Junior OH, Caydann Cox serves against Georgetown College SXU Athletics
Saint Xavier University (SXU)’s Men’s Volleyball team has been on a tear to start the 2026 season. After stumbling out the gate 1-2 in a challenging road trip to California—where they suffered early losses to The Master’s University and Concordia University Irvine—the Cougars have responded in convincing fashion, emerging as the winners of five consecutive ranked matchups.
Since returning home, the surge has cemented them as the 2nd ranked team in the country, anchored by 2025 NAIA Player of the Year, Matt Penala. Over their nine-game stretch, he’s recorded 3.80 kills per set (K/S), putting him at 16th in the NAIA, with similar enthusiasm on the defensive end, adding 1.83 digs per set (DIG/S) and 18 blocks.
These respectively rank second and third for the Cougars, with two-way ability that’s allowed SXU to find their rhythm in all phases.
This productive play extends well beyond Penala.
Caydann Cox is averaging 3.13 K/S with 21 blocks to add, and setter Cameron Daniels ranks 10th in the NAIA with 9.97 assists per set (A/S), operating at the helm of one of NAIA’s most efficient offenses. Tyson Myers leads the Cougars with 28 blocks, while Andre Velez contributes 2.80 DIG/S, giving the Cougars a stout defensive presence to match their offensive firepower.
As a unit, they’re hitting 0.302% on the season—8th in the NAIA—underscoring their staggering efficiency as a team, which has allowed them to capture 18 sets to only 2 losses over the last six games.
This run matches the standard the program has established over the past two seasons, with only three losses to attribute to them and a National Championship appearance in 2025.
Entering conference play, the Cougars are looking to build off their dominant start to the season and carry that momentum into the second half of 2026.
With matchups vs Calumet College of St. Joseph (Ind.) and Saint Ambrose University (Iowa) approaching next week, the Cougars look to secure early positioning in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC).
For a team already entrenched in the national rankings, the challenge is now maintaining that standard.