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Saint Xavier University

Official Athletics Website of the Saint Xavier University Cougars

Women's Volleyball
3
Winner Saint Xavier SXU 7-6, 5-1
2
St. Ambrose SAU 9-9, 3-2
Winner
Saint Xavier SXU
7-6, 5-1
3
Final
2
St. Ambrose SAU
9-9, 3-2
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 5 F
Saint Xavier SXU 20 23 25 25 15 (3)
St. Ambrose SAU 25 25 17 20 11 (2)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball |

Coach Heersema wins No. 800 as SXU Rallies for 3-2 Win

Davenport, Iowa – For the second match in a row, the Saint Xavier University women's volleyball team (7-6, 5-1 CCAC) rallied back from an 2-0 deficit to pull the 'reverse sweep', as they defeated St. Ambrose University (Iowa) (20-25,23-25,25-17,25-20,15-11) Tuesday evening in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) at Lee Lohman Arena in Davenport, Iowa. The win gives head coach Bob Heersema his 800th career victory at Saint Xavier (800-646) since taking over the program in the Fall of 1988. He is just the third active head coach in the NAIA to collect 800 or more career wins, joining Stew McDole from Graceland University (Iowa), who started the 2023 season with a record of 959-615 and Candace Moats from Indiana Wesleyan University, who began the 2023 campaign with a 946-370 overall record.
  • Junior outside hitter Connie LeBel (Crestwood, Ill./DePaul/Ferris State/Mother McAuley) tallied a season-high and match-best 24 kills and had 13 digs, along with two blocks and two service aces.
  • Sophomore outside hitter Jenny Jensen (Orland Park, Ill./Cardinal Stritch/Sandburg) also finished with double-digit kills, collecting 10, and added four digs.
  • Junior setter Kaleigh Ritter (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) dished out a season-high 47 assists and scooped up 15 digs. She also had four kills, an ace and a block assist.
  • Senior middle blocker Courtney Hunter (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) collected nine kills on a .563 attack percentage (9-0-16), with a match-high five blocks (two solos), a dig and a service ace.
  • Sophomore libero Ariel Hoskin (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove South) was a force defensively for SXU, finishing with a team-best 18 digs, as well as four assists and a kill.
  • Sophomore defensive specialist Katie DeHaan (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew) was also tough defensively, coming away with 16 digs. She added an ace in the win.
  • Freshman setter Abbey Opilka (Dyer, Ind./Hanover Central) was the fifth Cougar to post double-digit digs, collecting 11. She also had three assists.
  • Junior opposite hitter Abby Gentile (Blissfield, Mich./Lourdes/Blissfield) recorded five digs and had five kills, while sophomore middle blocker Nicole Grochola (Burbank, Ill./Reavis) chipped in four kills and an assist.
Saint Xavier (7-6/5-1 CCAC) hosts Roosevelt University (Ill.) in CCAC competition at the Shannon Center on Thursday, September 28. The match is scheduled for a 7:00 pm first serve.
 
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