RIVER FOREST, ILL. — Coming off back-to-back conference wins over the weekend, Concordia University Chicago women's volleyball team (9-13, 4-6) looked to keep the momentum going, welcoming the Eagles of Benedictine University (11-10, 6-4) to Geiseman Gymnasium for a Tuesday night showdown. CUC fought hard, but failed to register a set win, falling to BU 3-0.
Inside the Box Score
The Cougars started the night by taking a moment pregame to appreciate various CUC staff members who have helped support the members of the team as part of Faculty Appreciation Night. Staff members featured included Assistant Sports Information Director Kayla McCloud, athletic trainer Rebecca Delahunty, Assistant Athletic Director Janet Wolbert, and Athletic Director Pete Gnan, among others.
Once the game started, the Eagles took center stage, nabbing the first six points of set one before Troy Campbell, head coach of Concordia, called timeout to recollect his team.
Eve Dicken (St. Louis, Mo.) got CUC on the board following the timeout with her first kill of the night. A few volleys later, consecutive service aces from Kovachevich brought the score to 7-4 in favor of BU.
A back-and-forth affair soon followed, but the Cougars were able to knot things up at 11 off a Heywood kill. A Vernengo ace gave Concordia a brief 12-11 lead, but Benedictine was quick to respond with a five-point run, building to a 16-12 Eagle lead.
BU Head Coach Jen Wildes was forced to use her first time of the set when a three-point CUC run tied the set at 19-19. Coming out of the timeout, Benedictine's Amelia Owolabi put her squad back in front, 20-19, now just five points off from claiming set one. The lead would not last, as a Heywood kill and Eagle attack error gave the Cougars a brief lead, which BU would soon evaporate.
Campbell used his second timeout finding his team down 23-22. The timeout did little to faze Benedictine, who brought up set-point off a Hannah Griffith kill. Facing a set one loss, Concordia fought back and forced a 24-24 tie. The Eagles quickly shut down any chance of a CUC set win, scoring the next two and taking set one 26-24.
Now trailing in the match 1-0, the Cougars fell behind Benedictine in the early going of set two, but finally found the tying-point when a Lili Hunt (Greenfield, Ind.) service ace put the score at 7-7. Ties were then had at 8-8, 9-9, 10-10, and 11-11 before BU pulled away to a 14-11 lead. Concordia used a 3-0 run of their own to even things at 14 points.
The two squads found themselves knotted up once again, 15-15. The Eagles then pulled away with a four-point spree, forcing Campbell's hand into using a timeout.
Coming out of the timeout and trailing Benedictine 19-15, a block from Hunt and Vernengo pulled CUC one point closer, but BU took three of the next four points, causing another Cougar timeout.
Post-timeout, the Eagles soon forced a set point, 24-20. On the brink of falling into a 2-0 match hole, Concordia cut the lead down to one before Benedictine called time to figure things out. The timeout proved fruitful, as a final kill from Kiara McPherson sealed set two for BU, 25-23.
Fighting for their match lives, CUC kept things close to start set three, never falling behind more than two points, as plenty of ties and lead changes were had. Separation was finally found when a 4-0 Eagle run set the score at 13-9. A Cougar timeout tried to stop the momentum, but BU kept the run going post-timeout, building a seven-point lead before Concordia stopped the run at 16-10.
Benedictine hopped right back into their groove, scoring the next three points and forcing another CUC timeout with the score sitting at 19-10. An Olivia McPherson ace kept the BU momentum going after the break, and the Eagles rode that momentum all the way to set point, 24-10. A costly team error from the Cougars would end the set 25-10, and the match 3-0.
Concordia will look to rebound Friday, Oct. 21, when Alverno College makes the trip to River Forest for a NACC matchup. Friday night is also Senior Night for CUC. First serve is set for 7 p.m., and coverage can be found at cucougars.com. The game will be live streamed on the YouTube page CUC Sport.
