Governors State men’s volleyball’s remarkable run came to an end Saturday afternoon in Chicago, falling to Saint Xavier (IL) 3-0 (25-19, 25-16, 25-19) in the CCAC Tournament Championship at the Shannon Center. The Jaguars ran into a Saint Xavier team that entered the match 28-3 and was simply clicking on all cylinders, but nothing about this loss diminishes what this program accomplished this season.
Saint Xavier controlled the match from start to finish, hitting .376 as a team and tallying 24 combined blocks that made life difficult for GovState’s offense all afternoon. Matt Pennala led the hosts with 14 kills at .407, and Tysen Myers added 8 kills at .462, while the Saints’ blocking wall proved to be the difference in all three sets.
For the Jaguars, Pablo Pascual battled to lead the team with 14 kills and 15.0 total points against one of the toughest defensive units in the conference. Pedro Oliveira was efficient off the bench, going 3-for-6 with no errors at .500 while adding two solo blocks and two block assists for 6.0 points. Jared Byas led the back row with 11 digs, and Elias Stommel and Lucas Lapa shared setting duties throughout the match.
But the score tells only part of the story. This is a program in just its second season, and the Jaguars finished the year 19-11 overall, posted a 13-2 conference record, swept through the semifinals, and played for a championship. That is not a small thing; that is a foundation being built in real time, and all the players in that locker room should hold their heads high.
Congratulations to the entire Governors State men’s volleyball team on an outstanding season. The program is growing, the talent is there, and if this year is any indication, the best is still ahead.