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A former player who helped Loyola earn three top-10 finishes in the national rankings during his college career died during the weekend.
Dane Leclair, 22, died on Sunday in Lincoln, Nebraska, where he was serving as a graduate student manager for the Nebraska women’s volleyball while pursuing a master’s degree.
Leclair during his four seasons with the Ramblers appeared in 198 games and was inserted into the starting lineup during the final month of the 2019 season. The outside attacker from New York had double-digit kills in five of his 11 matches as a starter, including a season-high 14 kills on a .500 attack percentage in a victory against Purdue Fort Wayne.
He also was instrumental in Loyola’s five-game road upset of No. 3 BYU to open its 2018 season. Dubbed the Loyola Flu Game because almost half of the team was experiencing flu-like symptoms, Leclair was placed into the starting lineup and finished with a team-high 15 kills on a .538 attack percentage.
Leclair graduated from Loyola earlier this year and was a four-time selection to the MIVA All-Academic Team.
“Dane personified the very best of what it means to be a Rambler, a student-athlete and a man for others,” Loyola coach Mark Hulse said in a statement. “He was an unbelievable teammate, friend and member of the volleyball community. We will all miss him dearly.”
Along with his time at Loyola, Leclair was selected as the team captain of the 2014 U.S. Boys’ Youth National Team. The United States with Leclair on the roster won the gold medal at the NORCECA U19 Contential Championship and clinched a berth to the FIVB U19 World Championship.