No. 1 SXU To Meet No. 2 CCSJ For Men's Volleyball Tournament Title

CHICAGO --- No. 1 will meet No. 2 for the 2024 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Men's Volleyball Tournament championship after top-seeded Saint Xavier University and No. 2 Calumet College of St. Joseph both won their semifinal-round matches on Friday night.

Calumet St. Joseph outlasted Olivet Nazarene University in five games, while Saint Xavier continued its run of three-game matches despite Judson University making the Cougars earn every point.

Calumet St. Joseph and NAIA No. 7-ranked Saint Xavier both head to Saturday's 1 pm title match sporting identical 20-8 records.  The Cougars won their lone match during the regular season and have won 14 contests in a row.  CCSJ has claimed victory in seven of its last eight matches.

The winner advances to the NAIA National Tournament April 30-May 4 at Alliant Energy PowerHouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Recapping Friday:

Saint Xavier def. Judson 25-23, 25-21, 25-19
Matt Pennala nearly recorded a double-double with his 11 digs and eight kills to lead SXU to the semifinal-round win.  Sean Carey provided a team-high nine kills, while Christian Oviedo led the way in assists with 23.  Defensively, the Cougars received 12 digs from Andres Velez.

Calumet St. Joseph def. Olivet Nazarene 21-25, 25-22, 25-21, 20-25, 15-13
Back and forth they went all night before Calumet St. Joseph claimed the fifth-set win.  Four different Crimson Wave players had double-figure kill counts topped by Daniel Lopez's 14.  Francis Hauze was one behind with 13.  Pedro Castillo authored a triple-double with his 32 assists, 11 kills and 10 digs.  Gustavo Medina also collected 13 digs.  Olivet Nazarene's Brody McAfee led all players with his 19 kills.

The complete tournament results and remaining schedule follow:

Tuesday, April 16 - First Round
• Match #1: No. 4 Judson def. No. 5 Trinity Christian 25-21, 25-20, 25-23
• Match #2: No. 3 Olivet Nazarene def. No. 6 St. Ambrose 25-14, 27-25, 25-20

Friday, April 19 - Semifinal Round (at Saint Xavier)
• Match #3: No. 2 Calumet St. Joseph def. No. 3 Olivet Nazarene 21-25, 25-22, 25-21, 20-25, 15-13
• Match #4: No. 1 Saint Xavier def. No. 4 Judson 25-23, 25-21, 25-19

Saturday, April 20 – Championship (at Saint Xavier)
• Match #5: No. 2 Calumet St. Joseph (20-8) at No. 1 Saint Xavier (20-8) --- 1 pm