Lakers Stunned By Cougars Comeback On Road

CHICAGO – Roosevelt was stunned Thursday by a Saint Xavier comeback as the Cougars rallied to edge out the Lakers in five sets in a Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference match in Chicago at their crosstown rival.

The Lakers (5-10, 1-5 CCAC) looked composed in the opening two sets to win a pair of hard-fought games by the same 25-22 scoreline. The momentum didn't last, however, as the Cougars won the final three sets 25-15, 25-17 and 15-10 to steal the match and send Roosevelt to a sixth straight defeat.

Viktoria Marysheva led the way with 12 kills in the setback for Roosevelt and added 14 digs for a double-double effort. Joana Rafols also submitted a double-double performance with 10 kills and a team-best 17 digs, edging out Catarina Calabrese's 16 digs. Marysheva also led the Lakers with four aces and Emily DeBlecourt added three aces for Roosevelt, which served up 13 total aces in the match. Rafols also led the defensive effort at the net with three total blocks, tying Krista Norton for the team lead with three stuffs. Meanwhile, Zoe Hutchinson dished out 22 assists to set the pace for the Lakers.

Saint Xavier actually took hold of the early momentum in the match by winning the first three points then zipping off four more consecutive points to run the lead to 10-5. Roosevelt actually trailed 20-14 before it caught fire and ripped off seven of the next eight points behind a pair of DeBlecourt aces. Marysheva scored two aces of her own to make it 23-21 before Yuliia Shchepkina served an ace on set point to claim the opening game.

The second set was a back-and-forth affair until Marysheva laid down an ace to make the score 18-16 in Roosevelt's favor. Rafols and Shchepkina teamed up for a block on the next point then Rafols scored three straight points for the Lakers on kills to increase the lead to 23-20.

Although the Lakers did not lead the rest of the way, they kept things close against the Cougars in the final three sets. Saint Xavier closed the third set on a 5-0 run to pull away then pulled off an untimely 7-0 run to break a 14-14 tie. Roosevelt even closed to 11-10 in the final set to force a timeout from the Cougars, but the Lakers couldn't find the open spot on the floor to fend off the rally.  

The Lakers return home Tuesday for their next match when they welcome St. Ambrose to the Goodman Center for a 7 p.m. match.