Governors State men’s volleyball closed out the regular season in dominant fashion, sweeping both Trinity Christian (IL) and Judson (IL) to finish conference play at 12-2 and set up what promises to be an exciting run at the CCAC Conference Championship.
The Jaguars opened the week on Tuesday at Trinity Christian, rolling to a 3-0 victory (25-17, 25-22, 25-16) against a Trojans squad that finished 4-16 on the season. Pablo Pascual led the way with 9 kills, two aces, and 9 digs for 11.5 points, while Enzo Oyola made the most of his limited time on the floor with 4 kills on 8 attempts for a .375 clip. Pedro Oliveira and Diego Antunez each contributed efficiently as well, with Oliveira going 3-for-5 at .400 and Antunez posting 3 errorless kills. Lucas Lapa ran the offense with 26 assists and an ace, and Thiago Neves anchored the blocking effort with three block assists. GovState spread the workload across 15 players on the night, showing the kind of depth a team needs heading into the postseason.
Two nights later, back home, the Jaguars put together one of their most complete performances of the season against Judson, winning 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 25-19) and hitting a sharp .338 as a team. Antunez was simply dominant, finishing with 15 kills on a blistering .583 hitting percentage while adding two aces, 4 digs, a solo block, and a block assist for 18.5 total points, one of the best individual performances of his season. Pascual was right behind him with 12 kills at .318 and an ace for 13.0 points, and Daniel Lopez chipped in 8 kills and a team-high two aces for 11.0 points. Elias Stommel set the offense with 24 assists and added two block assists, while Pedro Oliveira came off the bench and posted three block assists in just one set. Ean Schultz went error-free with 3 kills and two block assists, and Jared Byas handled his duties in the back row with 7 digs.
The Jaguars finish the regular season at 18-10 overall and 12-2 in conference play, riding a strong stretch of volleyball into what the program has been building toward all season.
Up Next
Governors State hosts the CCAC Conference Championship Semi-Final this Thursday at 6:00 p.m. inside the ARC. The Jaguars have earned the right to play at home, and with the momentum they’re carrying, the stage is set for a big night in University Park.