CHICAGO – Senior outside hitter Matt Pennala (Long Beach, Calif./Long Beach City/St. John Bosco) continued his hot start to the 2025 campaign, recording a fourth straight double-double with 14 assists and 12 kills on a stellar .800 attack percentage (12-0-15) to help lead the No. 2 ranked Saint Xavier University men's volleyball team (4-0/0-0 CCAC) to a 3-1 non-conference victory over Mount Mercy University (Iowa) Friday evening on Bob Hallberg Court at the Shannon Center in Chicago, Ill. Pennala added a team-high seven digs and four blocks (one solo). The Cougars were tough at the net once again, posting a season-best 14.5 blocks (five solos), the third time in four matches that they have come away with 12.0 or blocks.

• Sophomore outside hitter Caydann Cox (Jamestown, N.D./Jamestown/Jamestown) tallied nine kills to go along with four blocks (two solos), four digs, two service aces and an assist.
• Sophomore setter Cameron Daniels (Omaha, Neb./Millard West) dished out a team-high 22 assists, adding five digs and a pair of aces.
• Senior outside hitter Sean Carey (Skokie, Ill./Niles West) registered nine kills, six digs, two blocks and a service ace.
• Junior opposite hitter Oskar Krzyzak (Now Sacz, Poland/Szkota Mistrzostwa Sportowego Rzeszow) also had nine kills, along with three blocks and a dig.
• Graduate student middle blocker Drew Ehlers (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) finished with a match-best eight blocks (two solos), while also posting four kills and a dig.
• Sophomore middle blocker Camden Steckler (Manteca, Calif./Jamestown/Manteca) added three blocks, three kills and a dig.
• Junior libero Andres Velez (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico/St. Francis) came away with six digs, four assists and an ace.

No. 2 Saint Xavier (4-0/0-0 CCAC) hosts NCAA Division III Illinois Institute of Technology at the Shannon Center on Tuesday, February 4. First-serve is set for 7:00 pm.