CHICAGO – The Saint Xavier University women's volleyball team (0-7, 0-1 CCAC) started Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) play with a four-set defeat (23-25, 16-25, 25-19, 18-25) to Indiana University Northwest Thursday evening on Bob Hallberg Court at the Shannon Center in Chicago, Ill. The Cougars scooped up a season-high 70 digs in the contest with junior libero
Taylor Vann (Oklahoma City, Okla./Bishop McGuinness Catholic) coming away with a match-high tying 18. She added six assists and a pair of service aces.
- Senior middle blocker Delaney Panozzo (Grant Park, Ill./Grant Park) and sophomore right side Ella O'Neill (Orland Park, Ill./Edgewood/Andrew) led the SXU attack as each player finished with a season-high 11 kills, respectively. Panozzo added a block and a dig, and O'Neill had a block assist as well.
- Senior setter Abbey Opilka (Dyer, Ind./Hanover Central) finished with a match-leading 18 assists, along with eight digs and a kill.
- Junior setter Raeley Mungcal (Tinley Park, Ill./Benedictine/Tinley Park) was tough defensively, recording a career-best 16 digs. She also had nine assists and an ace.
- Freshman middle blocker Addison Hoeniges (Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington Central Catholic) collected six digs, six kills, three blocks (one solo) and a service ace.
- Junior outside hitter Lauren Ahlstedt (Roselle, Ill./Harper/Lake Park) had six kills as well, adding two digs, an ace and a block.
- Senior outside hitter Kaylee Born (Plainfield, Ill./Oswego East) tallied a season-high six digs and four kills
- Junior middle blocker Ellie Graf (Loves Park, Ill./Rockford Christian) registed two solo blocks, two kills and a dig.
- Junior defensive specialist Yuvia Velasquez (Burbank, Ill./Reavis) dug up a career-best eight digs with an assist and a service ace, while freshman defensive specialist Emma Smola (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew) added four digs.
Saint Xavier (0-7/0-1 CCAC) has a quick turnaround as they travel to Upland, Ind. to compete in the two-day Taylor University (Ind.) Tournament. The Cougars play Indiana University East at 12:30 pm central and the No. 14 ranked host Trojans at 5:30 pm central. SXU concludes the tournament with a match vs. Campbellsville University on Saturday, September 5 at 7:00 am central.
