VOLLEYBALL OPENS SEASON AT TWO OLIVET NAZARENE TOURNAMENTS WITH FIVE MATCHES - AT SOUTH DAKOTA TOURNAMENT FRIDAY-SATURDAY

BOURBANNAIS, IL - The 2023 volleyball season got underway for the Jaguars competing at two weekend Olivet Nazarene University tournaments.

GSU opened the season in weekend one against York University (NE) and the Panthers beat Governors State 3-1, winning 25-23, 25-21, 21-25, 25-22. Jaguar junior transfer Aleksandra Barac (Beograd, Serbia) led GSU with 12 kills, 15 digs and 2 aces in the opener. Senior Yareli Pacheco (Romeoville, IL) led the team with 29 assists.

No. 14 ranked Columbia College (MO) showed its early season NAIA top twenty form with a 25-15, 25-8, 25-8, 3-0 win over the Jaguars in the second match of the year. Sophomore Jennifer Barwicka (Chicago, IL) led GSU with four kills and Vanessa Segura, Freshman, San Antonio, TX contributed 4 digs and 2 aces in the loss.

GSU played solid to the end in the first ONU tournament and forced overtime in set 3 losing to Mount Marty University (SD), 25-16, 25-17 and 27-25. Barac led the way with 8 kills and Pachecho totaled 9 assists and 13 digs. Barwicka led the team with 5 blocks in the Saturday match.

GSU (0-5) played at the Olivet Nazarene University second tournament of the 2023 season, competing Friday in two matches. The tournament was to be two days but the second day of matches has been canceled by ONU officials because of new semester move-in days on the campus.  The Jaguars lost 3-0 at the tournament vs. #21 ranked Marian University, Indianpolis, IN. To end play Friday, GSU lost 3-0 to host Olivet Nazarene University.

Governors State lost 25-17, 25-18, 25-14 to Marian and Barac and Barwicka were the team kill leaders with 9 each in the match. Pacheco contributed 15 assists and 8 digs.

In the 25-19, 25-17. 25-10 loss to ONU, Barwicka led the team with 8 kills and Pacheco had 12 assists and 4 digs.