Samantha Hovey Gets the Ball Over the Net and Two Defenders SXU Athletics
The girls volleyball squad at SXU has continued their winning ways and defeated their last two opponents before their mini break. The girls have now won eight straight matches and they aren’t looking to slow down, improving their record to 9-4.
They are also 7-1 in their conference, they hold an impressive 3-1 home record and 5-2 road record.
SXU vs. Judson University: 16-25, 25-19, 25-23, 18-25, 16-14 (W)
In this conference matchup, SXU finished strong in this five-set intense match and ended up going home with the win.
Senior outside hitter Jenny Jensen led the charge with 11 kills and a season-best four blocks (three solo), including the match-winning kill that sealed the win.
The Cougars turned in several season-best performances, including 10 solo blocks and 11.0 total blocks, while recording 50 kills, 10 service aces, and 71 total points for the second consecutive match.
Sophomore middle blocker Carrington Smith added 10 kills, a season-high four blocks (three solo), three digs, one ace, and one assist.
Senior setter Samantha Hovey dished out a season-high 26 assists while contributing seven kills, five digs, and two aces.
Fifth-year libero Avanna Martinez anchored the defense with a match-high 31 digs, marking her second 30+ dig outing this season, along with four assists, two aces, and a kill.
Redshirt sophomore Delaney Panozzo posted a career-high nine kills, while freshman outside hitter Danica Bowden also notched career highs with six kills and three digs. Junior setter Abbey Opilka contributed 10 assists, five digs, and two aces.
Rounding out the effort, senior Nicole Grochola tallied five kills and three solo blocks, sophomore Taylor Vann added nine digs and two aces.
Graduate student Katie DeHaan chipped in five digs and an ace. Redshirt junior Carolina Cosme added a season-best five digs and an assist.
SXU vs. Indiana University at South Bend: 26-28, 25-19, 18-25, 25-18, 15-11 (W)
In their second CCAC matchup of the week, the girls made it out of another five-set match and collected another win. This time, they outlasted IUSB in a rematch on the road and have won the season series against the Titans in a 2-0 sweep.
Hovey recorded a season-high 29 assists, a season-best 24 digs, and 10 kills, while also adding two service aces to lead the team.
Panozzo had a standout night, posting a career-high 14 kills on a .324 hitting percentage (14-3-34), along with two blocks (one solo) and a dig. The Cougars’ defense was outstanding, matching their season-high with 94 digs, a mark they first set on September 11 against the same opponent, IUSB.
Smith tied her season-high with 12 kills and added two blocks (one solo) and an assist. Martinez continued her remarkable consistency, extending her streak of 10+ digs to 13 straight matches this season (17 overall). She tallied 26 digs, a season-best nine assists, and two aces.
Grochola contributed nine kills and two blocks, while Opilka added 17 assists and six digs.
Sophomore defensive specialist Taylor Vann posted a season-high 15 digs and two aces, and DeHaan added a season-best 13 digs and an assist.
Senior outside hitter Tara Glynn achieved a career-high seven kills and added three digs, while freshman Danica Bowden tied her career-best with six kills and posted a career-high four digs. Jenny Jensen chipped in two kills and a dig, and senior defensive specialist Ariel Hoskin added an assist and a dig.
The Cougars are set up for another rematch against Calumet College of St. Joseph (Ind.). In this CCAC rematch, the girls will have homecourt advantage and look to claim their ninth straight win. Action will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 7 at 7:00 pm at the Shannon Center.