Cougars, Bees sting Titans in tournament

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Sarah Allison, Ashley McClintock, and Sierra Conklin during the Saint Xavier University game. PHOTO/Sarah Whitehead
Sarah Allison, Ashley McClintock, and Sierra Conklin during the Saint Xavier University game. PHOTO/Sarah Whitehead

By: SARAH WHITEHEAD
Staff Writer/Videographer
@smwhitehead96

On Oct. 28 and 29, three teams travelled to IU South Bend’s home turf to face the Titans in the two-day Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) Crossover Tournament: Saint Xavier University, Saint Ambrose University and Robert Morris University Illinois.

The Titans faced the Saint Xavier University Cougars on Oct. 28. Junior Ashley McClintock led the Titans with 19 kills. Senior Sierra Conklin and sophomore Morgan Fleming had 12 kills each, with Conklin also adding 12 digs. Junior Janelle Rehlander had 13 digs. Freshman Madison Burger had 11 digs. Senior Jenny Stahl had eight digs. Sophomore Sarah Allison had eight kills.

For the Cougars, Sophomore Rory Manion led the team with 12 kills. Sophomore Alex Lambros had 10 kills. Sophomore Helena Atton had 11 kills. Sophomore Sara Wellbaum and sophomore Courtney Joyce each had six kills, and Joyce added 17 digs. Sophomore Mariana Ayala had 12 digs.

The Cougars took the first and second sets, 25-20 and 25-11, but the Titans bounced back in the third set to score just enough points to call for a fourth set, 27-25. Unfortunately, the Cougars won the fourth set 25-22. After this game, the Titans record was 14-20 overall and 7-9 in the CCAC. Saint Xavier’s record increased to 21-15 overall and 12-3 in the CCAC.

After an upsetting loss the night before, the Titans played two games on Oct. 29. They faced Saint Ambrose University at 12:30 p.m. and Robert Morris University Illinois at 3 p.m. The Titans played a close game against the Saint Ambrose Fighting Bees, with five sets necessary to determine a winner.

For the Titans, Ashley McClintock had 16 kills. Sierra Conklin added 12 kills and 19 digs. Sarah Allison had seven kills, and Morgan Fleming and Brandi Armstrong each had four kills. Janelle Rehlander 21 digs, Jadalyn Tindall had 10, and Jenny Stahl had nine digs.

Freshman Riley Hummert led the Fighting Bees with 16 kills and 13 digs. Senior Emily Hermiston followed close behind her with 14 kills and 10 digs. Sophomore Allie Brent added eight kills and Senior Michelle Scott had 15 digs. Senior Cassidy Staunton had six digs and Junior Marissa Boyer had five digs.

Saint Ambrose took the first and third sets, 25-21 and 25-19, while IU South Bend took the second and fourth, 25-21 and 25-10. This called for a fifth set, which the Fighting Bees won 15-9. This game brought the Fighting Bees to 10-19 on the season and the Titans to 14-21 overall and 7-10 in the conference.

After losing two games in the tournament at home, there was a much-needed change of tone in their last game against the Robert Morris University Illinois Eagles.

Junior Ashley McClintock led the Titans with the game-high 15 kills. Senior Sierra Conklin had seven kills and 17 digs, falling just behind Junior Janelle Rehlander, who had 20 digs. Senior Jenny Stahl had eight digs. Sophomore Brandi Armstrong and Senior Emily Nix each had four kills, with Sophomores Sarah Allison and Morgan Fleming falling just behind them with two and three kills, respectively.

For the Eagles, Sophomores Sam McArthur and Hannah Wagner tied to lead the team with seven kills each, while Wagner also added eight digs. Junior Kristin Acciavatti had 16 digs and five kills. Junior Jana Kunz and Junior Tyler Jones had three kills each. Junior Wendy Garcia added nine digs and Sophomore Grace Konovodoff added seven more digs.

IU South Bend won all three sets in this game, 25-20, 25-22, and 25-18. This game increased the Titans’ record to 15-21 overall and 8-10 in the CCAC and dropped the Eagles’ overall record to 6-23.

The Titans will play their last game of the season against Purdue University Northwest on Thursday, Nov. 3. The game will begin at 7 p.m. in the Student Activities Center, preceded by a pep rally and tailgate beginning at 5:30 p.m.

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