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CHICAGO – Despite one of the best efforts of the 2012 season, Chicago State volleyball dropped a 3-2 non-conference decision to Western Illinois (25-19, 23-25, 25-20, 19-25, 16-14) on Tuesday (Nov. 6) evening at the Jacoby Dickens Center.
“We played the best volleyball we played all year,” head coach Bob Eskew said. “We've had other matches we've won. But tonight the defense was good, the effort was tremendous.”
The Cougars fell behind 1-0 and 2-1 but rallied back to win the following set each time. The fifth set was a barnburner. The Cougars didn't get out to the start they were looking for after WIU grabbed an 11-8 advantage. A 5-0 run, fueled by three kills from freshman
Alyssa Podwell (Homer Glenn, Ill./Providence Catholic) (Homer Glenn, Ill./Providence Catholic), put the Cougars up 13-11 and forced WIU to ask for time. The break worked as the Leathernecks scored three consecutive points to earn a 14-13 advantage. Another Podwell kill denied the Leathernecks' first match point. However a Western Illinois kill and a block on the ensuing plays ended Chicago State's hopes.
Chicago State was led offensively by Podwell's 13 kills and four block assists. Sophomore
Valeria Desiderio (Chicago Heights, Ill./Bloom) (Chicago Heights, Ill./Bloom) added 11 kills, 14 digs and two aces. Junior
Mysta Townsell (Gardnerville, Nev./Douglas) (Gardnerville, Nev./Douglas) recorded a match-high 28 digs.
Junior
Paula Sioto (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Instituto Educacional Raphael Di Santo) (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Instituto Educacional Raphael Di Santo/Martin Methodist College) pitched in a triple-double of 35 assists, 10 kills and 10 digs. Sioto hit .562 with just one error in 16 attempts. Sioto was forced to set for most of the match after fellow setter sophomore Angleica Brewer (Indianapolis, Ind./Pike) went down with an injury.
“Paula came in and did a great job setting,” Eskew said. “Paula was hitting really well in the first set, but she adjusted and ran the team.”
When the two clubs met earlier this season, WIU's Samantha Fournier hit .438 with 16 kills. On Tuesday Chicago State limited Fournier to a .077 hitting percentage. She recorded 15 kills but needed 52 swings to do so.
The win improves Western Illinois to 11-15. Chicago State falls to 2-27. The Cougars return to the Dickens Center on Thursday for a Great West Conference match against Texas-Pan American. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
