HJ0108 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0108 LRB098 22925 MST 61877 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois State Senate are proud to honor the achievements and contributions, both academic and athletic, of those colleges and universities which are located in the State; and

WHEREAS, In its 2013 season, the Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team won the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Tournament title for the first time in the school's history; it made its first-ever appearance in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men's Volleyball Championship, finished its season with a record of 22 wins and 10 losses, and finished ranked ninth in the final American Volleyball Coaches Association Division I-II Coaches Poll; and

WHEREAS, In its 2014 season, the Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team finished the regular season with 24 wins and one loss, winning the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Tournament title for the second time, and making its second appearance in the NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship; and

WHEREAS, Loyola University Chicago hosted the 2014 NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship in the Gentile Arena at its Lake Shore Campus in May of 2014; and

WHEREAS, On May 1, 2014, the Loyola University Chicago's men's volleyball team head coach, Shane Davis, was named Coach of the Year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, and assistant coach Mark Hulse was named Assistant Coach of the Year; and

WHEREAS, On May 3, 2014, in front of a capacity crowd of 4,475 in the Gentile Arena, the Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team defeated Stanford University with a 4-set win in the NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship, earning the school its first ever men's volleyball championship title; and

WHEREAS, The Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team is the only men's volleyball team in the State to hold the title of NCAA Men's Volleyball Champions; and

WHEREAS, The Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team is only the fourth team to win the NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship on its own home court; and

WHEREAS, The NCAA men's volleyball championship title is the second NCAA team championship title in the history of Loyola University Chicago and the first since the men's basketball program captured the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship in 1963; and

WHEREAS, The Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team finished the 2014 season with a record of 29 wins and one loss, at one point winning 27 consecutive matches; and

WHEREAS, The American Volleyball Coaches Association Coaches poll ranked the Loyola University Chicago's men's volleyball team number one in the country in 2014; and

WHEREAS, The 2014 Loyola University Chicago's men's volleyball team featured 4 All-Americans, including the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, Cody Caldwell, and the 2014 Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Player of the Year, Thomas Jaeschke, of Wheaton; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we honor and congratulate all of the players and coaches of the Loyola University Chicago's 2014 NCAA men's volleyball championship team for their achievements, for bringing honor to the citizens of the State, and for inspiring all high school and collegiate athletics and athletic teams in the State in the pursuit of excellence; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this joint resolution shall be presented to Michael J. Garanzini, S.J., President of Loyola University Chicago, on behalf of the Loyola University Chicago 2014 men's volleyball team, as a symbol of our respect and esteem.