Joliet, Ill. – The Saint Xavier University women's volleyball team (1-1, 0-0 CCAC) kicked off its 2025 season with a pair of matches at the Big Dogs Classic hosted by University of St. Francis (Ill.) Saturday at the Pat Sullivan Center in Joliet, Ill. The Cougars lost their first match of the day to Mount Mercy University (Iowa) in three sets (17-25, 19-25, 23-25) in the morning, however they bounced back in the afternoon by defeating Georgetown College (Ky.) in three sets (25-22, 25-21, 25-19) to come away with their first victory of the season. Fifth year senior libero Avanna Martinez (Coamo, Puerto Rico/Colegio Ponceno) was a force defensively, totaling 25 digs on the day, collecting a match-best 14 vs. MMU and posting 11 digs against GC.

Match One:

• Sophomore middle blocker Carrington Smith (Flossmoor, Ill./Marian Catholic) led SXU with nine kills against the Mustangs, along with a service ace.
• Senior middle blocker Nicole Grochola (Burbank, Ill./Reavis) finished with seven kills on a .333 attack percentage (7-1-18) and a dig.
• Junior setter Abbey Opilka (Dyer, Ind./Hanover Central) recorded a team-high 16 assists with a dig and a kill.
• Senior setter Samantha Hovey (Mackinaw, Ill./Heartland/Dee-Mack) was all over the box score, registering 13 assists, six digs, five kills and two aces.
• Sophomore libero Taylor Vann (Oklahoma City, Okla./Bishop McGuinness Catholic) scooped up nine digs, along with a pair of service aces and an assist.
• Senior outside hitter Tara Glynn (Oak Lawn, Ill./Richards) had four kills and two digs.
• Redshirt sophomore middle blocker Delaney Panozzo (Grant Park, Ill./Grant Park) finished with four kills, three digs and three solo blocks in her collegiate debut on the volleyball court.
• Senior defensive specialist Ariel Hoskin (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove South) collected six digs, an assist and a kill, while Martinez added a pair of assists.

Match Two:

• Senior outside hitter Jenny Jensen (Orland Park, Ill./Cardinal Stritch/Sandburg) totaled a team-leading nine kills with two digs, an assist and a block.
• Hovey handed out 24 assists, along with six kills, four digs, an ace and a solo block.
• Grochola came away with six kills, a block and a dig.
• Panozzo totaled five kills, a dig and a solo block.
• Junior outside hitter Kaylee Born (Plainfield, Ill./Oswego East) also had five kills to go along with a pair of digs.
• Glynn and Smith each finished with four kills, respectively. Glynn added two digs, while Smith had a solo block.
• Hoskin recorded eight digs, three service aces and an assist.
• Opilka added nine assists and two digs, with Martinez coming away with three assists, two aces and a kill and Vann posting three aces and a dig.

Saint Xavier (1-1/0-0 CCAC) hosts Bethel University (Ind.) in their 2025 home opener at the Shannon Center on Wednesday, August 27. The match is scheduled for a 7:00 start.