Elgin, Ill. – Graduate student opposite hitter Matt Pennala (Long Beach, Calif./Long Beach City/St. John Bosco) totaled 21 kills on the day, and he became the all-time career kills leader for No. 2 Saint Xavier University men's volleyball (13-2/4-0 CCAC), as the Cougars defeated Judson University (Ill.) in three sets (25-16, 25-15, 25-17) in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) play in match one, and they earned a 3-0 triumph over No. 8 Lourdes University (Ohio) (25-18, 25-13, 25-23) in the second match at the Judson Tri-Match Saturday afternoon at the Lindner Fitness Center in Elgin, Ill. Pennala broke the kills record against the Eagles, collecting seven. He now has 924 kills for SXU, surpassing the previous record of 908 set by former NAIA All-American Grant Ooms (2020-22). Pennala logged a match-best 14 kills in the win over the Gray Wolves.

Match One:

• Junior outside hitter Caydann Cox (Helena, Mont./Jamestown/Jamestown) posted a match-leading 16 kills on a .370 attack percentage (16-6-27) and a pair of blocks.
• Junior setter Cameron Daniels (Omaha, Neb./Millard West) handed out 36 assists, and adding three service aces and a block.
• Pennala logged a .750 attack percentage (7-1-8) with two aces, an assist and a dig.
• Freshman middle blocker Hayden Grange (Mission Viejo, Calif./Trabuco Hills) established a new career-high with six service aces. He also had three kills and two blocks (one solo).
• Senior middle blocker Tysen Myers (Apple Valley, Minn./Jamestown/Eastview) came away with five kills on an .833 attack percentage (5-0-6) and three blocks.
• Freshman middle blocker Nikolay Kotevski (Sofia, Bulgaria/Britanica Park School) finished with four kills, a block and a dig.
• Freshman outsider hitter Owen Krause (Appleton, Wis./Kimberly) had four digs, two kills, an ace and a block.
• Junior opposite hitter/outside hitter Donte Jennings (Spokane Valley, Wash./Morningside/Jamestown/Central Valley) collected three kills, a block and a dig.
• Senior libero Andres Velez (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico/St. Francis) chipped in four digs in the conference win.

Match Two:

• Pennala registered a .476 attack percentage (14-4-21) with three service aces, two blocks and an assist.
• Cox finished with 10 kills on a strong .429 attack percentage (10-1-21), while adding three assists, three blocks, an ace and a dig.
• Daniels issued 30 assists with six digs two solo blocks and a kill.
• Grange totaled five kills, four blocks (one solo) and three service aces.
• Freshman outside hitter Bernardo Kumm (Santa Cruz do Sul, Brazil/Colegio Maua) posted four kills, two aces, a block and a dig.
• Myers recorded three blocks, two digs, two kills and an assist.
• Velez scooped up five digs, along with two assists and a kill.
• Freshman outside hitter Henry Truitt (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West) logged four service aces, including consecutive aces to end the match.

No. 2 Saint Xavier (13-2/4-0 CCAC) makes the trip to Bourbonnais, Ill. to take on Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.) in conference play on Tuesday, March 3. The match is slated for a 7:00 pm start.