SXU Athletics
The women’s volleyball team played two games last week, and yep, you guessed it, they won one and lost the other.
These seem to be the “paw prints” the lady Cougars are making this season; the team has had its ups and downs this entire season, but they have been keeping it interesting nonetheless.
The first game last week took place at home on Oct. 28 against Ashford University.
This was the second game the Cougars played against the Saints this season, and it was the first home game the Cougars played in almost three weeks.
Despite having lost to the Saints just two weeks prior, the Cougars took the win with a score of 22-25, 25-19, 25-18, 25-11 after losing the first set.
Senior middle hitter Marie Hackert definitely was not shy on the Cougars’ side of the net, posting 11 kills and seven blocks (one solo).
SXU Atheltics
With 10 kills each, junior right side Meghan Falsey and freshman outside hitter Anna O’Hara contributed to the team’s win as well.
Kelli Shaffer, a senior setter, recorded an impressive 32 assists, 13 digs, five kills and four block assists.
Jessica Galotta, a senior defensive specialist and outside hitter, led her team with 16 digs, while fellow senior Dominique Aramburu, a libero, followed with 14 digs, as she once again shone defensively.
Junior middle blocker and outside hitter Heidi Gregerson contributed eight kills and five block assists, while fellow junior Lauren Young, a defensive specialist, finished off the final set with three of her four service aces of the night.
Just two days later, the Cougars traveled to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to play in a conference event against rival Cardinal Stritch University.
The game’s spectators had a chance to show off their costumes in a Thriller Night costume contest.
The sea of costumes in the stands brought luck to the Wolves, who took down the Cougars in all three sets, with a final score of 25-23, 25-19, 25-17.
Hackert led her team in kills once again, finishing the night with a total of 10, along with two block assists.
History repeated itself, with the Cougars suffering 22 attacking errors and nine service errors, providing the Cardinal Stritch Wolves with 31 points.
Errors made by the Cougars tend to mess up the whole game for them, which we have seen in the past.
Gregerson and Falsey each posted nine kills over the course of the night.
Shaffer finished off the game with 28 assists and five digs, slightly lower than her normal contributions.
Aramburu and Galotta each led the Cougars defensively with eight digs.
The rest of the Cougars’ games this season are rather spread out, which will allow the girls enough to time to rest up and practice before the first round of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) Tournament on Nov. 11.
The opening round of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) tournament will take place on Nov. 22.
However, prior to these two exciting main events, the women will have a conference match against Judson University tomorrow at 7 p.m.
SXU defeated Judson earlier this season and last season, so the Cougars know what they are going up against.
Alexis Flamburis
Sports Correspondent