RIVER FOREST, Ill.—After picking up their first NACC win last Saturday against Alverno, the Concordia University Chicago Cougars look to start a winning streak this weekend. CUC will continue conference play with two matches this weekend. They will open with a home match against MSOE on Friday night before heading north to rival Concordia Wisconsin on Saturday afternoon. A new voice will debut Friday night for Cougar fans, as Sam Breif will take over play-by-play duties.
Series History: The Cougars are 10-6 against their first opponent of the weekend MSOE since 2004. CUC is 6-2 at home during that same span. Most recently CUC downed the Raiders 3-0 in Milwaukee last season.
Shannon Stamp led the way with seven aces, while
Jaylynn Johnson and
Julia Spitelli had seven kills each. CUC is 10-27 against CUW since 2001. Most recently CUC dropped a four set match to the Falcons inside Geiseman Gymnasium at CIVT.
About the Cougars: The Cougars enter the weekend 7-12 overall and 1-2 in the NACC. CUC continues to ride their strengths of serving and blocking this season. They currently rank first in the conference and 43
rd nationally in team service aces. They also rank first in the conference and 19
th nationally in total blocks.
Julia Beers and
Alyssa Henline lead the charge behind the service line while Stamp,
Caroline Gibbons and
Tori Steele lead the block. Henline leads the team with 182 points this season, while Johnson leads CUC with 145 kills. Stamp leads the team with a .294 hitting percentage, which continues to rank near the top in program history.
Kelly Gootee has been the top setter this season with 264 assists.
About the Raiders: The MSOE Raiders come into the weekend 7-11 overall and 2-1 in the NACC. Most recently they defeated the Rockford Regents 3-0 on Wednesday night in Milwaukee. Sophomore Quinn Borchert leads the team offensively with 154 kills this season. Her .322 attack percentage ranks second in the NACC this season. Defensively three players have recorded over 100 digs this season, led by Bekah Smith with 191. MSOE ranks fourth in the NACC in service aces with 122. Freshman Amanda Yackley tops the team in assists with 207 this season.
About the Falcons: The Concordia Wisconsin Falcons enter the weekend 10-5 overall and 3-0 in NACC play. Most recently they defeated MSOE on the road last Saturday. They will open the weekend on the road at Alverno before taking on CUC Saturday afternoon. Megan Mayer has been the most dangerous player for the Falcons this season. She ranks near the top in serving and all attacking categories this season. The senior is averaging 3.9 points per set this year. Defensively she has been active as well, ranking second on the team with 161 digs behind Ariana Richmond who has 178. Makenzie Vertz and Christina Stinson have both been involved in the offense, with both registering over 200 assists so far this season.
Up next: The Cougars will have a three match week ahead of them next week. They will welcome Benedictine to Geiseman Gymnasium on Tuesday night before heading to Rockford and Edgewood for an overnight road trip next weekend.
