Cougars Begin Home Slate This Week against UIC and UMKC

Junior Thais Vieira and the CSU volleyball team will take on UIC and UMKC at the Jones Convocation Center this week at home

Match #14 (2016 Home Opener)
UIC (11-2) at Chicago State (2-11, 0-0 WAC)
Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016 - 7 p.m.
Emil and Patricia Jones Convocation Center - Chicago, Ill.
Live Stats

Match #15 (2016 WAC Opener)
UMKC (7-6, 0-0 WAC) at Chicago State
Friday, Sept. 23, 2016 - 7 p.m.
Emil and Patricia Jones Convocation Center - Chicago, Ill.
Live Stats

CHICAGO -

This Week: The Chicago State volleyball team makes its long awaited home debut this week with a pair of matches at the Emil and Patricia Jones Convocation Center. CSU opens the week Tuesday night with a midweek showdown against city rival UIC beginning at 7 p.m. before hosting UMKC in the Western Athletic Conference opener for both teams on Friday night at 7 p.m.

Scouting Chicago State: After playing its first 12 matches away from home, CSU kicks off its home slate sporting a season record of 2-11 after finishing 1-2 at the Omni Invitational last weekend with a 3-1 win over New Orleans followed by a pair of 3-0 losses to No. 18 Colorado and Colorado State. Leading the Green and White is senior right side hitter Dzeni Hadzisehovic (Belgrade, Serbia/First Private School for Catering and Tourism) with 2.73 kills per set to go along with a .218 hitting percentage. Freshman middle blocker Sofia Gruden (Washburn, Ill./Metamora) has posted a team-best 37 total blocks (36 assisted, one solo – 0.93 bps), while junior setter Kelsey Taylor (Miami, Fla./Westminster Christian School) is currently averaging 3.87 assists a set and senior defensive specialist Kiana Chaney (Roseville, Calif./Woodcreek) has produced an average of 2.98 digs per set with nine service aces.

Scouting UIC: UIC, winners of 10 consecutive matches to open the season and currently 11-2 on the year, opened its home schedule last weekend with the UIC Invitational after defeating UMass Lowell in three sets yet fell to SIU Edwardsville (3-1) and Bowling Green (3-0). Senior outside hitter Alyssa Ehrhardt leads the Flames with 3.63 kills a set and 22 service aces. Freshman middle blocker Ali Watt is the team's leader in hitting percentage (.372) and 41 total blocks (36 assisted, five solo – 0.80 bps), while senior setter Nicole Johnson has recorded 10.91 assists a set and senior outside hitter Kara Johnson is posting 3.71 digs per set.

Scouting UMKC: UMKC brings a 7-6 record into Friday's WAC opener and has dropped four of its last six matches since Sept. 9. The Kangaroos dropped all three of their matches last weekend at the Arkansas Invitational to No. 25 Kansas State (3-1), Southern Mississippi (3-0) and the host Razorbacks (3-1). The top player for UMKC is redshirt senior middle blocker Emma Hagedorn with 2.86 kills and 0,93 blocks per set to go along with a .431 hitting percentage. Senior setter Kaylyn Brandt is averaging 10.91 assists per set, senior outside hitter/defensive specialist Brianna Starr leads the team with 3.95 digs a set, and junior outside hitter Devan Porter has posted a team-best 11 service aces.

Returning to the JCC: CSU is playing its first home contests at the Emil and Patricia Jones Convocation Center this week for the first time in nearly six seasons after hosting the 2010 Great West Conference Tournament.

Another All-Tournament Selection: Freshman defensive specialist Megan Klavitter (Fenton, Mich./Linden) became the third CSU player to capture all-tournament team honors this season after earning a selection last weekend at the Omni Invitational. Klavitter recorded averages of four digs and 1.40 assists a set during the Cougars three matches while posting a season-best 19 digs versus New Orleans and added 14 digs against Colorado. She joins Hadzisehovic and junior outside hitter Thais Vieira (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil/ADN) as all-tournament honorees for the Cougars.

Up Next: CSU hits the road next week for a pair of WAC matches at Utah Valley (Sept. 29 – 7 p.m., MT) and Seattle U (10/1 – 1 p.m., PT).

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#1 Kiana Chaney: DS; 5' 7"; Senior

#4 Thais Vieira: OH; 6' 0"; Junior

#12 Megan Klavitter: DS; 5' 3"; Freshman

#10 Dzeni Hadzisehovic: RS; 6' 5"; Senior

#5 Kelsey Taylor: S; 5' 8"; Junior

#7 Sofia Gruden: MB; 6' 1"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#1 Kiana Chaney
: 5' 7"; Senior
: DS

#4 Thais Vieira
: 6' 0"; Junior
: OH

#12 Megan Klavitter
: 5' 3"; Freshman
: DS

#10 Dzeni Hadzisehovic
: 6' 5"; Senior
: RS

#5 Kelsey Taylor
: 5' 8"; Junior
: S

#7 Sofia Gruden
: 6' 1"; Freshman
: MB

Scoreboard

Players Mentioned

Players Mentioned