The women’s volleyball team during their win over Roosevelt SXU Athletics
Saint Xavier women’s volleyball team has improved to 9-6 after last week’s wins against Saint Ambrose University, Roosevelt University, and Indiana University Northwest. The Cougars have won seven straight games and nine of their last 10.
Despite having the most wins in the CCAC, Saint Xavier is second in the standings at 7-1, with Judson University in first with a 5-0 record.
Amid the thrilling games the Cougars’ played last week, head coach Bob Heersema earned his 800th career win at Saint Xavier.
Coach Heersema took over the program in 1988 and has a career 802-646 record at SXU. He is just the third active NAIA coach with 800 or more career wins, joining Graceland University’s Stew McDole and Indiana Wesleyan University’s Candace Moats.
Junior outside hitter Connie LeBel was named the CCAC attacker of the week after her 20 kill performance against Trinity Christian College and averaged 4.0 kills per set.
In their game against Saint Ambrose on Tuesday the 26, the Cougars were down 0-2 after two close sets with scores of 20-25 and 23-25.
Saint Xavier faced a similar fate in their last game versus Trinity Christian, when they were down two sets to none.
The Cougars fought back in the third set and won 25-17. Their biggest lead of the set was seven points when they jumped out 19-12 on a kill from junior setter Kaleigh Ritter.
Set four had back-and-forth action. The biggest lead of the set was six points, belonging to Saint Xavier late in the set when they went up 23-17. The Cougars held on to their set four lead, winning 25-20 and once again forcing a fifth set.
This was their second game in a row forcing a fifth set after going down 0-2.
SXU took a 7-6 lead and never gave up their lead, closing out the set 15-11 to leave Davenport, IA, with a win.
LeBel and Ritter had double-doubles, LeBel with 24 kills and 13 digs and Ritter with a season-high 47 kills and 15 digs. Sophomore libero Ariel Hoskin was a rock on defense, notching a team leading 18 digs.
Back at the Shannon Center on the 28, Saint Xavier faced off against Roosevelt, and just like their two previous games, they went down 0-2 after the first two sets.
After losing the first two sets by identical scores of 22-25, the Cougars dominated the third set, winning 25-15.
SXU more or less dominated the fourth set as well, beating the Lakers 25-17.
Set four was tight for a while, but the Cougars pulled away after being tied at 14. Sophomore defensive specialist Katie DeHaan held serve in a 7-0 scoring run to go up 21-14.
Back-and-forth play kept the fifth set tight.
SXU had a three point lead five separate times in the set, but Roosevelt stayed in the set the whole time, eventually cutting down the score to 11-10. But that was the last of the scoring RU would do in the game, as Saint Xavier scored four straight points to win 15-10.
Junior opposite hitter Abby Gentile ended the game with a kill, assisted by Ritter.
LeBel finished with 20 kills, her third straight game with 20 or more kills.
Hunter led the match with six blocks (two solo), and DeHaan finished with 18 digs and an ace.
Against IU Northwest on Saturday, Sept. 30, Saint Xavier won the game in four sets, all of which were close.
After losing the first set 18-25, the Cougars got back on track and hung on to their lead, winning 25-21 to even the sets at one apiece.
In the third set, SXU jumped out to a 6-0 lead, at one point extending their lead to 14-5, but the RedHawks fought back.
Just one point away from taking the set in grand fashion and an 11 point lead, IU Northwest scored six straight points, fighting their way back into the set at the last moment.
Fortunately, Ritter closed the set with a kill to win 25-19 and shut down the Redhawks’ momentum for the moment.
Set four was hard fought by both teams. IU Northwest had a 10-4 lead at one point, but the Cougars stayed with the game and at one point scored eight straight to take a 16-12 lead.
The RedHawks did not go down easily, but SXU proved the better of the two and came out on top with a 25-21 victory.
Ritter continued her hot play, tallying 44 assists, her third straight game with 40 or more assists.
LeBel recorded another double-double, a game-high 17 kills and team-leading 17 digs.
The Cougars next game is Tuesday, Oct. 10, at the Shannon Center against Judson University. The game is scheduled for a 7 pm start.