. CSUN was close at the end, but the hosts prevailed. Stiliyan Delibosov recorded a block.

▶️ Set 2 (CSUN 25-23): The Matadors turned things around with a 33.3% hitting percentage. A rotation error by Loyola helped secure the set victory.

▶️ Set 3 (LUC 25-23): Despite a low hitting percentage (7.7%), CSUN had a 23-20 lead but allowed 5 consecutive points and lost.

▶️ Set 4 (CSUN 25-23): The Ramblers had a slightly better hitting percentage (18.2% vs 17.9%), but CSUN snatched the set after a block by Kauffman and Favareim.

▶️ Set 5 (LUC 18-16): The Ramblers took a 9-5 lead, but CSUN tied it at 10-10. The final say went to the hosts with a kill and a block.

🎙️ Coach Theo Edwards: "I'm proud of the guys. This trip was beneficial for us. We're looking forward to the Big West matches."

🔜 Next: CSUN returns home for a series against UC Santa Barbara next weekend.