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 The Big Blue defeated Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology 3-0 on
September 24 at the Griswold Center in Decatur, Illinois. The Big
Blue won 25-20, 26-24 and 25-22. Erin Syversen (Pewaukee, Wis.,
Waukesha West H.S.) led Millikin with 20 kills and 16 digs. Alora
Goodey (Lincoln, H.S.) and Cortney Bohn (Mahomet, Mahomet Seymour
H.S.) each had nine kills. Cassidy Kingery (Heyworth, H.S.) had a
team high 18 digs. Emily Mihalkanin (Willowbrook, Hinsdale South H.S.)
had 41 set assists and 16 kills. Freshman Tory Speckin (Sussex,
Wis., Sussex Hamilton H.S.) had five service aces.
Millikin rallied from being down two sets earn a split in a pair of
games played at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater on September
23 in Whitewater, Wisconsin.
Millikin lost its first match of the evening to 13th ranked
Christopher Newport 3-1 (25-21, 25-20, 18-25, 25-23). Goodey led the
Big Blue attack with 13 kills, two blocks and a .455 hitting
percentage. Erin Syversen added 11 kills and nine digs. Kingery had
a team high 20 digs and two service aces. Rose Syversen (Pewaukee,
Wis., Waukesha West H.S.) had 18 set assists for Millikin.
 The Big Blue lost the first to sets of its match with St. Norbert
25-22 and 26-24. Millikin then rallied to win three straight sets
(25-16, 25-18, 15-11) to pull out the match victory. Millikin had
four players with double figures in kills led by Erin Syversen with
19 kills, 12 digs and two aces. Emily Seegmiller (Arthur, Arthur
Lovington Atwood Hammond H.S.) had 13 kills followed by Bohn with
12. Bohn added five blocks. Senior Kelsey Talkington (North Aurora,
Aurora Central Catholic H.S.) had a team high nine blocks and 10
kills. Mihalkanin had 51 set assists, 12 digs and two service aces.
Speckin had a team high 20 digs. Kingery added 19 digs.
Millikin opened play in the College Conference of Illinois and
Wisconsin (CCIW) by defeating North Park 3-0 on September 20 at
home. Millikin started strong jumping out to a 10-0 advantage in the
first set, but the Vikings battled back to make it close with
Millikin winning 25-21. The Big Blue then took the second set 25-19
and the third set 25-18. Erin Syversen led Millikin with 13 kills,
nine digs and one service ace. Goodey added seven kills, two digs
and one block. Freshman Marissa McElroy (St. Joseph, St. Joseph
Ogden H.S.) came off the Millikin bench to contribute five kills and
four blocks. Talkington had three blocks and two kills. Kingery led
the Big Blue in digs with 17. Mihalkanin had 15 set assists, six
digs and two aces. Rose Syversen had 15 assists.
Millikin is now 12-4 and will be back in action on Tuesday,
September 27 when they host Wheaton College in a CCIW matchup.
Big Blue Women’s Soccer Wins Twice
The Millikin women’s soccer team won in dominating fashion defeating
Maranatha Baptist University 7-0 at Frank M. Lindsay Field on
September 24.
The Big Blue controlled the entire game holding the Sabercats
without a shot while Millikin took 29.
Millikin scored two goals in the first period and added five more in
the second half. Freshman Raven Withaar (Plainfield, Plainfield
North H.S.) opened the scoring converting a penalty kick at the 3:54
mark. Jenna Eaker (Schaumburg, H.S.) would score the Big Blue’s
second goal on an assist from Withaar.
Courtney Olson (Waterloo, Gibault Catholic H.S.) opened the scoring
in the second half for Millikin. She was followed by a second goal
from Withaar and Eaker along with goals from Mattie Hubbard (Granite
City, H.S.) and Emily Sanders (Ballwin, Mo,. Parkway South H.S.).
Withaar finished with two goals and one assist. Senior Angela Pulice
(Tinley Park, H.S.) had two assists for the Big Blue.
 Millikin picked up a road win at Principia College 3-2 on September
20.
The Big Blue came out ready to play and took the lead at 6:40 on a
goal by Katie Bartuch (Manhattan, Lincoln Way Central H.S.). Pulice
put Millikin up 2-1 converting a penalty kick. After Principia tied
the game, Eaker scored the game winning goal at 78:03. Millikin
goalie Anna Benvenuto (West Allis, Wis., PIUS XI) got the win with
six saves.
Millikin is now 4-2-1
Millikin Men’s Soccer Winning Streak Ends
The Millikin men’s soccer team had its six game winning streak to
open the season stopped with a 5-1 loss to the University of
Wisconsin-Whitewater on September 24 at home.
Wisconsin-Whitewater led 2-0 at the half and then added three more
goals in the second period.
Millikin’s lone goal went to Tyler Anderson (Frankfort, Lincoln Way
East H.S.) with the assist by Nick Hatfield (Godfrey, Alton H.S.).
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Millikin picked up its sixth win of the season on Sept. 20 with a
2-0 win at Principia College. Millikin goals went to Bradyn Nokes
(Quincy, H.S.) and Ben Spelman (Sligo, Ireland). Trey Knighton
(Peoria, Peoria Notre Dame H.S.) and Michael Longo (Quincy, H.S.)
had an assists. Trevor Creek (Manteno, H.S.) had seven saves in
goal.
Millikin is now 6-1 and will open conference play on September 28
when they travel to North Park University.
Big Blue Football Falls to #7 North Central
The Millikin football team opened play in the College Conference of
Illinois and Wisconsin with a 42-7 loss at seventh ranked North
Central College on September 24 in Naperville, Illinois.
The Cardinals jumped out to a 21-0 lead before Millikin answered
with a 15 yard touchdown pass from Nicco Stepina (Casey, Casey
Westfield H.S.) to Gerald Perry (Memphis, Tenn., Whitehaven H.S.).
Stepina was 11-22 passing for 197 yards. Perry was Millikin’s top
receiver with seven catches for 124 yards.
Nikia Averitte (Indianapolis, Ind., Lawrence Central H.S.) led
Millikin with 12 tackles. Caleb Belcher (Goreville, H.S.) had an
interception for the Big Blue.
Millikin will look to rebound on Saturday, October 1 when they host
North Park University at 6 p.m. for Homecoming.
Big Blue Men’s Tennis Competes at ITA Event
Four members of the Millikin men's tennis team competed in the
Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Central Regional held at
Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan on September 23-24.
Millikin freshman Jacob Palley (River Forest, Oak Park & River
Forest H.S.) won his first match on Friday defeating Michael
Connolley of Illinois College 6-0, 6-0. Palley then lost in the
second round falling to Nicholas Paolucci of Kenyon 6-3, 7-6 (6).
The Big Blue's Colin Sandgren (Forsyth, LSA H.S.) lost in his
opening match to Michael Kiley of Hope 6-4, 6-2. Sandgren was then
knocked out of the consolation round with a loss to Jeremiah Yi of
Wheaton 6-4, 7-5.
Connor Sacks (Schaumburg, JB Conant H.S.) of Millikin lost his first
round match to Andre Adam of Rose Hulman 6-3, 6-3. He then fell to
Peter Hazlett of Kenyon 6-2, 6-3.
In doubles competition on Friday, Millikin's Jacob Hamilton
(Swansea, Belleville East H.S.) teamed with Sandgren to defeat
Andrew Garcia and Tim Gargl of Ohio Northern 8-1.
Hamilton and Sandgren then lost to the tournament's second seeded
doubles team Elan Dantus and Braden Metzler of Kalamazoo 8-1 on
Saturday morning. The Kalamazoo duo featuring the singles runner-up
in last year's NCAA championships.
Big Blue Women’s Tennis Wins Twice
The Big Blue women's tennis team scored its first CCIW win of the
season, defeating the North Park Vikings 5-4.
The Big Blue got off to a great start in doubles, winning at the
second and third doubles spots to take a 2-1 lead heading into
singles. Morgan Bettner (Brownsburg, Ind., H.S.)/Kelly Ruane
(Mokena, McKendree University) held on in a closely contested match
at number two doubles to earn an 8-6 win while Paige Bequette
(Edwardsville, H.S.)/Madeline Delano (Arlington Heights, Buffalo
Grove H.S.) played their best match of the season winning 8-2 at
number three doubles.
Similar to doubles, the Big Blue's depth shined during singles as
Molly Angell (Ottawa, H.S.) at number four, Melissa Donovan
(Antioch, H.S.) at number five, and Delano at number six all were
victorious in straight sets. Angell earned a 6-3, 6-3 win, Donovan
dominated at number 5 winning 6-0, 6-2, and Delano provided the
clinching point earning a 6-3, 6-1 win at number 6.
Millikin defeated Illinois College 9-0 at home on Sept. 20. Doubles
victories went to Bettner/Donovan, Ruane/Delano and Bequette/Erica
Cornelius (Chicago, St. Ignatius H.S.).
In singles the Big Blue earned straight set wins at positions #2-6
with Bequette, Ruane, Donovan, Delano, and Cornelius all earning
victories. Millikin freshman and #1 player Bettner fought back from
a set down to earn a victory over Kathryn Ryan, winning 2-6, 6-0,
10-7.
[Bryan Marshall]
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