Rockford, Ill. - The Concordia University Chicago (CUC) women's volleyball team made their way to Rockford, Ill. to battle against the Regents of Rockford University. The Cougars played strong, even after a rough second set. They inevitably took the match 3-1, marking their first NACC victory of the season.
Inside the Box Score:
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Indiah Day (Merrillville, Ind.) walked away with nine kills and 27 total attacks, followed up by an assist, an ace, a block and 14 digs.
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Debanhi Moreno (Dallas, Texas) finished out the match with nine kills and 24 total attacks, also contributing two assists, an ace, a block and three digs.
Here's What Happened
Set One
An attack error from the Cougars started things off, giving the Regents their first point of the evening. A kill from Moreno evened things out; the teams exchanged points for the first portion of the set. The Cougars eventually took the lead, kills from Brynn Icenogle (Brentwood, Calif.) and Beatriz Goncalves (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) putting them ahead. The Regents fought back, coming within two of the Cougars. The Cougars' lead shifted to four, an ace from Malainna Adler (Fenton, Mo.), a kill from Foster, and Regent mistakes aiding in the points. After attacks from Foster, Moreno and Jessalyne Perkins (Chicago, Ill.), the Regents were in a seven-point deficit. The Cougars surpassed 20 after some Regent errors, their opponents struggling to catch up. The Regents began to close the point gap, but not fast enough as the Cougars reached set point. The Cougars eventually took the first set at 25-17, moving into the second set 1-0.
Set Two
Opposite of the Cougars, the Regents took on a quick lead to start the set. The Cougars fell behind by five, even with a massive kill from Harmonie Cooper (Chicago, Ill.). The Regents delivered multiple kills, pushing the point gap to nine. Regent errors gifted the Cougars some points, but the team continued to suffer. The Cougars fell into an 11-point disadvantage, Moreno trying to eat away at the lead with some kills. The Cougars were able to close the gap to seven; the Cougars' efforts would be in vain as the Regents would take the second set at 25-15, both teams moving into the third set tied 1-1.
Set Three
A kill from Foster and an ace from Moreno opened up the set, putting the Cougars on the scoreboard. The Cougars took on the lead, kills from Adler and Day pushing the Cougars forward. Attacks from the Regents brought them within three of the Cougars. The Cougars didn't let the Regents get ahead as Foster and Cooper smacked down kills. Icenogle kept the Regents at a distance, along with a Regent error, bringing the Cougars to 20. The Regents pushed ahead, gaining on the Cougars; a bad set from the Regents brought the Cougars to set point. The Cougars finished out the set at 25-22, transitioning into the fourth set in the lead 2-1.
Set Four
The Regents were first on the scoreboard after a Cougar error. The Regent went on a three-point run before a kill from Perkins broke it up. Kills from Foster and Day helped to close the point gap, tying up the teams 6-6. The teams fought for the lead, the Regents taking it briefly with kills, but Icenogle and Moreno stayed on their tails. The Cougars managed to take the lead back, an advantage of three points on their side. Perkins delivered two aces in a row, pushing the lead to five. The Cougars reached the 20-point mark, leaving the Regents behind. The Cougars hammered down kills, Icenogle and Day showing out at the net. An attack from Moreno gave the Cougars a chance at match point. Another from her locked in the set at 25-15, taking their first NACC win of the season 3-1.
What's Next
The Cougars will take a break before traveling to Madison, Wis. on Thursday, October 1st, to face off against Edgewood College. The first serve is set for 6 pm at the Todd Wehr Edgedome. Coverage for all things CUC women's volleyball can be found at cucougars.com/coverage.
