Freshman setter Cameron Daniels receiving the honor of the Setter of the Week Award SXU Athletics
The Cougars were still on fire as they get their sixth straight win against the Scarlet Hawks of Illinois Institute of Technology. But all good things must come to an end as the Cougars eventually fell short to Georgetown College.
Tough as it is to suffer another loss, their record is now at 6-6 with high hopes for the remainder of the season.
In other news, freshman setter Cameron Daniels has won the honor of CCAC Setter of the Week. This is the second time that Daniels has won this award this season, now the Cougars have had at least one player earn Player of the Week in all of the four weeks of this season.
Daniels has been on a tear this season as he leads his team in assists with a total of 259 assists with an average of 8.35 assists per set in 31 sets. Daniels also ranks No. 4 in the CCAC in assists per set and No. 6 in total blocks.
No. 13 SXU vs. Illinois Institute of Technology: 22-25, 25-20, 25-17, 25-12 (W)
The Cougars grabbed another win, still standing strong with an undefeated 3-0 CCAC record.
Junior outside hitter Matt Pennala continues to show up as he recorded 16 kills, seven digs, four blocks, and a service ace.
Sophomore outside hitter Jan Lopuch also came up big in this game as Lopuch recorded 12 kills, four digs, an assist, and a block.
Sophomore outside hitter Oskar Krzyzak still dominates as he records 11 kills, three digs, and a block. Krzyzak has been phenomenal since he joined the squad, being one of the main reasons for the Cougars recent success.
Daniels also makes a huge impact in this game as he records 46 assists, three digs, two blocks, two kills, and an ace. This is the second straight game where Daniels records 40 or more assists, and this is his fourth 40 or more assist game.
Can’t forget about sophomore libero Andres Velez as he records a career-high 27 digs. This is the third time in his college career where he recorded 20 or more digs in a single game.
Fifth-year senior middle blocker Drew Ehlers continues to be dominant on the defensive end as he records six blocks.
No. 11 SXU vs. No. 9 Georgetown College (Ky.): 36-35, 18-25, 24-26, 16-26 (L)
After turning their season around and winning six straight games, the Cougars are handed their first loss since their match against Missouri Baptist University.
This time around, the No. 9 ranked Tigers of Georgetown College are responsible for the Cougars sixth loss of the season.
Despite the loss, Pennala still dominates with a season-high 19 kills alongside seven digs, two blocks, and an assist. Lopuch shows up with 16 kills and six digs, and Krzyzak records 10 kills, six digs, and a service ace.
Daniels’ reign continued as he posted 46 assists, eight digs, and an ace. This game now makes it five straight matches where Daniels records 40 or more assists.
Velez also continues to dominate as he records 14 digs.
The Cougars players all had pretty decent statlines and played a good game, but it wasn’t enough as Georgetown walked away with the win.
The Cougars shouldn’t feel discouraged as they were able to revive their season and win six straight games. They started the season 0-5, then they worked very hard and managed to put together a decent record of 6-6.
We also can’t ignore that they are on the best start to the conference games as they are currently standing strong at 3-0. The Cougars have proved that they can be a very dangerous team and are hungry for more wins. Their season is well and alive and they look to make big moves this season.
With the team recently adding Krzyzak and Pennala, and Lopuch being the main leaders stepping up for their squad, the Cougars have made themselves so much better and became a threat in their conference and in general. Losing won’t happen as often now.
The Cougars are now headed to the West Coast as they prepare for a series of games in the state of California. In their next game, they look to bounce back against Vanguard University (Calif.) on March 5 and the match will begin at 9:00 P.M.