CHICAGO – Four players finished with 10 or more kills and three had 10 or more digs as Saint Xavier University women's volleyball (6-14, 6-5 CCAC) outlasted University of St. Francis (Ill.), 3-2, in a five-set thriller (10-25, 25-21, 25-15, 23-25, 15-9) in a Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) contest on Homecoming Saturday afternoon on Bob Hallberg Court at the Shannon Center in Chicago, Ill. Senior setter
Abbey Opilka (Dyer, Ind./Hanover Central) produced her team-leading sixth double-double of the year with 34 assists and 11 digs, while adding a career-high six service aces. SXU gained a measure of revenge against USF after they lost in Joliet, also in five-sets, on September 8.
- Freshman middle blocker Addison Hoeniges (Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington Central Catholic) came away with her first collegiate double-double, collecting a career-best 14 digs and 10 kills. She also had two assists and two solo blocks, giving her a team-high 14 solos on the year.
- Sophomore right side Ella O'Neill (Orland Park, Ill./Edgewood/Andrew) recorded a match-high tying 14 kills, a season-best four blocks (three solos), two aces and two digs,
- Senior outside hitter Aalyssa Gunn (Orlando, Fla./Trinity Christian/Orlando Christian Prep) also had 14 kills, adding four digs, two blocks (one solo) and a service ace.
- Senior middle blocker Delaney Panozzo (Grant Park, Ill./Grant Park) finished in double-digits in kills as well, tallying 10. She also had three digs and an assist.
- Junior libero Taylor Vann (Oklahoma City, Okla./Bishop McGuinness Catholic) scooped up a match-high 15 digs and she tied her career-best mark in assists with seven.
- Junior defensive specialist Yuvia Velasquez (Burbank, Ill./Reavis) logged eight digs, and freshman defensive specialist Emma Smola (Tinely Park, Ill./Andrew) added five digs
- Junior middle blocker Ellie Graf (Loves Park, Ill./Rockford Christian) had three blocks (one solo) and a dig, while junior middle blocker Eva Wintersteen (Burbank, Ill./Reavis) chipped in a dig and a kill.
Saint Xavier (6-14/6-5 CCAC) makes the trip to South Bend, Ind. to face Indiana University South Bend in a CCAC contest on Tuesday, October 13. The match is slated for a 6:00 pm central first serve.
