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 After Carroll scored on its first possession, Millikin answered
with a two play drive covering 67 yards with the Big Blue scoring on
a 67 yard touchdown pass from Nicco Stepina (Casey, Casey Westfield
H.S.) to Jordan Smith (Shelbyville, H.S.). After a missed extra
point Millikin trailed 7-6.
Millikin took the lead in the second quarter when Stepina connected
with Gerald Perry (Memphis, Tenn., Whitehaven H.S.) on an 18 yard
touchdown pass to make it a 13-7 Big Blue advantage.
The Pioneers scored after a Millikin interception to make it 13-10,
the Big Blue again answered with points of its own scoring on a 23
yard field goal from Chayce Volpert (Chatham, Glenwood H.S.)
extending the lead to 16-10. The field goal was setup for a 49 yard
run from freshman George Jimerson, Jr (Ford Heights, Bloom Trail H.S.).
Millikin scored on its first possession of the fourth quarter when
Stepina connected with David Jackson (St. Louis, Mo., University H.S.)
on a 10 yard pass to make it 22-10.
 The Big Blue defense made big play after big play with 18 tackles
for a loss including 12 sacks. Freshman Matt Brown (Champaign,
Central H.S.) had 11 tackles for Millikin with three tackles for a
loss including two sacks. Daniel Beresky (Mapleton, Peotone H.S.)
had eight tackles. Nikia Averitte (Indianapolis, Ind., Lawrence
Central H.S.) had seven tackles including two tackles for a loss.
Thirteen different Millikin defenders were credited with tackles for
a loss.
Stepina was 21-36-3 passing for 307 yards and three scores. Jackson
had seven catches for 110 yards. Jimerson, Jr. gave the Big Blue
offensive balance rushing for 127 yards on 19 carries.
Millikin Volleyball Has Strong Week
The Millikin volleyball team continued its successful season going
5-1 on the week including a 4-1 record at the Active Ankle Invite
hosted by Washington University-St. Louis on October 21-22 in St.
Louis, Mo. The tournament featured a number of nationally ranked
teams.
In its first match, Millikin knocked on #25 Wisconsin-Eau Claire
3-1. The Big Blue dropped the first set 25-21, but then rallied to
win three straight 25-21, 25-19 and 25-21. Erin Syversen (Pewaukee,
Wis., Waukesha West H.S.) led the Big Blue with 22 kills and 12
digs. Cortney Bohn (Mahomet, Mahomet Seymour H.S.) added 15 kills
and two blocks with Alora Goodey (Lincoln, H.S.) recording 11 kills
and two blocks. Emily Mihalkanin (Willowbrook, Hinsdale South H.S.)
had 43 set assists, 13 digs and two service aces. Tory Speckin
(Sussex, Wis., Sussex Hamilton H.S.) had a team high 14 digs.
In its second match, the Big Blue defeated Bowdoin 3-0 (25-21,
25-20, 26-24). Syversen led the way for Millikin with 18 kills and
13 digs. Kelsey Talkington (North Aurora, Aurora Central Catholic
H.S.) had eight kills with a .667 attacking percentage. Goodey had
seven kills with a .400 hitting percentage and added three blocks.
Mihalkanin had 38 assists and 10 digs. Cassidy Kingery (Heyworth,
H.S.) had a team high 14 digs. Speckin had 12 digs and two aces.
On Saturday, Millikin won its first match in straight sets over the
University of Dubuque 3-0 (25-23, 26-24, 27-25). Goodey led the way
for Millikin with 11 kills and a .529 hitting percentage. Emily
Seegmiller (Arthur, Arthur Lovington Atwood Hammond H.S.) had 10
kills. Kingery had a team high 13 digs. Mihalkanin had 34 set
assists and 10 digs. Syversen had eight kills, six digs and three
service aces.
 The final match was a five set epic defensive battle with #17
Washington University-St. Louis. The Big Blue won the first two sets
25-22 and 25-19. The Bears then battled back to win the next three
sets to take the match 25-23, 25-20 and 15-11.
Syversen had 17 kills and 17 digs for Millikin. Goodey also had 17
kills for the Big Blue. Mihalkanin had 10 kills, 22 digs, 44 set
assists and two service aces for Millikin. Kingery had a team high
27 digs. Speckin had 12 digs and three aces.
The Millikin volleyball team rallied to win 3-1 at Carthage College
in Kenosha, Wisconsin on October 10 to remain unbeaten in College
Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) play.
Carthage started strong winning the first set 25-19. The Big Blue
then won a tight second set 25-22. The second set victory gave
Millikin the momentum in the match and they went on to win 25-14 and
25-18.
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Syversen led Millikin with 17 kills and 15 digs. Bohn had 13 kills
and two blocks and Seegmiller added 12 kills along with two blocks.
Talkington had nine kills and three blocks with a .429 hitting
percentage. Kingery had a team high 20 digs and two service aces.
Mihalkanin had 48 set assists, 13 digs and two aces. Meredith Artime
(Forsyth, Decatur Christian H.S.) had 18 digs and Speckin added 14.
Millikin is now 22-8 on the season and will travel to Elmhurst
College on October 26. Millikin currently leads the conference race
with a 5-0 record followed by Elmhurst at 5-1. The game will play a
major role in the CCIW regular season race and the right to host the
conference tournament.
Millikin Men’s Soccer Go 1-1
The Millikin men’s soccer team scored a 2-1 victory over Augustana
College on October 22 at Frank M. Lindsay Field in Decatur,
Illinois.
The Big Blue scored both its goals in the first half of play.
Freshman Trey Knighton (Peoria, Notre Dame H.S.) scored at the 31:58
mark off an assist from Ben Spelman (Sligo, Ireland). Ivan Lopez
(Joliet, Joliet West H.S.) scored four minutes later to put Millikin
up 2-0.
Millikin men’s soccer team lost to Illinois Wesleyan 3-2 in double
overtime in a steady rain at Frank M. Lindsay Field in Decatur,
Illinois on October 19. The game included a 30 minute lightning
delay.
Millikin opened the scoring in the 11th minute when Spelman
converted on a penalty kick.
The Titans would tie the game at the 74:49 mark.
Millikin answered back four minutes later on a goal by Joseph
Caldarazzo (Downers Grove, Downers Grove South H.S.) with the assist
going to Chris Clay (Quincy, H.S.).
Millikin is now 8-5-2, 2-4
Big Blue Women’s Soccer Loses Twice
The Millikin women’s soccer team lost 2-1 to the Illinois Wesleyan
Titans on October 18 at Frank M. Lindsay Field in Decatur, Illinois.
All of the scoring came in the first 12 minutes of the game.
Millikin got on the board in the 11th minute when Raven Withaar
(Plainfield, Plainfield North H.S.) raced past the defender and put
the ball in the back corner of the net for a goal.
The Big Blue lost to Augustana College 3-0 at home on October 22.
Millikin is now 8-6-1 on the season.
Millikin Tennis Sixth at CCIW Championships
The Millikin women's tennis team completed its fall season with a
sixth place finish in the CCIW Championship held at Centre Court
Athletic Club in Hanover Park.
Molly Angell (Ottawa, H.S.) won two matches in the playback rounds
to earn third place in the number four singles bracket. She earned
an 8-0 win over Carroll in the playback semifinal match followed by
an 8-1 win over Elmhurst to earn the third place medal. Angell’s
finish is the highest individual finish for a Big Blue women's
tennis player during Head Coach Dustin Forman's tenure. The team’s
sixth place finish gives the Big Blue its highest CCIW finish since
2007.
[Bryan Marshall]
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