Sophomore Oskar Kyzyzak, last season's CCAC Player of the Year, returns for St. Xavier's men's volleyball team. Photo courtesy of Saint Xavier University Athletics

Sophomore Oskar Kyzyzak, last season's CCAC Player of the Year, returns for St. Xavier's men's volleyball team. Photo courtesy of Saint Xavier University Athletics

Area College Report | SXU, Trinity men’s volleyball getting ready to roll

Spread the love

By Jeff Vorva
Correspondent

While basketball has dominated the area college scene this winter, men’s volleyball is just around the corner.

Practice is in full swing and matches start later this month.

Saint Xavier wants to keep its best stretch of winning in program history going. Excluding the shortened 2020 pandemic season, the Cougars have won 20 or more matches in four straight seasons.

Before that string, they had never won more than 12 matches in a season, nor had a winning season.

That string of four consecutive winning seasons could continue for a while.

Oskar Kyzyzak and Jan Lopuch, both natives of Poland, return for their sophomore seasons. Both were named NAIA All-Americans as freshmen in 2023. Krzyzak, an opposite hitter who was also the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year, had 344 kills, 105 digs, 58 blocks and 38 aces for the Cougars, who finished 23-5 overall and 12-1 in the league last season.

Lopuch, an outside hitter, had 283 kills, 111 digs, 52 aces and 510 receptions. He was fourth in the nation in aces.

Area players on the roster are sophomore outside hitter Andrew Kopinski (Marist), senior middle hitter Jake McClain (Marist), freshman middle hitter/opposite hitter Tommy Wasiel (Reavis) and freshman outside hitter Mahmoud Ghanayem (Argo).

Last year, the Cougars made it to the NAIA National Championship Tournament and finished 1-1 in pool play. Their victory came against Georgetown College of Kentucky, which is now coached by former Brother Rice standout Jim Dwyer.

The Cougars open the season Jan. 25 hosting The Master’s University (California), and the following two days will host Ottawa University (Arizona) and William Penn (Iowa), respectively.

Trinity Christian made it to the CCAC semifinals in 2023 before falling to Saint Xavier in three sets to finish 17-11.

Senior outside hitter Alex Costa, a two-time all-CCAC first teamer and an NAIA All-American honorable mention in 2022, is back. The Richards alum had 445 kills and 71 aces last season.

Other area players on the roster are sophomore outsider hitter/setter Ethan Oros (Richards), setter/opposite hitter Nick Mioni (Richards), sophomore setter/outside hitter Caden Figus (Oak Lawn), senior outside hitter Cody Figus (Oak Lawn), sophomore Diego Quiroz (Richards), and freshmen Sam Cain (Richards) and Ean Schultz (Reavis)

The Trolls open the season Jan. 26 with a road match against Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio).

 

Double double-doubles
The Saint Xavier women’s basketball team received double-doubles from Alyssa Crenshaw and Eleanor Harris, and needed every point and rebound as they nipped Roosevelt, 69-67, in a CCAC battle Jan. 6 at the Shannon Center.

Crenshaw, a junior forward, led all scorers with 20 points and pulled down 10 rebounds for her first double-double of the season. Sophomore center Harris recorded her second consecutive double-double with 12 points and a game-best 11 rebounds for the Cougars (7-6, 5-1).

Local News

Kathy Headley

Golf is for all at Marquette Park

Spread the love

Spread the love. Kathy Headley Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor 6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778 . Last week we began by talking about how golf season is in full swing at Marquette Park. What if you have thought about playing, but have never played before? There are three programs at Marquette,…

The currently vacant building at 5400 W. 63rd St. --File photo

Legislation to acquire new police district facility on Southwest Side passes General Assembly

Spread the love

Spread the love. Porfirio, Guerrero-Cuellar measure heads to Pritzker’s desk  . From staff reports State Senator Mike Porfirio (D-11th) and State Rep. Angelica “Angie” Guerrero-Cuellar (D-22nd) recently passed legislation in the General Assembly to acquire a new police district facility representing their districts on the Southwest Side. The bill passed both chambers with veto-proof margins.…

Ray Hanania

A Memorial Day grilling from a curmudgeon

Spread the love

Spread the love. By Ray Hanania . I’m a veteran, so I get to talk about the other issues we face on Memorial Day besides remembering those who saved and who gave their lives to defend this country. I am not knocking them, of course. I am knocking those who exploit Memorial Day for their…

SRP-IMAGE-Logo

Lyons water polo teams splash to state

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Both of Lyons water polo team qualified for the state quarterfinals. Lyons’ girls water polo team won its own sectional by beating Mother McAuley, 13-9, in the title game on May 11. The Lions will face York in the state quarterfinals on May 17 at Stevenson High School in…

SRP-IMAGE-Logo

IHSA announces postseason assignments for baseball, softball, girls soccer

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent The IHSA has announced the Class 3A and 4A baseball seeds were revealed and Nazareth, which is seeking its third straight state championship will have to do it in Class 4A after winning two straight in 3A in 2022 and 2023. The Roadrunners drew the top seed at the…

Red Stars goalie Alyssa Naeher, shown retrieving a ball against Washington on May 1, left a May 12 game against Utah with an injury. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Red Stars win at home again, Naeher hurt

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent The NWSL released a fun fact that is pretty darn fun for Chicago Red Stars fans. This year’s version of the Red Stars opened the season 3-0-1, scoring 10 points in the first four road games. They were the fourth team in league history to do that. According to…

Anna Marassa is the only girls volleyball coach in De La Salle history. Photo courtesy of De La Salle

Hall of Fame volleyball coach Anna Marassa coach calls it a career

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Hall of Fame volleyball coach Anna Marassa is retiring. Marassa is the only girls volleyball coach in De La Salle’s history as she headed up the program in 2002 and racked up 538 victories, 10 regional championships and four sectional titles. She is also the boys coach and wraps…

Shepard's Kyla Motley (left) and Rajae Stevenson at the Lyons Sectional. Photo courtesy of Shepard High School

Girls Track | Shepard’s Kyla Motley wins three titles at Lyons Sectional

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Shepard junior track star Kyla Motley was a sectional champion in three events for the second year in a row. Motley won the 100 high hurdles with a time of 15.31, the long jump with an 18-2.5 effort, and the triple jump with a 36-9 at the Class 3A Lyons…

Stagg tennis players and twins Nick and Seamus Keough finished third at No. 3 singles at the SouthWest Suburban Red meet. Photo by Xavier Sanchez

Boys Tennis | Stagg takes third at final SWSC Red tourney

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Xavier Sanchez Correspondent Saturday blue skies cleared the way for the final SouthWest Suburban Conference boys tennis matches as Stagg hosted Andrew, Lincoln-Way Central, and Lincoln-Way West at Moraine Valley Community College. The Chargers started the season losing five of their first games but finished the regular season 10-10-1. They finished third…

Anthony Calderon

UPDATE: Bedford Park man, girlfriend charged with plotting Bridgeview father’s murder

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Bob Bong A Bedford Park man and the victim’s girlfriend have been charged in the shooting death of Arturo Cantu last Wednesday. Bridgeview police arrested Anthony Calderon, 20, of the 7700 block of 65th Place, Friday night. He allegedly confessed to the murder and reportedly led police to the weapon used in…

Neighbors

As legislative session adjournment looms, a rush to regulate carbon capture industry

As legislative session adjournment looms, a rush to regulate carbon capture industry

By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A technology that some say is a key tool to address climate change and others say is a cash grab for heavy industry could face new regulations – if lawmakers can find the time before their scheduled adjournment this week. Carbon capture and sequestration technology is…

Nursing home industry unlikely to see much help from Springfield in tough budget year

Nursing home industry unlikely to see much help from Springfield in tough budget year

By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com It’s been four years since some of the worst scenes of COVID-19 played out in locked-down nursing homes during the early months of the pandemic.  But while most of the world has moved on, the nursing home industry is still reeling from COVID, which exacerbated pre-existing challenges in…

Lawmakers consider tax break for news publishers, state-sponsored journalism scholarships

Lawmakers consider tax break for news publishers, state-sponsored journalism scholarships

By ALEX ABBEDUTO & ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com  SPRINGFIELD – A new measure being debated in the Illinois General Assembly would create a tax credit for certain news publishers based on the number of reporters they employ.  The proposal from Sen. Steve Stadelman, D-Rockford, is part of a package of policies that he…

House GOP advances 2 human trafficking victim protection bills as others remain in limbo

House GOP advances 2 human trafficking victim protection bills as others remain in limbo

By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com After Illinois received another failing grade from a national advocacy group, state House Republicans have introduced legislation aimed at further protecting victims and prosecuting perpetrators of human trafficking. Shared Hope International, an advocacy organization that works to prevent sex trafficking, said in its 2023 Illinois report card that…

Hundreds of bills pass, including changes to state’s biometric data privacy law

Hundreds of bills pass, including changes to state’s biometric data privacy law

By HANNAH MEISEL COLE LONGCOR & ALEX ABEDDUTO Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Lawmakers passed more than 200 bills this week ahead of their scheduled May 24 adjournment.  Many of the measures will soon head to Gov. JB Pritzker, including a bill that changes how damages accrue under Illinois’ first-in-the-nation biometric data privacy law.…

Pritzker pledges to expand access to mental health care in Illinois

Pritzker pledges to expand access to mental health care in Illinois

By DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois draju@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – In the middle of Mental Health Awareness Month, Gov. JB Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton hosted a panel in Springfield this week at which he pledged to expand the state’s behavioral health services. With several dozen services providers from around the state in attendance, Pritzker…

With 1 week left in session, Pritzker admin says all revenue options remain on the table

With 1 week left in session, Pritzker admin says all revenue options remain on the table

By JERRY NOWICKI  Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com While the governor’s office instructed its agency directors to prepare for $800 million in potential budget cuts last week, all facets of his plan to raise $1.1 billion in revenue to avoid those cuts remain under consideration.  Read more: ANALYSIS: ‘Significant enough’ opposition to Pritzker’s revenue plan leads to…

Illinois launches summer food assistance program

Illinois launches summer food assistance program

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The state is launching a new program to provide food assistance during the summer for families with children who qualify for free or reduced-price meals at school. Gov. JB Pritzker joined other state officials and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Thursday to announce that Illinois will…

Lawmakers consider tax break for news publishers, state-sponsored journalism scholarships

Lawmakers consider tax break for news publishers, state-sponsored journalism scholarships

By ALEX ABBEDUTO & ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com  SPRINGFIELD – A new measure being debated in the Illinois General Assembly would create a tax credit for certain news publishers based on the number of reporters they employ.  The proposal from Sen. Steve Stadelman, D-Rockford, is part of a package of policies that he…

House gives OK to new state agency focused on early childhood programs

House gives OK to new state agency focused on early childhood programs

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House gave final passage Thursday to a bill establishing a new cabinet-level state agency whose mission will be to provide a kind of one-stop shop for services focusing on early childhood development and education. By the time it’s fully operational in 2026, the new…