CHICAGO – The Spring Arbor University volleyball team suffered a pair of losses on Friday night to open play at the Saint Xavier University/Trinity Christian College Crossover Tournament.
The Cougars dropped the first match of the night against Lourdes University in straight sets (25-12, 25-17, 25-18). Freshman Olivia Landis had four kills while Rebekah Kujat, Courtney Kyser and Alexis Long all had two. Setters Laura Hardy and Gabrielle Hilliard handed out five assists apiece. Hilliard paced the defense with nine digs and senior Lyndsay Murray picked up six.
In their second match of the night, SAU won the first set, but Mount Mercy University managed to escape with the second before taking the final two to knock off the Cougars 3-1 (20-25, 26-24, 25-22, 25-18).
"We adjusted our ball control and played a more aggressive match as a whole, said head coach Carol Gates. "In the second and third sets, they kept the pressure on us offensively and our response was a give and take point scoring, which put us scrambling to make up the score deficient late in the set."
Kujat matched her season-high with 18 kills – hitting at a .400 clip – to lead the Cougars while freshman Leah Rose recorded 14. Hilliard directed the offense with 22 assists.
Murray led a trio of Cougars who registered double-digit digs with 15. Hilliard added 13 and Rose finished with 12. Landis played big at the net, racking up five blocks, while Long had four.
"This team is young and responding well overall. They will need to learn to play under pressure and set a tempo that maintains control of the match allowing them to play at a high level of sustained intensity. They are a talented team and with small adjustments in their play against the game, they will find success."
Spring Arbor returns to the court tomorrow for day two of the tournament. The Cougars open with William Penn University at 1 p.m. EST followed by host Saint Xavier at 3 p.m. EST.
- Cougar Nation -
