Maryville, Tenn. - The wait is over for Concordia University Chicago (CUC) women's volleyball fans as they traveled to Tennessee to compete in the Maryville College Invitational. Day one the Cougars competed against the Brevard College Tornados, where the Tornados took the win  after five sets, 3-2.

Inside The Box Score:

• Lili Hunt (Greenfield, Ind.) led the Cougars with 13 kills on the night.
• Jessalyne Perkins (Chicago, Ill.) made a name for herself, as she brought in 12 kills of her own as well as four blocks.
• Brooke Christensen (Blaine, Minn.) brought in nine kills and nine digs. 

Set One

The Cougars started off set one with a two-point lead, which was quickly answered by the Tornados. The two teams shared points throughout the match, but the Cougars began a slight lead. The Cougars gained some momentum as they were able to get back-to-back kills from Perkins and Christensen, forcing the Tornados into a timeout, with the score being 11-7, favoring the Cougars. 

SHE'S A FRESHMAN!! Jessalyne Perkins making her name known!! pic.twitter.com/XNqnh545Zq

— CUC Women's Volleyball (@cuc_volleyball) August 30, 2024

Out of the timeout, the teams both shared back-and-forth two-point runs but Perkins joined the action yet again and brought the Cougar lead to five, where the score  was 18-13 in favor of the Cougars. It was a nail biter until the very end of the set, the final score was 26-24, Cougars.

Set Two 

The Tornados came out hot in the second set with a six-point run, forcing the Cougars into an early timeout. Out of the timeout, the Cougars responded with an ace from Micaela Barraza (Cape Coral, Fla.), followed by a Hunt kill and Janelle White (Morton Grove, Ill.) ace, making the score 7-5 in favor of the Tornados. 

ACE ACE BABY!! pic.twitter.com/gf779BrgSz

— CUC Women's Volleyball (@cuc_volleyball) August 30, 2024

Back-to-back kills from Perkins and Neva Foster (Parker, Colo.) kept the Cougars within two, where the score was 12-10, in favor of the Tornados. While the Cougars were able to answer a kill with a kill, the Tornados had several two-point runs that the Cougars ultimately never caught up with. The Tornados take the second set with a score of 25-20. Each team with one set a piece. 

Set Three 

The first seven points for each time were as competitive as it gets. Both teams exchanged points for a 7-7 start to the third. A kill from Hunt, ace from White, and block from Hunt and Perkins brought the Cougars back from a four-point deficit, now putting them ahead by one. 

BLOCK PARTY!! Location? Wherever Perkins and Hunt are. pic.twitter.com/LxawB7kJMt

— CUC Women's Volleyball (@cuc_volleyball) August 30, 2024

The Tornados take a timeout, where the score stood 13-12, Cougars. Out of timeout the Tornados were able to get a kill and ace of their own, but Christensen of the Cougars gets two kills back-to-back! It was another battle until the last point, but the Tornados were able to come out on top with a final score of 25-21 in the third set.

Set Four 

The Tornados knew they needed just one more set to take the win, so they came out full steam ahead in set four, leading 5-0 early on. The Cougars were unbothered as Perkins added three kills and a block and Hunt contributed an ace to bring the Cougars back within one, where the score was 7-6, Tornados. 

We see all open spots on the court!! 👀 pic.twitter.com/NiRW0Z94RH

— CUC Women's Volleyball (@cuc_volleyball) August 30, 2024

The Cougars rally on as the Cougars add kills from McKayla LeVoy (Kankakee, Ill.), McKayla LeVoy (Kankakee, Ill.), and Hunt. The Cougars took the lead with a score of 16-9. The Tornados try their best to rally back, but the Cougars were able to keep the lead and took set four with a final score of 25-20. The teams move on to the fifth and final set with two sets each. 

Set Five 

Both teams made it clear they would not go down without a fight. Tornados started off the scoring, but LeVoy answered back with a kill. The score was 2-1, Cougars trailing. Perkins and Hunt added a kill each, pulling the Cougars ahead, 5-3. 

Hunt shows no fear in the fifth set! pic.twitter.com/E9fge35O2H

— CUC Women's Volleyball (@cuc_volleyball) August 31, 2024

The fifth set was a true battle that neither team was willing to lose. Trading points until the very end, the final score was 15-13. The Tornados took the fifth set, and won 3-2.

The Cougars will stay on the road this week as they have day two of the Maryville College Invitational on Saturday for a 10 a.m. match. Coverage for all of our sports can be found at cucougars.com/coverage.