St. Xavier University's men's volleyball team qualified for the NAIA nationals for the fourth time. SXU photo
Area Sports Roundup | Saint Xavier men’s volleyball team heads back to nationals
By Jeff Vorva
Staff Writer
Four for four.
The NAIA will host its fourth Men’s Volleyball Championships on April 11, and Saint Xavier kept its record perfect in making it to every national tournament.
The Cougars picked up an automatic bid on April 1 with a 25-18, 25-15, 25-22 victory over Judson University in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament, which wrapped up at the Shannon Center in Chicago.
SXU (22-4) will enter pool play April 11 at the MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex in Des Moines, Iowa.
The bad news for the Cougars is that they have yet to win a match in the nationals, going 0-3 in 2019, 0-2 in 2021 and 0-2 in 2022. COVID-19 prompted the cancellation of the 2020 tournament.
The good news is that even if the trend of going winless continues this year, they likely will have plenty of firepower in the coming years to break that trend and thrive.
The Cougars, ranked 10th in the nation by NAIA coaches, was led by two freshmen from Poland on April 1. Oskar Krzyzak had 17 kills and a .448 hitting percentage. He is now sixth on the Cougars list for single-season kills with 314. Jan Lopuch added 10 kills.
Vejas Cuplinskas, a junior outside hitter from Riverside-Brookfield, had nine kills.
To get to the title game, the Cougars beat Trinity Christian 25-13, 25-20, 25-15 March 31 in Chicago. The convincing victory was revenge for a regular-season five-set loss to the Trolls on March 14, in which the Cougars had a 34-match conference win streak snapped.
In the tournament semifinals, Lopuch had 15 kills and a .560 hitting percentage. Cuplinskas had five kills.
Trinity (17-11) was led by Alex Acosta’s eight kills.
Lyons junior Juka Kostic stretches before a serve in the Argo Invitational on March 31. Photo by Jeff Vorva
Lions roar
Lyons won the 12-team Argo boys volleyball tournament, which wrapped up April 1.
The Lions were ranked No. 6 in the preseason by illprepvb.com and knocked off No. 8 Lockport, 25-15, 28-26 in the championship match.
Outside hitters Sam Levinson and Luka Kostic joined middle hitter Leo Wiemelt on the all-tournament team.
Lyons is 7-0 and has dropped only one game this year, that being Brother Rice in the first match of the season.
The Argo tournament was packed with area teams. Oak Lawn finished in fourth place while Stagg was fifth, Reavis placed sixth and St. Laurence was seventh. Argo, Mount Carmel and Shepard each finished 1-2 in the consolation bracket.
Reavis libero Krystian Paluch, Oak Lawn middle hitter Connor Lewis, Stagg setter Matthew Wojciechowski and St. Laurence outside hitter Dylan McKeon were named to the all-tournament team.
Forberg heading to Arcadia
Richards senior distance runner Owen Forberg is heading to California to participate with some elite competition.
He will run the 3200-meter event at the Arcadia Invitational, to be held Friday and Saturday, April 7 and 8 at Arcadia High School. The event has been the site of 33 national records, and 203 United States Olympians have competed there.
Forberg is headed to Indiana University for track and cross country. He finished 20th in the state in Class 2A in cross country in November.
3 Comments
Local News
Area Sports Report | Stagg flag football coach invited to Super Bowl
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Saja Alnajjar said she became a football fan growing up, and one of the first games she watched was Super Bowl XLI between the Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts in February 2007. Little did she know then that she would someday be a football coach. And little did…
College Report | SXU beats Trinity in battle of interim coaches
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer It was a battle featuring two interim coaches on the sidelines. Both Saint Xavier and Trinity Christian College had to find women’s basketball coaches roughly a month before the start of practice this season, and the athletic departments went to work. SXU hired assistant coach Sidney Lovitsch as…
Girls Hoops Wrap | Oak Lawn sees a lot in first 10 games
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Oak Lawn’s girls basketball team beat Lindblom 64-14 on Dec. 9. The Spartans also lost a game 52-18 against Wheaton North on Nov. 24. They have just about seen it all while compiling a 6-4 record to open the season. Close games. Blowouts. But they entered this week…
Unbeaten Oak Lawn edges Evergreen Park on late free throws
Spread the loveBy Xavier Sanchez Correspondent Oak Lawn forward Henry Martinez has long thought about playing for the Spartans. Martinez is not only playing for them, but he is also becoming a key contributor for an Oak Lawn team that entered this week unbeaten. His 20-point performance and some clutch free-throws were instrumental in maintaining…
Voters need to stop hiding in the weeds
Spread the love. By Ray Hanania . Let’s be honest. The choices we have for president next year are very flawed. You can find something you don’t like about every candidate. Some voters will close their eyes to flaws in order to vote against someone over some issue they don’t like, while others will vote…
Lobbying orgs need to re-think questionnaires
Spread the love. By Rich Miller . Imagine a lobbyist approaching a legislator and promising that if the member voted for a specific bill the lobbyist would contribute to their campaign committee. Lobbyists have been convicted here for doing just that, going back to at least 1982. Legislators would be violating state law if they…
Justice lights village Christmas trees
Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan Justice village officials spent a few minutes before their board meeting last week to celebrate the holiday season by lighting the village Christmas tree and other decorated trees in front of the village hall. Mayor Kris Wasowicz lit the tree and wished everyone a wonderful holiday season. After the tree…
Beds Plus to hold ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ pop-up bar in Brookfield
Spread the loveGeorge Bailey is coming to Brookfield for the Beds Plus third annual “It’s a Wonderful Life” pop-up bar. Come and get your wings from Nick to help those in need of “a couple of decent rooms and a bath.” Beds Plus works to reduce and end homelessness in your community. The pop-up event…
Consultant backs Willow Springs on zoning of LTHS parcel
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch All for one and one for all was the theme of last week’s community meeting held at the Willow Springs Village Hall. Concerned residents, politicians from the village and surrounding communities joined in their opposition to any industrial development of a parcel of land in the village owned by the…
2 men charged in shooting of Bedford Park cop
Spread the loveBy Bob Bong A Blue Island man was charged last week with attempted murder in the shooting of a Bedford Park police officer in the early morning hours of November 26. Raul Perez, 24, of Blue Island, was charged with one count of attempted first degree murder of a police officer, one count…
Neighbors
Supreme Court rules teen bicyclist is covered by father’s auto insurance policy
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court ruled Thursday that automobile insurance policies must cover people against uninsured motorists and hit-and-run accidents, even if the person covered by the policy is not in a vehicle at the time of the accident. The case involved a 14-year-old Chicago boy, Cristopher…
Pritzker signs measure allowing new small-scale nuclear technology in Illinois
By JERRY NOWICKI & ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday signed into law a measure that will allow for the limited development of new nuclear power generation technology in the state. The measure, House Bill 2473, does not allow new large-scale power generation facilities like the six plants that are…
Capitol Cast: Halfway through FY ’24, CNI’s Jerry Nowicki breaks down estimates and predictions
With new estimates from the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget, as well as Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, Capitol News Illinois’ Jennifer Fuller talks with Editor-in-Chief Jerry Nowicki about how the numbers shake out. Capitol News Illinois · Capitol Cast: Halfway through FY ’24, CNI’s Jerry Nowicki breaks down estimates and predictions…
Chicago utility pushes back against state oversight, asks for further rate increase
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – Chicago utility Peoples Gas is requesting a multimillion-dollar bump to its already record-high rate increase approved by regulators last month. In November, the Illinois Commerce Commission forced a yearlong pause on the company’s controversial pipeline replacement program while it investigates whether the program adequately prioritizes replacing…
State health plan declares racism a public health crisis
By DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois draju@capitolnewsillinois.com A new state health report pinpoints racism as a public health crisis while also noting Illinois needs to improve in the areas of maternal and infant health, mental health and substance use disorders. The broad goals are laid out in a draft of the State Health Improvement Plan,…
For at least 6 months, state failed to act on Carlinville funeral director that mishandled remains
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com State regulators allowed a Carlinville funeral director to operate for months despite a complaint filed by a local coroner who found a decomposing body in his funeral home and alleged the care of the remains was “unacceptable and criminal in nature.” While trying to assist a local family…
Dolly Parton Imagination Library officially launches statewide in Illinois
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois families with infants and toddlers now have access to free children’s books that can be sent directly to their home, regardless of their income. Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday announced the official launch of the state’s partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a program founded…
What to know about Illinois’ assault weapons ban
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Gun owners face a Jan. 1 deadline to register their assault weapons with the state under Illinois’ assault weapons law. But between lawsuits and ongoing policymaking, the exact guns, accessories and ammunition covered under the Protect Illinois Communities Act remain unclear to many gun rights advocates, who point…
Capitol Cast: Filing Day for 2024 primary brings frigid temps and election themes to Springfield
Capitol News Illinois Broadcast Director Jennifer Fuller talks with Editor-in-Chief Jerry Nowicki about the 2023 petition filing deadline for Illinois’ 2024 primary election. Capitol News Illinois · Capitol Cast: Filing Day for 2024 primary brings frigid temps and election themes to Springfield
Supreme Court rules teen bicyclist is covered by father’s auto insurance policy
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court ruled Thursday that automobile insurance policies must cover people against uninsured motorists and hit-and-run accidents, even if the person covered by the policy is not in a vehicle at the time of the accident. The case involved a 14-year-old Chicago boy, Cristopher…
[…] Related Article […]
[…] Source […]
[…] Source […]