ONU SWEEPS REDHAWKS ON SENIOR DAY

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – The Olivet Nazarene University women's volleyball team closed its home regular season schedule out with a sweep of the RedHawks of Indiana University- Northwest in straight sets on Senior Day Saturday at McHie Arena. 

After the two teams played to a 2-2 tie early on, kick started by a kill by Rachel Newport, sparked a 6-1 run making the score, 9-3.  Janelle Skinner and Kaitlyn Kolb as well as a service by Carleigh Johnson provided the offense for the Tigers.  The Tigers kept pace in the first set.  At 13-6, a kill by Katarina Nikolic and two service aces from Kaitlyn McMahan made the score, 16-7. The Tigers only allowed seven more points the rest of the set and won, 25-14.  The Tigers owned a 12 to 2 kill advantage in the opening set. 

The Tigers got off to a similarly good start in the second set as they marked 7 of the first 10 points.  Becca Bell and Johnson marked kills while Skinner marked three service aces.  The RedHawks kept hanging in there cutting the lead to as little at one at 15-14.  The Tigers then saw timely offense by Newport, Bell, and McMahan and led 18-14.  The RedHawks executed a late charge in the set but the Tigers won by a slim ,25-23, margin.

Both teams started the third set trading the first 10 points.  Kolb, Johnson, and Newport proved the offense for the Tigers.  The Tigers then marked the next six points to lead 10-5.  Nikolic amassed a pair of kills during the run.  ONU kept pulling away and led by as much as 12 at 22-10. 

Kills from Bell and Sutton Bate down the stretch sealed a 25-14 win in the third set for the Tigers.  ONU defeated the RedHawks in three sets. 

MATCH VITALS

Finals: First Set: ONU 25, IUNW: 14 | Second Set: ONU 25, IUNW 23 | Third Set: ONU 25, IUNW 14

Records: Olivet Nazarene University: 17-8 (13-3 CCAC) | Indiana University-Northwest: 9-16 (4-12 CCAC)

Location: McHie Arena | Olivet Nazarene University | Bourbonnais, Ill.

QUICK HITS

• Bell led the Tigers with 12 kills while Nikolic turned in 11. 
• Newport accounted for nine kills. 
• Bell hit a team-best .458 and the Tigers, as a team, hit .232.
• Skinner notched a season-best 36 assists. 
• McMahan led ONU with 18 digs, while Nikolic and Brianna Cannon followed with 12. 
• The Tigers tallied 44 kills, 66 digs, and 41 assists in the match. 

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Tigers hit the road and travel to Chicago to face the Lakers of Roosevelt on Tuesday, November 2^nd.  The opening service is set for 7 p.m.

--ONU—

*Contact: Sam Viebrock, Sports Information Director, stviebrock@olivet.edu