Irvine, Calif. – Sophomore outside hitter
Jan Lopuch (Krakow, Poland/I Liceum Ogolnoksztalcace Sportowego) recorded a match-high 18 kills on a .361 attack percentage (18-5-36) to help lead No. 11 Saint Xavier University men's volleyball (7-8/3-0 CCAC) to a 3-1 victory (25-16, 22-25, 25-22, 25-21) over NCAA Division I Concordia University Irvine (Calif.) Friday evening in Irvine, Calif. Lopuch added nine digs, a match-best four service aces and a solo block. SXU was tough on both sides of the net, coming away with a season-high 52 digs and posting their third-best team attack percentage in a match at .350 (58-16-120). The win for Saint Xavier caps their Spring Break trip and is the first-ever over an NCAA Division I opponent.
- Junior outside hitter Matt Pennala (Long Beach, Calif./Long Beach City/St. John Bosco) registered 13 kills with six digs and an assist.
- Junior outside hitter Sean Carey (Skokie, Ill./Niles West) tallied his first double-double of the season, collecting a season-high 12 digs and a season-best 11 kills. He also added two blocks and an assist.
- Fifth-year senior setter Christian Oviedo (Brea, Calif./Concordia-Irvine/Servite), who transferred from CUI at the semester after playing four seasons for the Eagles, dished out a match-leading 35 assists for a new career-high. He also had eight digs, a block and a kill.
- Junior middle blocker Alessandro Gianotti (Desio, Italy/Brigham Young/Leonardo Da Vinci) finished with seven kills and two blocks (one solo)
- Fifth-year senior middle blocker Drew Ehlers (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) filled the box score with four kills, three blocks (one solo), three digs, two assists, and an ace.
- Sophomore libero Andres Velez (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico/St. Francis) scooped up 11 digs and had a season-best seven assists.
- Freshman setter Cameron Daniels (Omaha, Neb./Millard West) added 10 assists and three digs for the Cougars.
No. 11 Saint Xavier (7-8/3-0 CCAC) returns to Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) action on Tuesday, March 12, when they take on Calumet College of St. Joseph (Ind.). The match is scheduled for a 7:00 pm start in Whiting, Ind.