TIGERS KEEP POSTSEASON HOPES ALIVE WITH FIVE-SET VICTORY OVER WOLVES

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – With a CCAC postseason berth hanging in the balance, the Olivet Nazarene University women's volleyball came through with a five-set win over Cardinal Stritch in McHie Arena Tuesday night.

The Wolves applied the pressure securing points early on into the first set. ONU kept up and kills by Kaitlyn Kolb and Halle Nicholas helped the Tigers claim the lead. CSU stayed behind them, coming back and grabbing the lead. ONU gave it their all but dropped the set to the Wolves with a score of 24-26.

ONU brought the heat in the second set, dominating all the way to the end. Kills by Nicholas, Techiya Jackson, Sophia Johnston and Kylie Hasselbacher paved the way for the ONU dub. The Wolves tried to fight through it but the Tigers swept the set with a score of 25-19.

CSU showed that they didn't come to prove in the third set of the match, scoring early on. However, ONU quickly stole the lead. After a lot of back to back ball play and multiple ties in score, the Tigers held a solid lead over their opponents, grabbing the set with a score of 26-24.

The Tigers started the fourth set strong but lost momentum. The Wolves went on to win the set with a score of 11-25, their largest lead of the night.

ONU quickly bounced back in the final set of the night. The Tigers held the advantage over their opponents, keeping Tiger fans on the edge of their seats. Jackson sealed the set with a kill, handing ONU the set and match victory with a score of 15-12.

There is now a three-way tie for the final two spots of the CCAC Tournament, with ONU, Cardinal Stritch, and Indiana Northwest all owning a 7-8 record in conference play with one game remaining in the regular season.

GAME VITALS

Final: First Set: ONU 24, CSU 24 | Second Set: ONU 25, CSU 19 | Third Set: ONU 26, CSU CSU 24 | Fourth Set: ONU 11, CSU 25 | Fifth Set: ONU 15, CSU 12

Records: Olivet Nazarene 8-18 (7-8 CCAC) | Cardinal Stritch 14-15 (7-8 CCAC)

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

QUICK HITS

- Nicolas destroyed McHie Arena with 19 kills.

- Brianna Cannon came close to breaking her record with 24 digs.

- Julianne Kielion secured 25 assists.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Tigers will head to Iowa to face off against St. Ambrose University on Nov. 3 in the final match of the regular season. The match is set to take place at Lee Lohman Arena in Davenport, IA at 7:00 p.m. CST.

--ONU—

*Contact: Evan Wild, Sports Information Director, ewwild@olivet.edu