The Saint Xavier University Women’s Volleyball team had an uncharacteristically rough start to the 2023 season, losing five straight games before getting their first win against Lourdes University on Sept. 2.
SXU opened the season with a double header against Indiana University East and Bethel University, at the Indiana University Kokomo Invite on August 25.
The Cougars lost in three straight sets to IU-East with scores of 18-25, 13-25, and 18-25.
Sophomore middle blocker, Nicole Grochula, recorded four kills and two blocks.
Against Bethel, Saint Xavier’s struggles continued, losing in three straight sets yet again, 14-25, 14-25, and 20-25.
Senior middle blocker, Courtney Hunter, lead the team in kills with nine. Hunter also had two blocks (one solo) as well as two digs.
Junior opposite hitter, Abby Gentile, lead the Cougars with total kills between the two matches (14) and also tallied seven digs and three blocks.
In their final game at the Kokomo Invite on the 26, Saint Xavier was ousted by Mount Vernon Nazarene University in four sets.
Despite taking the first set 25-21, the Cougars could not take any more from MVNU, losing 16-25, 22-25, and 16-25 in the next three sets.
SXU kept the second set close until Mount Vernon Nazarene went on a 10-0 run and had a 22-11 lead. Sets three and four were of similar nature with MVNU going on key scoring runs to take the final two sets.
The Cougars went on to lose two more games, against Cornerstone University and Indiana University at South Bend (CCAC), before finally getting in the win column against Lourdes University.
After going down zero sets to two against Lourdes, Saint Xavier battled back to force a fifth set, which they won 15-10 for their first win of the season.
Hunter led the team in kills with 12 and led blocks with three, another strong performance from the senior.
Freshman outside hitter, Kaylee Born, led the Cougars in aces, four, and had a career best of 10 digs.
Following the win against Lourdes, SXU went on to win four of their next five matches defeating Governors State University, Lourdes, Olivet Nazarene University, and Calumet College of St. Joseph.
Against GSU, sophomore outside hitter, Jenny Jensen, led the team in kills with 14 as the Cougars swept in three sets with scores of 25-20, 25-23, and 25-16.
In their second win against Lourdes, this one running four sets (25-22, 25-23, 19-25,25-16), Hunter once again led the team in kills, this time 13, as well as blocks with 2.
Making her SXU debut, junior outside hitter, Connie LeBel, made an immediate impact on the court leading the team with 21 kills. LeBel also recorded four digs and two assists as she guided the Cougars to victory.
Against Calumet College, Saint Xavier took the first two sets with scores of 25-21 and 25-20, but the Crimson Wave were not done for the night as they won a tight third set with a score of 26-24.
Set four saw a lot of back and forth action, a nail biter from start to finish.
The Cougars held on at the end, winning 25-23 in a back and forth set that CCSJ would not back down from.
LeBel recorded a double-double in the conference win, she had a team-high of 15 kills along with 14 digs. The junior outside hitter had a full stat line, also tallying two service aces and a solo block.
Junior setter, Kaliegh Ritter, was strong on defense, leading the match with 29 digs in addition to an ace and an assist.
Saint Xavier looks to stay in the win column as the season moves along. Their next game is Sept. 26, against St. Ambrose University, in Davenport, Iowa, scheduled for a 7 pm start.