For a while, Matt Pennala didn’t listen to overtures from St. Xavier coach Tom Ryan.
In 2018, Pennala graduated from high school in Long Beach City, California. But after playing for Long Beach City College in 2023, he didn’t see the wisdom of continuing with volleyball.
Then Ryan came calling.
“I pretty much ignored him,” Pennala said of Ryan. “At the time, I just wanted to get my associate’s degree. I just wanted a piece of paper with some education on it.”
Three weeks later, Ryan texted Pennala again. And this time, Pennala had a change of heart.
Two years later, Pennala is the NAIA’s player of the year to go with being an All-American and the Chicagoland Catholic Athletic Conference’s player of the year after helping the Cougars finish second in the nation with a runner-up finish in the NAIA Tournament.
The 6-foot-4 senior right-side hitter/setter, who finished the season with 395 kills, 143 digs, 131 assists and 72 blocks, also helped St. Xavier reach the national semifinals in 2024.
All of this wouldn’t have happened if Ryan, an Oak Forest grad, didn’t follow up with Pennala.
Pennala, a communications major, had a roller-coaster relationship with volleyball. He was at a point in his life where he was unclear about his future when Ryan first contacted him.
“I don’t know … I was more preoccupied with finishing my degree and my education because I was really struggling with that,” Pennala said. “That’s where my mindset was.
“I didn’t really have much drive for anything, and that included volleyball.”
But Ryan’s second attempt actually got Pennala thinking.
“It took me a little for me to realize volleyball could be a way to pursue my degree,” Pennala said. “It was that persistence from coach that made me think maybe I still had something to offer.
“That was the point where I realized a scholarship for sports would allow me to financially pursue my bachelor’s degree.”
After a heart-to-heart talk with his parents, Pennala made the decision to come to Chicago. He will likely stay here for a bit, looking for living quarters near the campus for the summer to work on his game with the team. He has a graduate year of eligibility remaining that he plans on taking.
The Cougars finished with a 31-1 record this spring after a 28-26, 25-23, 18-25, 25-19 loss to The Master’s in the national championship match at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Now, Pennala and his teammates have their eyes on the top prize.
Teammates Andres Velez and Caydann Cox joined Pennala in earning first team All-American honors from the American Volleyball Coaches Association. Cameron Daniels and Drew Ehlers made the second team.
Only Ehlers will be moving on from that group.
“We have a real shot to be back in that match next year,” Ryan said of the national final. “And we will have a real shot to win it.”
For those playing the game of “what if,” St. Xavier might have brought home a national title if the Cougars had closed out the first game. They held a 24-21 advantage but lost 28-26.
“Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, I’ve been telling everyone that if we win the first set, we win the match,” Pennala said. “I don’t even know what happened at the end of that. But it happens. A few slipups here and there.
“But I’m super proud of the guys, and I know we all played well.”
Ryan, the NAIA’s coach of the year, looked back on that time when he received radio silence from Pennala. He’s glad he stuck with trying to bring him to St. Xavier.
“Yeah, he’s a good one — a really good one,” Ryan said of Pennala. “I thought he was good enough to do this. It was pretty clear that he was ultra confident, and I’m not surprised to see the level of success he had.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
