Chicago State-Butler Match Box Score
CHICAGO – Chicago State volleyball kicked off its nine-match home schedule this evening at the Jacoby Dickens Center by dropping a three-set decision to visiting Butler via scores of 25-21, 25-13 and 25-12. The Bulldogs saw their record improve to 4-1 on the young season while the Cougars dropped to 0-5 on the year.
BU opened the first set with a 5-2 lead following a Cougar attacking error, but the home team rebounded to score a 5-2 run of its own to even the score at 7-all after a block from freshman Kimberly Naut (Reno, NV/Galena) (Reno, Nev.) and senior Niena Posey (Chicago, IL/Lincoln College) (Chicago Heights, Ill.). The Bulldogs later used a 14-7 scoring run with three kills and a block assist coming from sophomore Maureen Bamiro to regain the lead at 21-14. CSU sliced its deficit to 24-21 after scoring seven of the next 10 points, including a pair of kills from redshirt senior Shamara Clark (Bloomington, IN/South) (Bloomington, Ind.) and a Naut service ace, but Bamiro closed the set with a kill on the next play to give the visitors a one-set lead.
The Bulldogs jumped out to a commanding 9-1 advantage thanks to eight consecutive service points from junior Katie Daprile and later increased their lead to 17-4 after another CSU hitting miscue. An 8-4 scoring run for the Cougars, led by three kills from Naut, closed their losing gap to 21-12 following a service ace from senior Jean Keenan (/) (Braidwood, Ill.). BU finished the set by scoring four of the final five points with junior Jessica Wolfe recording kills at the beginning and the end of the mini-run.
In the third set, freshman Kelly Hunter recorded seven straight service points to give the visitors an early 7-0 advantage. Naut then posted four consecutive service points of her own that pulled CSU to within a single point at 8-7 before the Bulldogs closed out the match with a 17-4 run.
Clark and Naut each tallied six kills to lead CSU on the offensive end while Clark also posting seven digs and a pair of service aces on the evening. Junior Hanya Minta (Eden Prairie, MN/Eden Prairie) (Eden Prairie, Minn.) nearly recorded a double-double by posting 17 assists and nine digs for the Cougars.
Wolfe recorded a match-best 19 kills, while Bamiro posted a .524 hitting percentage (13-2-21) and a match-high three blocks to pace Butler. Freshman Gina Vera notched a double-double with a pair of match high numbers in 31 assists and 14 digs, while senior libero Porshia Allen added eight digs and two service aces.
CSU is idle for the Labor Day Weekend and will return to the hardwood on Tuesday, Sept. 8 with a trip to the north side to face Loyola at famed Alumni Gym. The first serve is slated to begin at 7 p.m.
~CSU~
