Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer
RV ONU Wins Seventh Straight CCAC Match Over Saint Xavier to Clinch the CCAC Regular Season Title
Posted: Mar 31, 2021

RV ONU Wins Seventh Straight CCAC Match Over Saint Xavier to Clinch the CCAC Regular Season Title

Box Score

CHICAGO—The RV Olivet Nazarene University women's volleyball team won its seventh straight Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) matchup defeating the Saint Xavier University Cougars, 3-1, inside the Shannon Center on Tuesday night. With tonight's win, the Tigers clinched the No. 1 seed in next week's CCAC Conference Tournament for the first time since 2016.

The Tigers and Cougars played a close beginning half of the first set as the two teams were tied at 14 all. The Cougars then took over the set winning 11 of the next 12 points and taking the first set 25-15. Katarina Nikolic (JR/Belgrade, Serbia) had the lone kill during that stretch.

First Set: SXU 25, RV ONU 15

Like the first set, the Tigers and Cougars found themselves tied at 14 to begin. Nikolic led the Tigers with a pair of kills while Becca Bell (JR/Salem, Wis.) connected on a kill as well. At 16-15, a kill by Sutton Bate (SO/Flushing, Mich.) and a service ace by Nikolic has gave the momentum to the Tigers as they went on a 8-2 run to win the set 25-20. In the later part of the set, Brianna Cannon (SO/San Diego, Calif.) sent in a service ace to seal the set win for ONU.

Second Set: RV ONU 25, SXU 20

The Tigers jumped out to a 6-3 lead to start the third set. Carleigh Johnson (JR/Kankakee, Ill.), Bell, and Nikolic had kills to start the set for the Tigers. The Cougars got back into the set and made it close throughout as every time the Tigers gained momentum, the Cougars would always fight back and take the lead. At 18 all, Nikolic got an ace and the Tigers took advantage of a pair of errors as they took a 21-18 lead. The Cougars roared back to tie the set at 22 all until the Tigers marked the final three points of the set on a Cougar error and kills from Rachel Newport (JR/Avon, Ind.) and Johnson to win the set 25-22.

Third Set: RV ONU 25, SXU 22

Now, with the Tigers up 2-1, ONU is looking to close the match out, but the Cougars would not go down lightly as they took 11 of the first 20 points. At 19 all, two straight attack errors and an ace by Kaitlyn McMahan (JR/Grant Park, Ill.) gave the Tigers the momentum making the score, 22-19.

A pair of kills from Bate down the stretch lifts the Tigers to a 25-22 win in the fourth set and thus winning the match 3-1.

Match Vitals

Finals: First Set: SXU 25, RV ONU 15 | Second Set: RV ONU 25, SXU 20 | Third Set: RV ONU 25, SXU 22 | Fourth Set: RV ONU 25, SXU 22

Records: RV Olivet Nazarene: 16-1 (16-1 CCAC) | Saint Xavier: 10-9 (8-9 CCAC)

Location: Shannon Center | Saint Xavier University | Chicago, Ill.

Quick Hits

  • Bell led the Tigers with 14 kills.
  • Nikolic and Johnson followed with nine and seven kills, respectively.
  • McMahan led the Tigers with 15 digs, while Cannon, Nikolic, and Skinner all registered 10+ digs each.
  • Skinner led the Tigers with 37 assists.
  • The Tigers tallied seven service aces.

What's Next?

The RV Tigers finish their regular season on Thursday, April 1st hosting the RedHawks of Indiana University-Northwest. The open serve is set for 7 p.m.

--ONU—